Paint on rocker panel completely flaking off -- Is this normal?

[bd7349]

This is poor information from your service writer or whoever told you that it shouldn't rust. Technically he's right it will not rust because aluminum doesn't rust, it corrodes. Aluminum corrodes quite quickly when exposed to the elements. The process litterally starts minutes after being exposed. You may not see a negative effect for some time but left unrepaired it will spread and cause further issues.

I'll be replacing the whole rocker panel soon, so I'm not too worried about it.

I've hit plenty of potholes and paint never came off my cars

This was a pothole immediately after a speed bump which caused my car to go up and then down HARD into the pothole. As the car went down the left rocker panel must've slammed against the speed bump (when this happened I thought I had just bottomed out on the speed bump, turns out I didn't).

When it slammed against the speed bump that pushed the panel up and inwards which made the crease where the panel bends to go underneath the door move in a way that caused the paint to split there. Along the line where the paint split is where I had noticed it starting to peel off.

This is 100% my own fault, and is not due to Tesla's paint quality being poor like I had thought.

 

[Icenks]

I'll be replacing the whole rocker panel soon, so I'm not too worried about it.



This was a pothole immediately after a speed bump which caused my car to go up and then down HARD into the pothole. As the car went down the left rocker panel must've slammed against the speed bump (when this happened I thought I had just bottomed out on the speed bump, turns out I didn't).

When it slammed against the speed bump that pushed the panel up and inwards which made the crease where the panel bends to go underneath the door move in a way that caused the paint to split there. Along the line where the paint split is where I had noticed it starting to peel off.

This is 100% my own fault, and is not due to Tesla's paint quality being poor like I had thought.

from what you say, those door seals for noise reduction would have cushioned the bump and prevented this?

 

[Icenks]

This is poor information from your service writer or whoever told you that it shouldn't rust. Technically he's right it will not rust because aluminum doesn't rust, it corrodes. Aluminum corrodes quite quickly when exposed to the elements. The process litterally starts minutes after being exposed. You may not see a negative effect for some time but left unrepaired it will spread and cause further issues.

Corrosion is rusting. Just a different word. It’s essentially slow oxidation. Fast oxidation would be a combustion.

All kinds of metal rust. Iron and steel will rust and the rust can keep going, damaging the inner layer as well, so it damages the metal.

Aluminum rusts too, but the rust actually forms a protective layer so the rust doesn’t penetrate. So people say aluminum doesn’t rust, but technically it does, it just doesn’t rust till it breaks.
If you scrap off the top layer of aluminum exposed to the element, you’ll see a blackish dust. That’s actually aluminum oxide.

 

[Chris88]

Corrosion is rusting. Just a different word. It’s essentially slow oxidation. Fast oxidation would be a combustion.

All kinds of metal rust. Iron and steel will rust and the rust can keep going, damaging the inner layer as well, so it damages the metal.

Aluminum rusts too, but the rust actually forms a protective layer so the rust doesn’t penetrate. So people say aluminum doesn’t rust, but technically it does, it just doesn’t rust till it breaks.
If you scrap off the top layer of aluminum exposed to the element, you’ll see a blackish dust. That’s actually aluminum oxide.

You are correct, both are metals oxidizing. However people tend to use corrosion and rust interchangeably when i don't be they should. If taked loosely they mean the same thing, but in terms of automotive aluminum and regular automotive steel the terms refer to the result of the oxidation to the panel which have different appearances and affect the metals in different ways.

 

[Chris88]

from what you say, those door seals for noise reduction would have cushioned the bump and prevented this?

What door seals are you referring to? The weatherstrips on the door?

There wouldn't be any additional items on a Tesla that would be made to prevent damage to a rocker panel. That would be an accessory like trucks and SUV's have called rock sliders.

Rockers are very susceptible to damage when you a hit lo spots like a overly deep pot hole or driving over something abruptly high like curb or parking block

 

[Icenks]

What door seals are you referring to? The weatherstrips on the door?

There wouldn't be any additional items on a Tesla that would be made to prevent damage to a rocker panel. That would be an accessory like trucks and SUV's have called rock sliders.

Rockers are very susceptible to damage when you a hit lo spots like a overly deep pot hole or driving over something abruptly high like curb or parking block

yeah I’m thinking about those extra weather strippings. Just to cushion the impact a bit. guess it won’t work. I asked because sometimes I bottom out due to plowed snow. Like how they makes mini snow banks on the road during plowing.