Should This Be Happening So Soon?
It’s disappointing to find a flaw on your brand-new car after just one year of ownership, but it’s even worse if your dealership downplays it and refuses to fix it. This is what Reddit user r/AlfaRomeo says happened to them when they reported tailgate rust to their dealership. It seems they’re not the only owner affected, and that a design flaw is causing the issue.
Almost New Alfa Romeo Tonale Is Already Rusting
As you can see in the photo above, the paintwork is bubbling up and flaking off on the inside of the tailgate of this Vancouver driver’s Tonale, near the backup camera, and the metal is already exposed, so it’s probably just a matter of time before it rusts through. The owner says that the way the drainage channel is built, and with the two plastic stoppers capping it, at least a quarter of an inch of water or more has to accumulate before the water starts to drain out.
Dealer Response And Alfa Romeo’s Rust Warranty
The dealership has pronounced the condition “100% normal” and says the warranty doesn’t cover it. For the record, the Alfa Romeo warranty states that, for damage that does not appear on an outer panel that’s visible when you walk around the vehicle, the coverage is three years, but only if it has rusted through and perforated the panel, which is not (yet) the case here. The dealership shrugged it off, showing the owner photos of other Tonales with the same problem.
What Can The Owner Do?
We see only two options for this owner. Take it to court and perhaps get other Tonale owners involved to get a class action going, or just drill proper draining holes to affect a permanent fix, and repair or rust-treat the area out of pocket. So far, Stellantis has not issued a formal response, even after being approached by our Canadian friends at Driving. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one.
