Afternoon all, the collective wisdom and opinion of the Forum is required please. My RR is suffering from the very common issue of paint bubbling along the lower edge of the upper tailgate together with corrosion along the seam underneath (although only on the offside, which is odd). It hasn't yet broken through the paint although it won't be long I suspect. Some work is required to the lower tailgate also, but there is no rust just surface damage to the paint. I have had a couple of quotes and I am unsure of what to do next. One place will not paint it due to the corrosion and has advised replacement (I have asked for a quote). The nearest Just Car Clinic has quoted £520 but will not guarantee the paintwork due to the corrosion. A reputable local bodyshop (Malton Coachworks) has quoted me £500 to strip, sandblast, treat and repaint however they too will not guarantee the work and have warned that the rust may reappear at any time. A new upper tailgate is too expensive as I think I'd be looking at £1,000-plus all in. There are some second hand ones knocking about for around £100/£150 but I've really no idea what I would be buying in terms of whether this would be a suitable long term fix, and any replacement would need painting and fitting.
Has anyone had experience, good or bad, of the 'treat and repaint' option? Should I risk it? Alternatively has anyone gone for the second hand tailgate, again good or bad experience? I don't want to waste £500 but equally I don't really want to spend £1000! Thanks. 1982 SIII 88â€� diesel
2007 Discovery 3 V8 S
All gone: 2007 Overfinch TDV8
2007 Supercharged
1991 Vogue SE 3.9 V8
2000 Defender 90 Td5

the rust comes from the inside of the tailgate, so any blasting type stripping won't deal with it properly. it may be the case that you could have a second had one acid dipped which would get rid of any rust on it even the stuff inside i reckon (but probably best to ask the strpper to check that it will)

I had both mine done by LR and they replaced. Now one thing to think of is that AFAIK the frames are all the same and the earlier cars seemed to suffer less from the rusting problem. If is isn't evident already on some of the earlier ones then it may never show up, so it could be an idea to pick a frame from a early car, have it dipped, and painted.

I would make sure that whoever does it also coats the inside of the cavity along the bottom with either waxoyl or dinitrol to prevent any new rust forming once it is stripped as painting the inside is impossible. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

I had this years ago on my 2004. The workshop I used said the same as yours, they couldn't guarantee how long the repair would last. But they cleaned out and sealed as good as they could. When I sold the car five years later, there was no indication of new rust. ----------
2014 tdv6 (ex. 2004 td6, 1997 2.5 dse)

I am currently debating the same dilemma. I have some experience having worked in a bodyshop about 15 years ago. The reason rust will reappear is once the process of rusting has started it must be "killed" off.
If the damage has created holes then cutting out and replacing with new metal is the only way.
But from your description it hasn't reached that stage yet. So, do it yourself. A bodyshop will not treat rust, only prepare and repaint. Take the paint off where it has started to bubble and lift with a drill and flap wheel, or similar. Go an inch or so beyond the area so you make sure you have it all. Take the area back to bare metal.
Check the area for discolouration, ie. not clean metal. You may see small pin head size dark patches. These are pin holes and are why rust comes back and bodyshop's stay clear. Give the area a good coat of "cure rust". If you don't rust will come back. When dry give area a light sand and paint with primer, red oxide or something like that.
Just brush it on. Again flat off. Now get your top coat colour or a close match and brush that on. You must use a top coat as primers are porous and guess what!!! It will rust. Once you have that done you can tackle the seam inside. Not much you can do other than scrape loose dirt, rust and flakes out with a long screwdriver. Then coat liberally with the cure rust. When dry get the waxoyle in there. If you want to go for a topcoat finish then get a colour matched spray can a blend the outside repair in and laquer for a shine. This is what I will do when I get a dry day. If, as I suspect you are not comfortable masking and spraying then take to the bodyshop for them to finish it. Maybe, if the area is small enough then a "chips away" local area repair will do saving a good few hundred quid. The point is you will have done the rust killing giving the repair the best chance of lasting. If it still comes back then its a new or rust free tailgate.
Give it a go, you have nought to lose. Good luck.

I have the same problem and even though the dealer inspected the car just before it was 6 years old and found no corrosion, they are now quoting £2300 to fix because it was a couple of weeks out of warranty.

Dealer has stated it is not structural so doesn't effect safety.

JLR have offered £300 and the dealer has said they will match that so still £1700.

Small claims court coming up I expect.

Ian

Glad I'm not the only one facing this issue. My 2008 has the same symptoms. Currently looking at taking it to a couple of local body shops for quotes as the bottom edge is going and there's a set of three small blisters a couple of inches above the edge

Had mine done a couple of years ago cost was about £250 and it's still fine.
They cleaned and sealed it, had to tack a little metal in on the inside but I gave it a good waxoling after I got it back.
However cleaning it on the weekend found rust bubbling through above the bumper on the rear wing behind the wheel not happy. anybody else had this?
ta
Andy Mine was a blue one!

I've had paint bubbling on the metal beside the back of the rear wheel arches, both sides. Stone chips get thrown at the edges of the wheel arch, the paint gets perforated and the corrosion spreads. On the Discovery, Evoque etc there is plastic cladding to prevent this, but presumably as the RR is "luxury" there is nothing, fine in Dubai, Western Australia, Arizona etc but poor in the UK. The P38 was galvanised, then had anti-chip paint and then undercoat and top coat. That was stopped for the 322, which just has paint. Earlier cars seem to be better than later ones, I don't know whether that is due to poorer steel with higher scrap content, poorer paint due to rule changes designed to protect the environment or for some other reason. Whatever it is, it is disappointing, especially at the prices 322s were when new.

