Daihatsu Terios: Sill, Floor Pan and Rear Wheel Arch Corrosion

Terios J100/J102 bodies are rust-prone at the outer sills, inner sill box sections, floor pan forward of the rear seats, and the rear wheel arch lips where gravel chips remove paint. In NZ's coastal and high-rainfall environments the box-section sills trap moisture and corrode from the inside out, often appearing structurally intact on the surface while the inner section has collapsed. Severe floor pan rust can compromise seat-belt anchor point integrity.

• Bubbling or flaking paint on the lower sill panels
• Soft or springy floor when pressing on the carpet
• Visible rust perforation at rear wheel arch lips
• Water pooling on the carpet inside the vehicle

1. 1

   Use a probe or screwdriver to firmly press the outer sills along their full length — any give indicates inner sill rot.

2. 2

   Lift all carpet and check the floor pan under both front and rear seats.

3. 3

   Inspect rear wheel arch lips from underneath for perforations.

4. 4

   Check seat belt anchor plates for rust.

5. 5

   Examine the spare-wheel well floor and the area forward of the tailgate.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

$500 to $3,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Has any rust repair or protective underseal work been done?”
• “Has the vehicle spent time near the coast or on unsealed roads?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.