Holden warranty / rust

That's not normal. My 24 year old vs doesn't have rust like that on interior panels at all....

I'd take it further. Not what you want on a new car. BUT it does beg the question - why have you pulled the interior apart? Water damage?

 

This will get worse over time, once it starts it is insidious. I recall Toyota's scab rust problems in New Zealand some years ago, where over time panels perforated.
Unsure how they will repair it, depending on extent.
They may claim there is water damage that occured after selling it to you and within the 3 weeks. Which is very unlikely.
Water damage prior to sale to you is a completely different matter and needs to be corrected. Maybe sitting on a ship or out the back of a dealer, close to the coast?
Time to test the warranty.
edit: check out rust here https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/another-recall.271426/#post-3026127

 

The old gm pox. Water leaks, rust, things falling off. Dealer saying it’s normal. Yep nothings changed

 

Dealer saying it's normal is what's most concerning. Getting reamed by the ACCC doesn't seem to have changed anything.

 

Rust of that nature in a modern car is totally unacceptable. I would be demanding either a new vehicle or refund - no company can expect a customer to accept that typre of defect as it indicates the body somehow missed out on the factory rust prevention process. Who knows where else this could be occurring that you haven't found yet? That isn't just water leakage, it's bare steel, and lots of it. As the dealer is typically passing it off as normal, go up the chain and see the dealer principal, the owner of the business. If still not satisfied, the Zone Manager is next, but DO NOT ACCEPT ANY EXCUSES FOR INACTION. From what your pics reveal, that vehicle is unfit for sale and should be replaced, not patched up.

 

Very concerning!

Maybe you can post an easy-to-check-spot so that other ZB owners can also check. It would be good to know if they are all like that, or whether your car somehow missed a step along the production line.

 

Yes, it is not 1968, when completed, undercoated, bare body shells were left outside until needed.
I accepted that my HK only lasted 5 years, because rust was common back then. Not anymore.

 

Everything in that picture is bare untreated tin er steel

 

Rethinking my earlier post, the nature of steel used in car bodies means that any repair of this type of rust is very unlikely to be successful for any length of time.
The stance here is that the product is not fit for purpose and is not reasonably durable. Thus this is a major failure.
(Insert the actual wording used by Fair Trading or Department of Commerce etc. in your state).
I haven't been aware of this sort of failure in new cars since the 1980s. The heat affected zone around the welds looks to be rusting which is a classic failure of poor manufacturing technique.
@Badgerdog had an engine failure at extremely low mileage in a separate thread. Another thread detailed electrical failures in the ZB. https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/a-new-issue-p2138.274688/
From the relatively small sample set I am observing here, over a short time frame, there appears to be a lack of quality engineered into these cars.
Shame because I was starting to look at a low mileage example as a shopping cart or a car for the kids but now I am reluctant to slap the money down.

 

Just had a look under the dash in the RSV
Mine has a little bit of this as well, but nowhere near as much
Seems its only various light gauge brackets that support the dash and pedal box, not the firewall for example
I think what they did was in effect spot or press weld some light gauge galvanised (or similar) steel and burned off the protective layer
I've had similar before but less extensive again in my old AU2XR8
Given not exposed to the elements should propagate very slowly if at all and could probably be stopped fairly easily with some rust converter or even just sand back lightly and paint it with cold gal, probably what I'll do. Although by rights Holden should probably do yours for you to make up for feeding you the old 'that's normal' line
I don't think I'd be worried to the extent of thinking the car will become unserviceable - the body itself should properly galvanised and painted I think
Has anyone had a look under the dash of a VE or VF?

 

Typical response. This is why Aussies no longer trust holden.

 

And if I was to believe you, all dealers react the same, so we should never trust any dealership.

You obviously hate Holdens with a passion, so why not sell up all your puss buckets and take up push bike riding, because all cars have some sort of issue....Even Ferraris.....

Simple fact is, the op should take it further and see what reaction they get.....Not your attitude that you have.

 

Wow! Holden salesman alert!

 

Under the dash in my 1971 HG didn't have any rust yet a 2018 ZB does? wow.

 

My Vl turbo got none either. And VLs are rust buckets apparently.

 

I have had the dash apart in my VFII to install dash cams, no rust at all.