The case is causing quite a stir on Reddit. Canadian owner ofAlfa Romeo Tonale, just one year old, was astonished to discover corrosion on his tailgate. Nothing dramatic so far? Not really. Because it's not the rust itself that's worrying, but rather the dealer's reaction, who won't do anything under warranty until the rust is perforated.
Visible oxidation on a new car
Supported by a photo, the owner shows the inside of the tailgate. The picture clearly shows the putty peeling off, the paint fading and the first signs of surface oxidation of the sheet metal. No perforating rust yet, but a premature corrosion that should never appear on such a recent vehicle.
Our analysis of the image confirms a probable problem of faulty application of the anti-corrosion treatment or water infiltration, perhaps accentuated by a poorly designed drain plug, as mentioned by the user.
"The warranty? Not relevant as long as the rust doesn't break through".
What's most shocking is the dealer's response. According to him, the anti-corrosion warranty only applies if the rust has penetrated the sheet metal. In other words, as long as the corrosion remains superficial, the customer is left to fend for himself - even if it means paying to repair an obvious defect.
On Reddit, comments are pouring in:
"My Giulietta wasn't so rotten after 13 years on salty roads."
"That's how the tailgate is welded," they say... what contempt!"
"Even the rusty 159 did better than that."
Some European users claim not to have experienced this problem on their Tonale. But for other Canadians, the cold, damp climate could aggravate an already existing weakness. One user even complains about a poorly thought-out drainage design: a certain level of water is required in the gutter before it starts to drain, which encourages stagnation... and therefore corrosion.
What can the owner do?
In this case, the recommendation is clear:
- Require a written and photographed inspection at another dealer.
- Contact Alfa Romeo Canada directly with the complete file.
- As a last resort, use the CAMVAP arbitration service (in Canada), as suggested by an Internet user.
Bad publicity for Tonale
The Tonale, a technical clone of the Dodge Hornet, is already struggling to win over customers in North America following numerous recall campaigns: 40,000 in November 2024 and 50,000 in April 2025... This kind of mishap only weakens a model that is nonetheless crucial for Alfa Romeo.
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Fie FIAT Gruppe gehört wieder in italienische Hand , weg von den Franzosen und Amis!
Als AR Halter muss man leidensfähig sein. Mein dritter Alfa Romeo (erster Stellantis) ist ein Junior, Ich kann das Leasing-Ende kaum erwarten. Schade!
Well, well, if it isn't Mr Filosa, quality manager for the Stellantis group until recently...
It's not made for Canada at the same time, where you saw that all Italian roads were salted in winter.es!?. It's Italian, you have to respect it, sleep in the garage, desalinate with demineralized water, chamois every night.😁👍
Ich gebe Max 100% Recht!
Ich will wieder italienische Autos aus Italien!
Nothing could be more ordinary on an Alfa
Endemic disease 30 years ago
Does Dinitrol still exist? Very effective
If you don't want a car that rusts and rattles like a saucepan full of spoons and forks, never buy an Italian, English or French car.
Buy Japanese, South Korean, American or German
Alfa Romeo rosten doch schon im Katalog wer kauft schon italienische Autos. Das gleiche passiert auch mit Suberu sind halt Reis Schüsseln
Hai ragione
Now it's no longer a question of nationality, but of which brands belong to which group, because industrial strategies are applied across all brands, regardless of country or factory location.
French groups are still the worst, of course, and by taking control of certain foreign brands, they are in the process of screwing them up:
- Renault that screwed up Nissan and Mitsubishi
- Stellantis, run by the French from Peugeot, who screwed up Dodge, Chrysler, RAM, Jeep, Abarth, Fiat, Maserati and Alfa Romeo.
As a matter of principle, I remain loyal to German groups and to the brands working with them:
- Volkswagen owns Audi, Bentley, Cupra, Lamborghini, Porsche and Skoda and works with Bugatti and Rimac.
- BMW, which owns Mini and Rolls-Royce and works with Land Rover
- Mercedes-Benz, which owns AMG and Maybach and works with Aston Martin, Lotus and Pagani
- Ferrari and Koenigsegg are two independent jewels in their own right.
In Canada, all cars rust! Well, after 1 year it's probably a bit early.
Stellantis has to pull himself together...
Man weiß doch, dass da wie bei Stellantis üblich nur ein Jeep Compass drunter steckt...
Genauso wie bei Fiat Tipo, Peugeot, Opel u.a.
Da kann man sich doch nicht über so einen rostigen Eimer beschweren!
È un caso isolato e comunque come può capitare su qualsiasi auto di qualunque marchio anche prestigioso, tutte le auto hanno difetti.
Rest assured, it's not just the tonal that's rusting.
A good 2019 ford mustang bought almost new with door sills, trunk and rear cross member be the vehicle rusted.......
Same problem the dealer initially did not want to take charge of the repair.....
Habe noch nie so einen Unsinn gelesen wie hier.
Meine Giulietta Baujahr 2010 hat absolut keinen Rost an Falzen und Nähten.
Baujahr 2010 war auch vollverzinkt.
Was Rost betrifft gibt es auch schlechte Beispiele anderer Hersteller z.B. E Klasse vo Mercedes
Enormer Rost nach kurzer Zeit an allen Türen.
Kann ich nur bestätigen
Ich denke das Auo hat ein Heckschaden gehabt und wurde nicht fachmännisch repariert, darum rostet sonst die heutigen Alfas sind perfekt was mit Rost anbelangt.Es wird nur schlecht auf die Italienische Produkte gemacht....
In der Zeit der 80er waren alle Autos Rostlauben, eine Alfasud Bj 76 hielt bei Artgerechter Nutzung kaum 5-6 Jahre...
Die meisten Hersteller konnten das abstellen, Alfa offensichtlich wohl nicht.
Wir haben aber andere, tolle Autos, in Top Qualität, Benz, BMW, VE, Porsche.... Einfach umsteigen, und abhaken, Gruß Johann
Alfa sollte wieder Alfa sein mit richtigen Motoren nicht den 3 Zyl. kein E Schrott und nicht mehr zu Stelantis gehören. Wieder Rassige Autos dann wird es wieder was.
Sulla moto ritirata dal concessionario nuova, Honda Africa Twin adventure sport (22700€ di moto) sono comparsi segni di ruggine sul telaio e sulla marmitta dopo nemmeno 2 settimane e 1000km. La risposta del concessionario è stata: eh ma se la lavi con prodotti aggressivi è normale che faccia così oppure se l'hai presa che pioveva e non l'hai asciugata...
Non gli ho messo le mani addosso perché sono un signore 😅
Bonjour que de problèmes sur la Tonale , voiture achetée en octobre 2022 avec une garantie de 5 ans, de trop nombreux rappels voiture dangereuse avec la direction, batterie changéée au bout d'un an ! pour la modique somme de 340€, elle a 22000km et invendable en m'a proposé 18000€ en achetée toute option 48000€ et le service est minable à Cannes. I have a 20 year old Kia no worries !!!