LDV T60: Premature body rust and paint failure — subject of ACCC Federal Court action
Premature body rust and paint failure — subject of ACCC Federal Court action is a common body & rust fault on the LDV T60 on the 2018–2024 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $400 to $4,000 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 8 documented faults on the LDV T60.
- Vehicle
- LDV T60
- Years
- 2018–2024
- Fuel
- diesel
- System
- Body & Rust
What you are looking at
No photograph available
What goes wrong
In April 2025 the ACCC took LDV Automotive Australia to the Federal Court, alleging T60 and G10 vehicles built from about April 2019 to November 2024 had a propensity to develop rust or corrosion within their first five years, and that LDV received more than 5,000 rust complaints between January 2018 and November 2024 while still advertising the utes as durable and tough. The ACCC also alleges the 10-year anti-corrosion warranty advertised in 2019-2020 was misleading. Owners describe paint bubbling and rust spots appearing on multiple panels on near-new vehicles, slow warranty responses, and in the worst reported case a ute written off over rust. The eT60 electric model was excluded from the ACCC action.
What you would notice
- Paint bubbling or blistering on panels only a few years old
- Brown rust spots breaking through paint on the roof, pillars, bonnet or tray
- Rust bleeding from panel seams, spot welds and under door seals
- Evidence of respray — masking lines, overspray on rubbers, mismatched panel colour
How to check it
Where to look. Body panels and seams anywhere — roof edges, pillars, door bottoms, tailgate, tray and wellside are commonly reported
Inspect the whole body in daylight, panel by panel.
Run your eye along the roof edges and gutter seams, around the windscreen, along door bottoms, the tailgate seams and inside the tray or wellside — bubbling or brown speckles anywhere on a ute this young is the fault, not normal wear.
Use a phone torch inside door shuts and under seals.
Look for respray tells: overspray on rubbers, masking lines, one panel a slightly different shade.
Ask directly whether any rust warranty claim has been lodged and what LDV said.
If a workshop inspection is possible: have the underbody, chassis rails and panel seams checked from underneath and any repaint measured with a paint-depth gauge.
What it costs to put right
$400 to $4,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.
Ask the seller
- “Has any rust or paint warranty claim been lodged with LDV, and what was the outcome?”
- “Have any panels been resprayed?”
- “Is there anything left of the anti-corrosion warranty, and does it transfer to me?”
Now check the LDV T60 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.
Where this comes from
- ACCC media release, 23 April 2025: LDV Automotive Australia in court for alleged misleading advertising
- CarExpert, 22 April 2025: Consumer watchdog goes after LDV for rust concerns
- ProductReview.com.au LDV T60 owner reports (multiple rust write-ups, including a rusted-out ute scrapped)
LDV T60 buyer questions
Is premature body rust and paint failure — subject of accc federal court action serious on a LDV T60?
We rate it major and common on the LDV T60. In April 2025 the ACCC took LDV Automotive Australia to the Federal Court, alleging T60 and G10 vehicles built from about April 2019 to November 2024 had a propensity to develop rust or corrosion within their first five years, and that LDV received more than 5,000 rust complaints between January 2018 and November 2024 while still advertising the utes as durable and tough. The ACCC also alleges the 10-year anti-corrosion warranty advertised in 2019-2020 was misleading. Owners describe paint bubbling and rust spots appearing on multiple panels on near-new vehicles, slow warranty responses, and in the worst reported case a ute written off over rust. The eT60 electric model was excluded from the ACCC action.
How much does it cost to fix on a LDV T60?
$400 to $4,000 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 LDV T60 years are affected?
Our research records this fault on the 2018–2024 LDV T60. 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 whole body in daylight, panel by panel. Run your eye along the roof edges and gutter seams, around the windscreen, along door bottoms, the tailgate seams and inside the tray or wellside — bubbling or brown speckles anywhere on a ute this young is the fault, not normal wear. Use a phone torch inside door shuts and under seals. Look for respray tells: overspray on rubbers, masking lines, one panel a slightly different shade. Ask directly whether any rust warranty claim has been lodged and what LDV said. If a workshop inspection is possible: have the underbody, chassis rails and panel seams checked from underneath and any repaint measured with a paint-depth gauge. Look here: Body panels and seams anywhere — roof edges, pillars, door bottoms, tailgate, tray and wellside are commonly reported