I’ve got some bubbling on my D3’s doors and flaking of paint around the rear arches. The bubbling has been there for as long as I’ve had it. The flaking lower arches was an unpleasant surprise to me recently.

Is it worth my time contacting Audi?

I have to say folks, this is a real concern for me. I am meticulous about maintaining my vehicles and have spent thousands (as we all probably have) over the years on nice cars just to loose out to corrosion.

I don't as yet have any signs of corrosion. None that I have noticed anyhow. I even have quite a large scratch on the front ns wing, down to the ally and yet I don't see any signs of paint lift or corrosion.

This car cost me £3200 3 years ago and I have already spent over £5000 more getting it back into a good state. I am increasingly frustrated by the lack of parts availability but if I find any signs of corrosion on the bodywork, I think that's what will kill my enthusiasm.

Can someone list the common areas to check on a D2 please.

Thanks Frank

I would say that, with the exception of galvanic or chemical corrosion, aluminium oxidisation tends to be limited to the surface. Unlike steel, which will continue to oxidise until nothing remains, surface oxidisation of aluminium actually prevents deeper oxidisation (which is essentially how anodising works). Aluminium oxidisation can of course get under the paint and spread across the surface if left untreated but it's not generally structurally damaging.

By comparison, here's a Mercedes S class of a similar vintage to a late D2 A/S8:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMFmVYvYqyA

Now the Merc may be a particularly badly neglected example, but I've never seen an '8 with anything like as much surface corrosion and structural corrosion seems to be pretty much non-existent on '8s (with the exception of the steel subframes of course).

What have you to lose? GO FOR IT!
DailyMike

It’s disappointing at the very least. I was drawn to the A2 and the A8 because of the aluminium. The A2s I’ve had have not had bubbling or flaking and were considerably older than my D3.

I just may. Would Audi UK be my first port of call?

I've never seen any corrosion on a D2 outside of the fuel filler flap, or an accident damage repaired section on Andrews old S8 so I wouldn't worry too much about it....

The early D4's did seem particularly bad for it for some reason, but it does seem quite isolated to them overall.

Yup!
I'd ask to speak directly with your AUDI Dealer Principal...he'll have a vested interest to maintain an excellent relationship with a long-term AUDI customer.
Best of luck and DON'T take "NO" for an answer...fellow-forumites have "case history" setting the precedent for you to quote if you experience resistance...
DailyMike.

I've not seen any others than the areas I mentioned before.

Filler flap (by far the most common)
Upper leading corner of the rear doors just below the brightwork
Sunroof panel

I'll get some pics later.

I've not seen any creeping corrosion on the body shell - only bolt-on panels.

My D3 is going on the rear plate holder light/grab bar. Looking carefully at it, it seems to stem from the screws that hold the bulb covers. I guess these are causing a contact reaction with whatever material's in the grab bar and it's slowly creeping up to the outside-facing part.

Please alert me to the regular flight-paths of any anvil-carrying Chinooks.