Boot hatch frame fills with water

[Grumpy]

Guys it's some water. Don't freak out. It just needed a drain hole, it's a composite panel anyway, it's not like it's going to rust.

Should it have gotten water in? No, that's an adhesive process concern. Is it a really serious problem? Also no.

Even composite panels wont benefit from water ingress unless they are full epoxy or painted (which the inside won’t be}. For those of us who have had many Lotus products we get used to quirks, but this is an 80k car produced after colossal levels of investment when the first hundred cars quality is paramount given the competition. I think the difference is that when you are buying a £30k weekend ‘toy’ hand built, you can sort of accept this, but many will use this as a daily and comparing it to then Porsche, Merc, BMW they have just come out off. The fact that if its rained you can’t just open the boot without water dropping in shows a lack of testing or engineering thought - could you really see that happening with any of the three brands above. All cars have recalls but I am just concerned that Plastic squeaks on boots, Frame filling with water, several test drives delayed due to warning lights, failed steering servo etc and thats on a very small number of cars - it is worrying. I really want this car to do well, hope these are the extent of incidents and I want mine to be delivered without faults! We have waited long enough perhaps they should pause deliveries and double down on QC.

 

[Magma]

Reading all of this, I'm thinking three things. Don't drive it in the rain. Keep it in the garage. And don't carry anything in the boot so you don't have to open the hatch... Though I shouldn't have to think all that for a $100K USD vehicle.

And never wash it?

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

Reading all of this, I'm thinking three things. Don't drive it in the rain. Keep it in the garage. And don't carry anything in the boot so you don't have to open the hatch... Though I shouldn't have to think all that for a $100K USD vehicle.

cheaper option, also, is buy the scale model. I didn't see anybody reporting this water issue neither on the 1/18 nor on the 1/43 models

 

[Leonard]

Even composite panels wont benefit from water ingress unless they are full epoxy or painted (which the inside won’t be}. For those of us who have had many Lotus products we get used to quirks, but this is an 80k car produced after colossal levels of investment when the first hundred cars quality is paramount given the competition. I think the difference is that when you are buying a £30k weekend ‘toy’ hand built, you can sort of accept this, but many will use this as a daily and comparing it to then Porsche, Merc, BMW they have just come out off. The fact that if its rained you can’t just open the boot without water dropping in shows a lack of testing or engineering thought - could you really see that happening with any of the three brands above. All cars have recalls but I am just concerned that Plastic squeaks on boots, Frame filling with water, several test drives delayed due to warning lights, failed steering servo etc and thats on a very small number of cars - it is worrying. I really want this car to do well, hope these are the extent of incidents and I want mine to be delivered without faults! We have waited long enough perhaps they should pause deliveries and double down on QC.

Thank you for taking my grumpy mantle.
I feel like I can just relax now, knowing that you are here echoing my own thoughts

 

[Mctaff]

Even composite panels wont benefit from water ingress unless they are full epoxy or painted (which the inside won’t be}. For those of us who have had many Lotus products we get used to quirks, but this is an 80k car produced after colossal levels of investment when the first hundred cars quality is paramount given the competition. I think the difference is that when you are buying a £30k weekend ‘toy’ hand built, you can sort of accept this, but many will use this as a daily and comparing it to then Porsche, Merc, BMW they have just come out off. The fact that if its rained you can’t just open the boot without water dropping in shows a lack of testing or engineering thought - could you really see that happening with any of the three brands above. All cars have recalls but I am just concerned that Plastic squeaks on boots, Frame filling with water, several test drives delayed due to warning lights, failed steering servo etc and thats on a very small number of cars - it is worrying. I really want this car to do well, hope these are the extent of incidents and I want mine to be delivered without faults! We have waited long enough perhaps they should pause deliveries and double down on QC.

My 100k vantage did the same re poor hatch design.… lift the boot too quickly and everything inside got wet.

 

[Cachaco131]

This is great. While a fix for the UK is found, Lotus should send all the affected cars to CA since it never rains here.

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

My 100k vantage did the same re poor hatch design.… lift the boot too quickly and everything inside got wet.

exactly the same on my 200 K euros DB9.
All these British do it in purpose to show us what happens when it rains...... it pours! ⛈

 

[Grumpy]

Another couple of hand built Brit sports cars we have enough rain to test them FFS

 

[ott]

Drain holes in hatch frame do not solve a problem, because if there is water inside of unprotected glassfibre structure osmosis process will cause paint blistering.

My car is off from road till spring, by then hopefully definitive solution is found. I know already another car with same issue.

 

[Grumpy]

Correct unless its full epoxy with closed strand. Any gelcoat will bubble and pop off if it can penetrate the structure.

 

[Captain.Kirk]

FE = Beta tester!!? Shocking.

Maybe FE’s come with a toolkit that includes an assortment of drill bits? Start with the smallest bit and if the water doesn’t drain quick enough just keep moving up in size until the frame is empty. Job done!

 

[lion shf]

Guys it's some water. Don't freak out. It just needed a drain hole, it's a composite panel anyway, it's not like it's going to rust.

Should it have gotten water in? No, that's an adhesive process concern. Is it a really serious problem? Also no.

The problem is the dealer can’t find a fix. Like I said, water is a HUGE problem.

 

[EspritGuy]

cheaper option, also, is buy the scale model. I didn't see anybody reporting this water issue neither on the 1/18 nor on the 1/43 models

It must be dishwasher safe.,,,

 

[ADC]

Thank you for taking my grumpy mantle.
I feel like I can just relax now, knowing that you are here echoing my own thoughts

You're not fooling anyone, Leonard, with your new alt account. And stop talking to yourself... It's weird.

 

[Magicman]

Just dril a hole in your brand new £80k car..... 















Takes me.back to my Tvr days, I do not want to go back to my tvr days.





It would be a tough call Iimagine , delay yet again to solve quality issues or carry on and keep dealing with them in the real world.

Which will do the least damage to the cars reputation



Infact after giving it a little thought this is probably the most disturbing thing I've read about the car that's making me question if it's for me. I love the looks and the drive but "just drill a hole in it youth" is not for me

 

[Beady]

Lotus have been gluing cars together for years so you would expect this to be a rare / one off problem.
However any repetitive failures in this process would be a concern.
The Early Evoras had a problem with water ingress into the boot (when parked facing uphill if I recall correctly) and the solution was...... yes you guessed it, drill some holes.

 

[Nick in Sydney]

"just drill a hole in it youth" is not for me

To be fair, the drilled hole is just a temporary fix until the replacement lid arrives.

 

[MaybeNeedEmira]

Temporary fix ... definitely is a concern though.
Add freeze/thaw cycles for standing water inside at a seam, and bad things happen.

 

[Mctaff]

… and mine will be living outside! Hope this is a one off…

 

[Evotion]

Has anybody contacted Lotus about this and got an answer back?

Would be nice to reassure people who are worried.