# What is going on ... new Atlas 2018 mystery.



## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

Hi everyone,

I picked up a brand new Atlas from the dealer last week. Today I decided to look at the driver side footwell area to investigate how to replace the halogen bulb with an LED. Much to my disappointment and surprise, I noticed a badly rusted metal cover which appears to be part of the steering column. 

I plan on going back to the dealer to get some answers (I did pay $1,800 in freight and PDI). However, before I do, I’m wondering if you guys have any thoughts on what might be going on here. Clearly this isn’t normal but how could such damage occur on a new car (9km on odometer when I picked it up). 

Thanks for any insight.


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## RotationalAth (Jul 3, 2018)

Can you post some pictures?


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

Posted from my phone and it looks like the image didn't embed for whatever reason...

https://imgur.com/a/Cjo97P6


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## TablaRasa (May 12, 2008)

vwcdn said:


> Posted from my phone and it looks like the image didn't embed for whatever reason...
> 
> https://imgur.com/a/Cjo97P6


Wait, this is the steering column inside? Wow! That looks bad! I would definitely tell them. I have to check now on ours but I don't think it is exposed like that. I'll let you know.


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## RotationalAth (Jul 3, 2018)

vwcdn said:


> Posted from my phone and it looks like the image didn't embed for whatever reason...
> 
> https://imgur.com/a/Cjo97P6












That looks horrible!


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

Doesn't it?? Imagine my shock. I'm really [expletive] pissed off. I don't even know what it's supposed to look like, but I know it's not supposed to look like this.

So the question now is... what did they sell me? How can a steering column look so rusted on a brand new car? I'm at a loss here.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

TablaRasa said:


> Wait, this is the steering column inside? Wow! That looks bad! I would definitely tell them. I have to check now on ours but I don't think it is exposed like that. I'll let you know.


Yep... that's **inside** the car ... just above the pedals and behind the light. If you could post a picture of what your steering column looks like, at least I'll have an idea as to what I should've expected. Worst case, I'll go to the showroom before I start a conversation with the manager at the dealership.


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## *DesertFox* (Sep 26, 2017)

This is what I found


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

Not that uncommon - to have some surface rust on bare-metal surfaces. Seen it under seats before on raw metal bits. I'll look at mine tonight...honestly, it doesn't mean it was submerged etc....just humidity and metal = surface rust. Can probalby wipe most of it off with some WD40 on a rag.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

KarstGeo said:


> Not that uncommon - to have some surface rust on bare-metal surfaces. Seen it under seats before on raw metal bits. I'll look at mine tonight...honestly, it doesn't mean it was submerged etc....just humidity and metal = surface rust. Can probalby wipe most of it off with some WD40 on a rag.


I will agree that humidity on bare metal will cause little surface rust - but this piece looks like it was taken off of the Titanic or exposed to the elements for months... and this component is inside the car.

DesertFox's picture looks more like what one should expect on a new car.

As for the WD40 - true enough... isn't that what the PDI fee is for?

I'm utterly frustrated with this discovery.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

*DesertFox* said:


> This is what I found



Thanks for sharing this.


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## TablaRasa (May 12, 2008)

vwcdn said:


> I will agree that humidity on bare metal will cause little surface rust - but this piece looks like it was taken off of the Titanic or exposed to the elements for months... and this component is inside the car.
> 
> DesertFox's picture looks more like what one should expect on a new car.
> 
> ...


That is what I'm thinking too! Plus, for the money you paid, your expectations should not be "ehh this is very common". Now I am really curious to see what ours looks like.Cant wait to go home to check it out.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

TablaRasa said:


> That is what I'm thinking too! Plus, for the money you paid, your expectations should not be "ehh this is very common". Now I am really curious to see what ours looks like.Cant wait to go home to check it out.


Looking forward to seeing what you've go in your footwell... hopefully, yours looks more like DesertFox and less like mine.

I'll be going to see the dealer on Monday. I've bought a Jetta, Passat (dealer demo), Passat Wagon and now the Atlas and NEVER **EVER** had rust like this on any component inside (or outside) the car on delivery.

I wonder what restitution is appropriate here.


