Anyone seeing rust on V6 rear subframe?

[Porter]

Material issues with the rear subframe have been mentioned by several different people on FB and other platforms, but this is the first time that I've seen something like this described so explicitly. Very concerning, if there is any truth to this.

Have any current owners noticed anything like this on their own cars? I know it's not common to pull the undertray off a brand new car to inspect the structure, but it might be worth doing if anyone has the time or inclination.

When my car is ready I think I'm going to be inspecting this on a lift in the dealership service bay, to check for any issues prior to acceptance/handover.

 

[Pegasi]

This is exhausting I will have to admit. Just posting on the thread so I can follow this.

 

[Maurice R]

Material issues with the rear subframe have been mentioned by several different people on FB and other platforms, but this is the first time that I've seen something like this described so explicitly. Very concerning, if there is any truth to this.

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Have any current owners noticed anything like this on their own cars? I know it's not common to pull the undertray off a brand new car to inspect the structure, but it might be worth doing if anyone has the time or inclination.

When my car is ready I think I'm going to be inspecting this on a lift in the dealership service bay, to check for any issues prior to acceptance/handover.

This is a pretty serious accusation by this employee.
Is it true. Has it been fact checked.
Is he / she a disgruntled employee
Straightening the sub frame with a crowbar on production line seems a little far fetched
Do Lotus senior management know about this.
If true then very serious implications for Lotus as a company .

 

[Porter]

This is a pretty serious accusation by this employee.
Is it true. Has it been fact checked.
Is he / she a disgruntled employee
Straightening the sub frame with a crowbar on production line seems a little far fetched
Do Lotus senior management know about this.
If true then very serious implications for Lotus as a company .

Did you see the "Lotus: A New Dawn" documentary? Some of the scenes captured in that were enough to give me serious pause about Lotus as a vehicle manufacturer. It all seemed so reasonable as presented, until you give it a hard think later.

As for "is it true / has it been fact checked", well that's literally what I'm doing by posting this thread. If anyone has any first-hand access to an Emira and wants to take a look with a few inspection tools (particularly something like a small angled dental mirror) that would be extremely helpful.

 

[DerTheDer]

We know they are scraping the china parts bin, thats a fact. I wouldnt put it past lotus to take these shortcuts to make their next dealine delay.

 

[JimH]

We know they are scraping the china parts bin, thats a fact. I wouldnt put it past lotus to take these shortcuts to make their next dealine delay.

Chassis and subframes for the Emira are manufactured at Lotus Advanced Structures in Norwich, UK - around 12 miles from Hethel……

 

[KCMO68_510]

Unless this has supporting evidence it really sounds of pissed off former employee or just trolling.

 

[Porter]

Chassis and subframes for the Emira are manufactured at Lotus Advanced Structures in Norwich, UK - around 12 miles from Hethel……

I don't think the galvanized subframe is built by them. LAS is all aluminum bonded structures, which this component is not.

 

[Porter]

Unless this has supporting evidence it really sounds of pissed off former employee or just trolling.

I would think that too but this is the third time I've seen it mentioned, and not by the same person. That's why I'm asking for some direct confirmation.

 

[JimH]

I don't think the galvanized subframe is built by them. LAS is all aluminum bonded structures, which this component is not.

Lotus Announces All-new Sub-Assembly Manufacturing Facility in Norwich - Lotus Cars Media Site

media.lotuscars.com

 

[Eagle7]

Were either of the other 2 sources dealers? It seems odd that nobody else has noticed any of this. You've got Komotec, Jubu and others taking these cars apart to modify and create things for them. You'd think there'd be some corroboration somewhere else. What's being described doesn't sound like 1 or 2 cars, but a continuous hot mess in production. Something just doesn't feel right about these reports.

 

[DF_Toronto]

Funny enough I just got a letter from Mercedes today about this (related to my 2012 model year), which includes numerous models going all the way back to 07 stating they’re extending the warranty on the rear subframe to 20 years!

 

[lion shf]

Were either of the other 2 sources dealers? It seems odd that nobody else has noticed any of this. You've got Komotec, Jubu and others taking these cars apart to modify and create things for them. You'd think there'd be some corroboration somewhere else. What's being described doesn't sound like 1 or 2 cars, but a continuous hot mess in production. Something just doesn't feel right about these reports.

Nothing to see here says eagle.

 

[Porter]

Lotus Announces All-new Sub-Assembly Manufacturing Facility in Norwich - Lotus Cars Media Site

media.lotuscars.com

This is actually quite surprising. I just can't imagine in my head a Lotus facility where there are rows of welders on production benches, and a large scale hot dip galvanizing tank dunking the production output in an 860°F/460°C bath of molten zinc. Seems like the kind of thing that they would outsource because it's not their area of expertise.

 

[Nick in Sydney]

I will assume a disgruntled former employee until proven otherwise. Anyone who has spent time in factories or workshops has met the "conspiracy guy" and the "professional victim" . . and they're usually the same person.

 

[Nick in Sydney]

We know they are scraping the china parts bin, thats a fact. I wouldnt put it past lotus to take these shortcuts to make their next dealine delay.

I don't get this mindset. Lotus Cars Limited is a low volume sports car manufacturer. They would be idiots not to access parts that are available across the broader Geely group, like indicator stalks from Volvo or steering wheel controls from Lynk & Co. That is a long way from "scraping the China parts bin."

I guess Ohlins suspension is "scraping the Swedish parts bin". And an AMG engine is "scraping the German parts bin."

 

[Porter]

I don't get this mindset. Lotus Cars Limited is a low volume sports car manufacturer. They would be idiots not to access parts that are available across the broader Geely group, like indicator stalks from Volvo or steering wheel controls from Lynk & Co. That is a long way from "scraping the China parts bin."

I guess Ohlins suspension is "scraping the Swedish parts bin". And an AMG engine is "scraping the German parts bin."

As someone who worked for a decade in a business that manufactured complex scientific equipment in China, I can say that there is absolutely a difference in assumed baseline quality standards between European and Chinese manufacturing companies. And a wildly different set of assumptions and cultural norms around whether initial quality should be expected to continue into bulk order #2 or #3.

 

[Hethel Merman]

This is actually quite surprising. I just can't imagine in my head a Lotus facility where there are rows of welders on production benches, and a large scale hot dip galvanizing tank dunking the production output in an 860°F/460°C bath of molten zinc. Seems like the kind of thing that they would outsource because it's not their area of expertise.

Not their area of expertise?
They were fabricating steel chassis at Hethel from 1966 up until the late 90s. And until they moved the operation up the road, F1 chassis too.

 

[digilotus]

Until there's any evidence of rusted or twisted subframes in production cars, I'm going to pass on this. Keep Calm and Carry On!

 

[action_turtle]

After doing the factory tour on my collection day, I can assure you this is nonsense lol.

The frames are not even made in the same factory, Lotus have a metal works division a few miles away that make the frames, petrol tanks and all the other bits. They are then sent to assembly. Anything not correct wouldn't even get to the line, no-one on the line grinds, bends or adjusts these parts lol.

As for rust, who knows? We will find out after a year of ownership, and at that point, they can correct it under warranty, I assume.