CriticalVery commonBody & Rust

LDV T60: Premature rust and corrosion — subject of ACCC Federal Court action

Premature rust and corrosion — subject of ACCC Federal Court action is a very common body & rust fault on the LDV T60 on the 2017 onward cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $500 to $6,000 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: 2017 onward
System: Body & Rust

This page covers the LDV T60 as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All LDV T60 faults8 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

The ACCC took LDV's Australian distributor (Ateco) to the Federal Court in 2025, alleging T60s have a propensity to rust or corrode within five years of manufacture; LDV received over 5,000 rust/corrosion complaints on T60 and G10 models between 2018 and 2024. The ACCC also alleges the 10-year anti-corrosion warranty advertised in 2019–2020 was misleading. The NZ distributor has acknowledged the corrosion concern and moved newer models to a 7-year/200,000 km warranty, but older utes carry the shorter 5-year/130,000 km cover and many are now outside it.

What you would notice

Rust bubbles on tailgate, wellside seams, door bottoms and roof gutters
Corrosion on chassis rails, tray mounts, underbody welds
Rust around windscreen surround
Paint blistering on panel edges

How to check it

Where to look. Body seams, tailgate, doors, chassis and underbody

Crawl underneath with a torch: check chassis rails, spring hangers, tray mounting points and seam welds for scaly rust, not just surface film.
Run fingers along tailgate seams, wheel-arch lips and door bottoms for bubbling.
Ask whether any rust warranty claims were made and get the outcome in writing; a pre-purchase inspection on a hoist is strongly advised for any T60.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

$500 to $6,000 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 this ute ever had a rust warranty claim or rust repair?”
“Was it used near the coast, on beaches or for boat launching?”
“Is any of the anti-corrosion warranty still in place, and can you show the paperwork?”

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.

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.

ACCC media release: 'LDV Automotive Australia in court for alleged misleading advertising' (April 2025)
carsales.com.au: 'LDV headed to court over T60 and G10 rust issues'
MotoringNZ: 'Watchdog sees red over LDV rust concern' (NZ distributor acknowledgement)
Driven Car Guide (NZ): 'LDV in Australian Federal Court over misleading advertising and rust issues'

LDV T60 buyer questions

Is premature rust and corrosion — subject of accc federal court action serious on a LDV T60?

We rate it critical and very common on the LDV T60. The ACCC took LDV's Australian distributor (Ateco) to the Federal Court in 2025, alleging T60s have a propensity to rust or corrode within five years of manufacture; LDV received over 5,000 rust/corrosion complaints on T60 and G10 models between 2018 and 2024. The ACCC also alleges the 10-year anti-corrosion warranty advertised in 2019–2020 was misleading. The NZ distributor has acknowledged the corrosion concern and moved newer models to a 7-year/200,000 km warranty, but older utes carry the shorter 5-year/130,000 km cover and many are now outside it.

How much does it cost to fix on a LDV T60?

$500 to $6,000 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 2017 onward 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?

Crawl underneath with a torch: check chassis rails, spring hangers, tray mounting points and seam welds for scaly rust, not just surface film. Run fingers along tailgate seams, wheel-arch lips and door bottoms for bubbling. Ask whether any rust warranty claims were made and get the outcome in writing; a pre-purchase inspection on a hoist is strongly advised for any T60. Look here: Body seams, tailgate, doors, chassis and underbody