On the OP's question, if you expect to keep the car for a long time then go for the new tailgate, otherwise get your existing one refurbished, I wouldn't bother with a second hand one, it might be no better than what you have and more expensive. Only Range Rovers since 1988

Thanks all for your replies. I have decided to wait until the rust breaks through the paint and then replace the tailgate with a new one, which should buy me a few months. 1982 SIII 88â€� diesel
2007 Discovery 3 V8 S
All gone: 2007 Overfinch TDV8
2007 Supercharged
1991 Vogue SE 3.9 V8
2000 Defender 90 Td5

Having had a number of british and american classic cars over the past 20 years, I can guarantee that once rust gets inside a seam, which is in a damp environment, there's not a huge amount you can do. Having done bodyworkon a friend's Mustang which had been dipped and e-coated, the acid doesn't get into the seam. The only solution is to split the seam where possible and weld in new metal.

Best products I've found are: Dinitrol Cavity wax - expensive but came out top about 10 years ago for cavity protection. Only available in a shultz gun can.
POR15 - available from Frosts - literally Paint Over Rust 15. It dries like a hard enamel and providing you've prepped the surface rust with the preparation spray, is pretty hard wearing and the longest lasting paint i've found. Only problem is that it's not suitable for sanding back and body colouring - it tears and leaves the paint looking like it's been grit blasted (don't ask how I know this...
Jenolite - liquid - not the gel. Kills surface rust before painting - but within reason. The panel has got to be free from flakes, etc and only really works when you are trying to kill the rust in any pits.

I had the front of my rear wheel arches done last year (inside the doors and the rear quarters. Opening the door for the kids on Sunday spotted two bubbles....

+1 for treating your existing tailgate or buy a new one. Unless you're buying from a breakers in California/Death Valley - it's likely to be as bad! 2005 L322 Tonga Green 4.4l BMW Engine with Touchscreen
GAP IID BT on order!
1966 Mustang Convertible, 5.8l V8

Having had a number of british and american classic cars over the past 20 years, I can guarantee that once rust gets inside a seam, which is in a damp environment, there's not a huge amount you can do. Having done bodyworkon a friend's Mustang which had been dipped and e-coated, the acid doesn't get into the seam. The only solution is to split the seam where possible and weld in new metal.

Best products I've found are: Dinitrol Cavity wax - expensive but came out top about 10 years ago for cavity protection. Only available in a shultz gun can.
POR15 - available from Frosts - literally Paint Over Rust 15. It dries like a hard enamel and providing you've prepped the surface rust with the preparation spray, is pretty hard wearing and the longest lasting paint i've found. Only problem is that it's not suitable for sanding back and body colouring - it tears and leaves the paint looking like it's been grit blasted (don't ask how I know this...
Jenolite - liquid - not the gel. Kills surface rust before painting - but within reason. The panel has got to be free from flakes, etc and only really works when you are trying to kill the rust in any pits.

I had the front of my rear wheel arches done last year (inside the doors and the rear quarters. Opening the door for the kids on Sunday spotted two bubbles....

+1 for treating your existing tailgate or buy a new one. Unless you're buying from a breakers in California/Death Valley - it's likely to be as bad! 2005 L322 Tonga Green 4.4l BMW Engine with Touchscreen
GAP IID BT on order!
1966 Mustang Convertible, 5.8l V8

ruffy, have you had much luck with this? I have noticed some paint bubbling on mine too and wondering if I can use some kind of treatment to avoid it getting worse.. Current:
- L560 Velar HSE R-Dynamic D180
- Peugeot 508 2011 - 2.2 HDi GT

Past:
- FFRR V 2010 - 3.6 TDV8
- Citroen C4 1.6i Petrol
- Mitsubishi Shogun 3.2 DID
- Peugeot 607 2.2 HDi
- Nissan Primera 1.8 SVE
- Honda Civic 1.6 VTEC

I haven't done anything with it, other than periodic application of rust treatment underneath the seam that runs along the inside lower edge of the tailgate. I am going to wait until the rust breaks through the paint and then replace the whole upper tailgate. At the moment there is some bubbling under the paint but no rust spots. 1982 SIII 88â€� diesel
2007 Discovery 3 V8 S
All gone: 2007 Overfinch TDV8
2007 Supercharged
1991 Vogue SE 3.9 V8
2000 Defender 90 Td5

I was thinking the same.. did you use the likes of waxoyl/dinitrol or some sort of rust prevention spray? I assume you apply it from the voids at each end? Current:
- L560 Velar HSE R-Dynamic D180
- Peugeot 508 2011 - 2.2 HDi GT

Past:
- FFRR V 2010 - 3.6 TDV8
- Citroen C4 1.6i Petrol
- Mitsubishi Shogun 3.2 DID
- Peugeot 607 2.2 HDi
- Nissan Primera 1.8 SVE
- Honda Civic 1.6 VTEC

I pumped a whole load of this into the tailgate, can't hurt:
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-114482-acf-50-...rosol.aspx