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

Ok, I realize to each their own, but I wouldn't worry about it. If it bothered me, I would just get some steel wool and take it off. The PITA you will go through to get the dealer to do a thing won't be worth it IMHO. "Restitution"? For what? When I buy a new car before I take delivery/pay for it, I take it for an extended test drive, park somewhere, and go over every inch of it...however I would have missed this one for sure. Good luck and interested to hear what the dealer says! The more I thought about it, it was our Honda Odyssey...rust like that under each seat on bare metal.


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## AzAtlas (May 15, 2018)

*mine...*

That looks bad

this is mine


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

KarstGeo said:


> Ok, I realize to each their own, but I wouldn't worry about it. If it bothered me, I would just get some steel wool and take it off. The PITA you will go through to get the dealer to do a thing won't be worth it IMHO. "Restitution"? For what? When I buy a new car before I take delivery/pay for it, I take it for an extended test drive, park somewhere, and go over every inch of it...however I would have missed this one for sure. Good luck and interested to hear what the dealer says! The more I thought about it, it was our Honda Odyssey...rust like that under each seat on bare metal.


I appreciate your opinion - it gives me a different perspective. Having said that, after having spent $1,800 (supposedly mandatory) for pre-delivery inspection, I'm not at all keen on taking it off with steel wool - someone clearly didn't do their job. We're not talking about a small spot here - the entire shaft appears to be rusted (some parts worst than others)...

I've already gone through a sinking feeling and aggravation of finding this... so to me, it's no biggie to go see the dealer and, if anything, let off some steam.

Now... I did inspect the car before paying, albeit it never crossed my mind to check the steering column!?

I'll let you guys know how things go with the dealer.


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

vwcdn said:


> I appreciate your opinion - it gives me a different perspective. Having said that, after having spent $1,800 (supposedly mandatory) for pre-delivery inspection, I'm not at all keen on taking it off with steel wool - someone clearly didn't do their job. We're not talking about a small spot here - the entire shaft appears to be rusted (some parts worst than others)...
> 
> I've already gone through a sinking feeling and aggravation of finding this... so to me, it's no biggie to go see the dealer and, if anything, let off some steam.
> 
> ...


$1800 for pre-delivery inspection sounds like a 100% ripoff you paid I'm sorry to say.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

KarstGeo said:


> $1800 for pre-delivery inspection sounds like a 100% ripoff you paid I'm sorry to say.


You're probably right and I'm with you.... but somehow, every car I've bought in Canada (at last count 4) has had "Freight and PDI" on the bill... I believe it's an industry practise here (to pay PDI and to rip off customers).

Maybe in the states you don't have to pay for that ...

So although I negotiated $3,500 off the sticker price plus "free" tints, roof rack, bike rack and car mats, I still got dinged with this BS PDI charge.


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## TablaRasa (May 12, 2008)

Here is ours. Definitely not like yours. Although I do see some spot starting towards the bottom.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

TablaRasa said:


> Here is ours. Definitely not like yours. Although I do see some spot starting towards the bottom.


I'm very glad you don't have to deal with this issue. Thanks for posting.


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## TablaRasa (May 12, 2008)

good luck! Don't settle for anything less on an item you paid new and for top dollar. I am not saying to be combative, i think your concern is very fair to bring up to the dealer and you should not feel bad about it. And if they give you push back, I would definitely show them this thread and the pictures that it should not be in that condition. Maybe they can even put something (i don't some spray or sealant of some sort) as a preventive action. Let us know!


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

TablaRasa said:


> good luck! Don't settle for anything less on an item you paid new and for top dollar. I am not saying to be combative, i think your concern is very fair to bring up to the dealer and you should not feel bad about it. And if they give you push back, I would definitely show them this thread and the pictures that it should not be in that condition. Maybe they can even put something (i don't some spray or sealant of some sort) as a preventive action. Let us know!


For sure! Thanks for your support.


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## rocknfreak (Jul 10, 2018)

Our is build 01/2018 and it looks good, without any spots! 

It may comes from wet shoes? I don't know


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## *DesertFox* (Sep 26, 2017)

And after ....... I sprayed a little coating of WD 40 to prevent it from happening again.


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## TablaRasa (May 12, 2008)

*DesertFox* said:


> And after ....... I sprayed a little coating of WD 40 to prevent it from happening again.


