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CriticalCommonBody & Rust

Hyundai Getz: Floor Pan and Rear Sill Structural Rust

Floor Pan and Rear Sill Structural Rust is a common body & rust fault on the Hyundai Getz on the 2002–2011 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $600 to $5,000 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 15 documented faults on the Hyundai Getz.

Vehicle
Hyundai Getz
Years
2002–2011
Fuel
petrol
System
Body & Rust

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

All Hyundai Getz faults15 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Chassis and structural rust yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The Getz has thin, minimally protected steel in the floor pan under the rear seat and along the inner and outer rear sills. In coastal and high-rainfall New Zealand environments, these areas accumulate road salt and moisture and corrode from the inside out. Perforation of the floor pan is a WOF failure and a structural safety issue. Rear sill corrosion compromises the jack points and the side-impact load path. Vehicles from coastal towns or those that have stood on grass or gravel are at highest risk.

What you would notice

  • Bubbling or flaking paint along the lower rear sill below the door aperture
  • Soft or springy feel when pressing the floor steel under the rear seat
  • Visible perforation or daylight through the floor pan on hoist inspection
  • Jack point collapses or deforms when vehicle is raised
  • Musty smell in cabin with no obvious water leak source

How to check it

Where to look. Rear floor pan under back seat, inner and outer rear sills both sides

Check the inner sill lip for bubbling paint or scale rust. If a workshop inspection is possible: On a hoist, probe the rear floor pan with a blunt pick tool under the carpet support seam and at the drain plug area. Inspect jack point surfaces for metal that flakes or crumbles under firm thumb pressure. Inside the cabin, lift the rear seat base and look for staining, rust bleeding through carpet, or soft floor steel.

Parts involved: Chassis and structural rust.

What it costs to put right

$600 to $5,000 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 vehicle been registered in a coastal area or near the sea at any point?”
  • “Has any rust treatment or underbody coating been applied, and do you have documentation?”
  • “Can I put the car on a hoist before purchase to inspect the floor and sills?”

Now check the Hyundai Getz 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 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.

Hyundai Getz buyer questions

Is floor pan and rear sill structural rust serious on a Hyundai Getz?

We rate it critical and common on the Hyundai Getz. The Getz has thin, minimally protected steel in the floor pan under the rear seat and along the inner and outer rear sills. In coastal and high-rainfall New Zealand environments, these areas accumulate road salt and moisture and corrode from the inside out. Perforation of the floor pan is a WOF failure and a structural safety issue. Rear sill corrosion compromises the jack points and the side-impact load path. Vehicles from coastal towns or those that have stood on grass or gravel are at highest risk.

How much does it cost to fix on a Hyundai Getz?

$600 to $5,000 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 Hyundai Getz years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2002–2011 Hyundai Getz. 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?

Check the inner sill lip for bubbling paint or scale rust. If a workshop inspection is possible: On a hoist, probe the rear floor pan with a blunt pick tool under the carpet support seam and at the drain plug area. Inspect jack point surfaces for metal that flakes or crumbles under firm thumb pressure. Inside the cabin, lift the rear seat base and look for staining, rust bleeding through carpet, or soft floor steel. Look here: Rear floor pan under back seat, inner and outer rear sills both sides