MajorCommonBody & Rust

Honda HR-V: Corrosion under the body and around the rear wheelarches

Corrosion under the body and around the rear wheelarches is a common body & rust fault on the Honda HR-V on the 2000–2006 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $400 to $1,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 29 documented faults on the Honda HR-V.

Vehicle: Honda HR-V
Years: 2000–2006
System: Body & Rust

This page covers the Honda HR-V as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Honda HR-V faults29 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Body corrosion yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

On these 2000-2006 GH cars, used-car guides specifically warn to check carefully for corrosion underneath the vehicle and around the rear wheelarches, which is an age and exposure related weakness rather than a factory defect. NZ examples that have lived near the coast or on gravel/salted roads are most at risk, and rust in structural underbody areas or subframe mounting points can be an expensive repair or even a WoF failure. Surface rust on the underside is common on cars of this age; the concern is scaling or perforation at the rear arches, sills and floor.

What you would notice

Bubbling paint or scabbing around the rear wheelarches
Flaking or scaly rust on the underbody, sills and floor
Perforation or holes in structural panels
Damp carpets or musty smell from water ingress at rusted seams

How to check it

Where to look. Rear wheelarches, sills, floorpan and underbody

Inspect the rear wheelarch lips, sills, floorpan and subframe/suspension mounting points from underneath for scaling, flaking or perforation as opposed to light surface rust.
Probe suspect areas gently and lift boot/cabin carpets to check for damp or rusted floor seams; factor any structural rust into WoF cost.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

$400 to $1,500 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.

Ask the seller

“Has the car ever been rustproofed or had any welding or rust repair for a WoF?”
“Has it spent time near the coast or on gravel/salted roads?”
“Are there any current WoF advisories or failures for corrosion?”

Now check the Honda HR-V you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Honest John Car-by-Car review, Honda HR-V 1999-2006 (watch carefully for corrosion underneath and around the rear wheelarches)
What Car? Used Honda HR-V 1998-2005 Reliability review (body/water ingress concerns on older examples)

Honda HR-V buyer questions

Is corrosion under the body and around the rear wheelarches serious on a Honda HR-V?

We rate it major and common on the Honda HR-V. On these 2000-2006 GH cars, used-car guides specifically warn to check carefully for corrosion underneath the vehicle and around the rear wheelarches, which is an age and exposure related weakness rather than a factory defect. NZ examples that have lived near the coast or on gravel/salted roads are most at risk, and rust in structural underbody areas or subframe mounting points can be an expensive repair or even a WoF failure. Surface rust on the underside is common on cars of this age; the concern is scaling or perforation at the rear arches, sills and floor.

How much does it cost to fix on a Honda HR-V?

$400 to $1,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Honda HR-V years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2000–2006 Honda HR-V. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Inspect the rear wheelarch lips, sills, floorpan and subframe/suspension mounting points from underneath for scaling, flaking or perforation as opposed to light surface rust. Probe suspect areas gently and lift boot/cabin carpets to check for damp or rusted floor seams; factor any structural rust into WoF cost. Look here: Rear wheelarches, sills, floorpan and underbody