Oh nice! I'll spray ours too as there are some spots forming towards the bottom.


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## RotationalAth (Jul 3, 2018)

This looks crazy to me. I will check on ours soon. But if this is what it looks like in the first year, how will it look like in a few years if you have not noticed it?!


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## nottusyor (Apr 4, 2016)

Definitely take it back to the dealership and I'd be more upset about the PDI fee and freight. They sound like the type of dealership that makes people hate buying cars.


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## ALLROADING17 (Apr 24, 2017)

Dealers will not replace this part. It is considered a living part. While I couldn’t agree more that it looks like shi* VW won’t pay them to replace it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## cplus71 (Mar 14, 2018)

Here is mine after 9K km. I don't see any rust. I however got it end of April. See what happens in the winter.


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## AudiVW guy (Feb 7, 2006)

can you tell me how do i find this part?
i want to inspect mine as well.


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## jkueter (Feb 12, 2008)

AudiVW guy said:


> can you tell me how do i find this part?
> i want to inspect mine as well.


Look under the drivers side dash above the pedals.

I've had mine for over a year (24k miles) including a New England winter and there is no rust on mine.


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## AudiVW guy (Feb 7, 2006)

jkueter said:


> Look under the drivers side dash above the pedals.
> 
> I've had mine for over a year (24k miles) including a New England winter and there is no rust on mine.


thank you
mine looks brand new about 19000 KMs and 1 winter. [ with the worst of winter conditions ]


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## Drive by (Mar 13, 2017)

You got me curious so I went out and looked. Mine is nice and clean. Your is something that could be corrected. It's not normal!








[/url]Steering column by https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/[/IMG]


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

nottusyor said:


> Definitely take it back to the dealership and I'd be more upset about the PDI fee and freight. They sound like the type of dealership that makes people hate buying cars.


I agree this is BS... the car is brand new. Picked it up last week and it now has 100 KMs on it... I picked it up with 9KM.

As I said before, this component looks like it was taken off of the Titanic.

I'm planning to go to the dealer on Monday.


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## Hedgehodge (Nov 7, 2008)

Why doesn’t this have a pop in rubber seal like this around it 

https://www.cableorganizer.com/richco/snap-bushing.htm

That’s crazy and unacceptable, VW has a corrosion warranty, try that battle, I heard of mkiv getting panels replaced near end of timeframe on that warranty. If anything they will just clean it. I think we should find a rubber bushing for there ,shrug


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

vwcdn said:


> I agree this is BS... the car is brand new. Picked it up last week and it now has 100 KMs on it... I picked it up with 9KM.
> 
> As I said before, this component looks like it was taken off of the Titanic.
> 
> I'm planning to go to the dealer on Monday.





Hedgehodge said:


> Why doesn’t this have a pop in rubber seal like this around it
> 
> https://www.cableorganizer.com/richco/snap-bushing.htm
> 
> That’s crazy and unacceptable, VW has a corrosion warranty, try that battle, I heard of mkiv getting panels replaced near end of timeframe on that warranty. If anything they will just clean it. I think we should find a rubber bushing for there ,shrug


No clue about the rubber seal but clearly, none of the other owners have such a seal (at least we have that in common).

I will definitely be talking to them about the corrosion warranty (1 week in with a brand new car and we're already talking warranty).... they'll have to do more than just clean it. I won't take this one lying down if I can help it. This isn't a Trabant or some cheap used car; in my opinion, it's more of a premium car - this is BS.

I'm now thinking of putting the SUV on a lift and looking at the under-belly (axle, etc...). Geeze....wtf did I get into here.


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

There obviously has to be a seal where this exits the firewall...that is what I would try to find. Maybe if it is rusty that indicates this seal isn't tight/present? I would think if you didn't have a seal it would be very loud in the cabin.


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## walksonair (Aug 29, 2017)

OP, that is extremely frustrating, sorry to see you're having to deal with this on a new vehicle. I was worried I'd be afflicted too but looks like yours and others built around that time may have had something screwy going on. 

I'm adding picts of mine so you can have more data when you take it in. My build date is 06/17 and I have about 12.5K miles. My recomendation is to make as much noise about this since VW needs to get its act together on their build quality. Let me know how I can help...


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

walksonair said:


> OP, that is extremely frustrating, sorry to see you're having to deal with this on a new vehicle. I was worried I'd be afflicted too but looks like yours and others built around that time may have had something screwy going on.
> 
> I'm adding picts of mine so you can have more data when you take it in. My build date is 06/17 and I have about 12.5K miles. My recomendation is to make as much noise about this since VW needs to get its act together on their build quality. Let me know how I can help...


Thanks for sharing your pict and for your thoughtful offer.

Man... at 12.5K miles yours looks like it just came off of the production line.

There's definitely something wrong with mine. WAY less than 1,000 miles and it looks likes it was taken from the scrap yard.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow.


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## Hedgehodge (Nov 7, 2008)

ill check mine tonight, live in CT and its been humid AF lately and rain etc, if anyone has rust on that its probably me. only around 800 miles though


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## Fgv1it (May 23, 2017)

*Rusty Steering Column*

The part that you are all talking about is inside the passenger cabin, where it is not exposed to the elements, at least not anymore than the brake and accelerator pedals. I do not think that it would rust in the car in a relatively short period of time. I am sorry to say that it may be that the rusty column was installed that way at the factory, for some unknown (and hard to understand) reason. It probably got wet, rained or snowed on, and sat outside uncovered for a period of time before it was installed in the car. I would ask that it be inspected, and if necessary, replaced.

By the way, I've had an Atlas for over a year now, in the Northeast of the US, and that part of the steering column still looks bright and shiny.


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## KarstGeo (Jan 19, 2018)

Yes, looks like it was that way when it was installed.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

Fgv1it said:


> The part that you are all talking about is inside the passenger cabin, where it is not exposed to the elements, at least not anymore than the brake and accelerator pedals. I do not think that it would rust in the car in a relatively short period of time. I am sorry to say that it may be that the rusty column was installed that way at the factory, for some unknown (and hard to understand) reason. It probably got wet, rained or snowed on, and sat outside uncovered for a period of time before it was installed in the car. I would ask that it be inspected, and if necessary, replaced.
> 
> By the way, I've had an Atlas for over a year now, in the Northeast of the US, and that part of the steering column still looks bright and shiny.


Fgv1it, that's correct. That's the part I don't get... as you've pointed out, this is a component that's inside the car and should never have been exposed to the elements. So how did it get SO rusty? As I've mentioned, this car is brand new and I picked it up about 10 days ago with 9 KMs on the odometer. Today it has about 700 KMs on it but the piece looks it's been taken out of the junk yard off of a 20-25 year old car. I've seen metal basketball posts that look better than this.

What irks me most is that this dealership charged me a hefty fee for "Freight and Pre-Delivery Inspection" yet they didn't notice this? I noticed it when I went to swap out the halogen bulb for an LED...

If it was installed that way then I have no words.... also, if that's what happened, then what else was incorrectly installed or defective (in my opinion, this is a defective car part).

According to the VIN, this car was manufactured in March 2018.

Trust me, the dealer will have to find a very good solution and explanation to this problem. Scrubbing it down and "making it look good" will not suffice.

I'm going to see the general manager of the dealership tomorrow.


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## Fgv1it (May 23, 2017)

If it's any consolation, this is a part that is completely replaceable, and it should not be that difficult for the dealer to do. The hard part will probably be procuring a new column from VW. You may have to wait a fair amount of time before the new part shows up. I do not know if the rusted piece is just a protective cover for the steering column proper, or an integral part of the steering system (i.e. part of the "crush zone"). What it is will determine whether you can drive the car while you wait, or not. That is why the dealer should inspect it and give his opinion.

I would not worry about the rest of the car. This incident is typical of what happens when a single individual is either not paying attention on the assembly line, or does not want to stop the line for just an "appearance" defect. It should not have any bearing on how the rest of the vehicle was put together.

Good luck with the dealer today. I would expect that he would want to do everything possible to make this right for you.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

Fgv1it said:


> If it's any consolation, this is a part that is completely replaceable, and it should not be that difficult for the dealer to do. The hard part will probably be procuring a new column from VW. You may have to wait a fair amount of time before the new part shows up. I do not know if the rusted piece is just a protective cover for the steering column proper, or an integral part of the steering system (i.e. part of the "crush zone"). What it is will determine whether you can drive the car while you wait, or not. That is why the dealer should inspect it and give his opinion.
> 
> I would not worry about the rest of the car. This incident is typical of what happens when a single individual is either not paying attention on the assembly line, or does not want to stop the line for just an "appearance" defect. It should not have any bearing on how the rest of the vehicle was put together.
> 
> Good luck with the dealer today. I would expect that he would want to do everything possible to make this right for you.


Thanks.

Here's an update:
I took the car to the dealer and thankfully he took the situation seriously. At first, he tried to go the route of saying "this is normal surface rust" (maybe to appease me) but stopped dead in his tracks when it became clear that I wasn't buying it. Ultimately, he conceded that it could very well be a manufacturing issue and that he would be replacing the part. He mentioned that he would be looking further into this situation.

For now, the car is in the shop and I'm in a courtesy Atlas...


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## Scott Evil (Aug 21, 2002)

OP: where did you take delivery? Seems like this part is located in a spot where snow from boots could leave excess moisture. Not that this is ok by any measure. That metal should be coated or galvanized so it doesn't rust. Ours is clean, built in June 2018.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

Scott Evil said:


> OP: where did you take delivery? Seems like this part is located in a spot where snow from boots could leave excess moisture. Not that this is ok by any measure. That metal should be coated or galvanized so it doesn't rust. Ours is clean, built in June 2018.


I took possession of it in southern Ontario.

Only a Zamboni dumping snow and ice daily could have caused that much moisture *inside* the cabin.


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## Atlas53 (Jan 29, 2018)

I doubt that you'll get any satisfaction from VW, as it is not a safety issue. if pressed, they'll sand it down with some steel wool and coat it with light oil. God forbid that they try to paint it - you can imagine the mess. It's just a part that sat in a bin and got wet - they shouldn't have used it, but it's a small thing in the big picture. Or, let them clean it up and offer forgiveness on the basis of "you owe me one" with the service manager.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

Atlas53 said:


> I doubt that you'll get any satisfaction from VW, as it is not a safety issue. if pressed, they'll sand it down with some steel wool and coat it with light oil. God forbid that they try to paint it - you can imagine the mess. It's just a part that sat in a bin and got wet - they shouldn't have used it, but it's a small thing in the big picture. Or, let them clean it up and offer forgiveness on the basis of "you owe me one" with the service manager.


Well, after further conversation with the dealer, they will be replacing the part and do a thorough check for other potential issues (including pictures/videos - I guess things like this are easy with smartphones). He's already put me in a "loaner" Atlas and has apologized profusely. Am I satisfied: not quite yet. Can I be satisfied: absolutely. I don't think it does anybody any good to go in there guns a'blazing ... so ultimately, I believe the dealer will do the right thing. If he doesn't.... well... then we'll see what other options I have.


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## JettaJack (Jul 31, 2009)

I think I would independently get it up on a lift somewhere and do my own inspection at this point.


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## vwcdn (Aug 9, 2018)

JettaJack said:


> I think I would independently get it up on a lift somewhere and do my own inspection at this point.


Agreed - am planning on doing this once my friend with a lift comes back from vacation.


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## eejtalk (Oct 5, 2018)

*DesertFox* said:


> This is what I found



400 miles on mine, and this is exactly how mine looks. I used some silicone spray to wipe it down and hopefully protect it. We've had it 2 weeks and drove it once in the rain. I highly doubt it was from us.


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## donpost (Jul 12, 2018)

That’s what ours looks like the day We brought it home so no it was not you. I treated it the same way, some WD40 on steel wool and it cleaned up completely. Just checked and still good after two months.


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## Eye Candy White (Nov 9, 2006)

I'll be checking mine tonight while I'm checking the brake caliper bolts. :banghead:

I agree there shouldn't be any rust on this part INSIDE the cabin, unless there's air/moisture coming through the firewall where there's likely supposed to be a good seal/gasket. That's where I'd be looking if I had a car where there's any rust - there really shouldn't be any inside the cabin on such young cars unless they're being exposed to outside air/moisture/splatter from the road.

Will report back with what I find on mine.


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## *DesertFox* (Sep 26, 2017)

It's only a light surface rust. It probably was exposed to moisture at the factory before it was installed.


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