Ateca Design Fault

W19KED

Active Member
Mar 12, 2017
2
1
I took delivery of a Xcellance 1.4 EcoTsi 4 days ago and have discovered a fault in the design which will unfortunately lead to premature corrosion. Even though the vehicle is spotlessly clean on the outside, on opening the rear doors I noticed that dirt, grit & mud is collecting near the bottom on the inside of the doors. The channel where debris collects is formed by the way in which the lower black plastic door trim is attached to the door panel. On the majority of vehicles, the rear door is separated from the wheel arch and therefore this problem does not exist. However, on the Ateca, the lower part of the rear doors are directly exposed to spray from the rear wheels & tyres. It appears that this problem affects all models.

Having been involved in the motor industry for many years, I would advise that you check your vehicle and if any dirt is collecting in this area then please help all Ateca owners by writing (with photos if possible) to your dealer and also to Seat (this can be done by searching 'contact us' on the Seat website) . The more of us who do this, the sooner a fix will be available. In the meantime I suggest that owners take the time to keep this area clean until Seat comes up with the required fix.

I would have posted some detailed photos but unfortunately I need 15 posts on this forum before I am able to do this.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.
 
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W19KED

Active Member
Mar 12, 2017
2
1
Update:

After writing to Richard Harrison the MD of Seat UK regarding the above, today I received a telephone call from Seat. They have requested photographs of the road dirt collecting on the rear door panels as they said they are totally unaware of this issue. If anyone else has noticed this problem on their Ateca, send your photos together with a description of the problem to [email protected]. Put your registration number and 'Fault' as the subject.
 
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Tell

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Since the Skoda Karoq is much the same and exhibits the same shared rear door arch you can assume it may very well share the same issue. Something I wasn't looking out for when I bought the Ateca but something I would look out for now knowing what one does now about why designers remove the proper wheel arch and push the door back into the arch to create rear space.
 

Tell

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Think it's a bit like Adblue the dealer doesn't say BTW the door shares the wheel arch. I'm not over excited that it's an issue unless the seals start to drop off. There are reports of that mind you, so best to keep an eye on it.

Was intrigued by what other VAG cars have this design. VW Sharan is one, Seat Alhambra is another so it's not new to them. A lot of SUVs have this design. Had the benefit of being in Australia when this one broke out on the boards so checked out the many SUVs you see. Lexus have it as well (NX). Its a fairly common design on compact SUVs. Brother of the Ateca won't have it since the Kodiaq is free from it.

Basically I suspect if it's going to be a corrosion issue it's 10 years down the line. The unfortunate thing is for people who drive threw slurry who get muck plastered inside the door. We all learn something, now I know what to look out for. Think it sneaked up on a lot of people who got the car. You inspect and clean the area when you wash it making sure the seals are good, getting grit out of the bottom fabrication of the open door. Mine is fine and not too much dirt getting in. Not overtly bothered by it.
 
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Tell

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I see red sandstone mud is the ideal tester for those seals. It's apparent under normal driving the force of the mud picked up by the wheels from tractors depositing it out on the road after leaving fields, just splatters past the seal and hits the inner door arch. Evident the mass and velocity of the mud leaving the wheel will force itself through the seal.

Best to avoid cars with this design fault if you can help it. Hopefully the big Ateca won't suffer from this fault. The Kodiaq doesn't. The Karoq will. The Allspace will be around at the end of the year to marvel at as a design cue for the bigger Seat as the Kodiaq is now.
 

kevster184

Active Member
Mar 14, 2015
682
29
Reminds me of the Vauxhall Carlton rear doors!

The Arona looks better, not that I've seen it in person.

The Mk3 Leon is bad enough where it sucks up dirt between doors on the 5 door model and can get trapped behind the rubber that edges the rear door against the front door.
 

Tell

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The Arona seems to be free of it looking at the picture. You become an expert at viewing whether the rear door grooves into the wheel arch once you become aware of the issue. Somebody who took it up with a dealer was told that, that part of the door is a "wet area" and designed like it. The Q5 has that type of rear door as well although performance of the seals, don't know.

Clearly if you are going through a lot of slurry and mud it's going to get in which is what happened to me with the red sandstone mud. I pity those people who's daily commutes are thru slurry.

In retrospect it's a pitty that Seat of the three VW brands is the last to put out the larger SUV that won't have the issue if it follows along the Allspace / Kodiaq design. That should have the increased front passenger legroom if like the Kodiaq with your knees not rapping the glove box, Seat's compromise to get rear cabin space like the recessed door in the wheel arch with the Ateca. Other than that, I find it a very good car. Good to drive.
 

kevster184

Active Member
Mar 14, 2015
682
29
The Arona seems to be free of it looking at the picture. You become an expert at viewing whether the rear door grooves into the wheel arch once you become aware of the issue. Somebody who took it up with a dealer was told that, that part of the door is a "wet area" and designed like it. The Q5 has that type of rear door as well although performance of the seals, don't know.

Clearly if you are going through a lot of slurry and mud it's going to get in which is what happened to me with the red sandstone mud. I pity those people who's daily commutes are thru slurry.

.

It's salt as well that would concern me in the winter. You can keep clean and protect but it means touching up stone chips and all that which is annoying.

If you buy a car new and run it 3 or 4 years and buy another new one it's the second owner who picks up these issues.

I agree i became an expert on each issues I've had and they become dam obvious once you know.

I have bought many cars at this age (3/4 years) and had most issues and design faults.

One example is Mk5 Golf front wings rust where foam packing rubs on paint where dirt, grit and salt rub. Doesn't show for a few years. By then too late!

Without going in to detail this is why I finally bought new.
 

Tell

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Seat are suppose to have modified the door seal from the original 2016 production ones to those now although obviously it's the same "wet area" (or moved slightly) and the question must be what gets past the seal and what stays outside of the seal but still in the wet area. So there is a wrinkle in there has been a production line change to the seal.
 

hamst

Active Member
Jun 5, 2020
93
16
I took delivery of a Xcellance 1.4 EcoTsi 4 days ago and have discovered a fault in the design which will unfortunately lead to premature corrosion. Even though the vehicle is spotlessly clean on the outside, on opening the rear doors I noticed that dirt, grit & mud is collecting near the bottom on the inside of the doors. The channel where debris collects is formed by the way in which the lower black plastic door trim is attached to the door panel. On the majority of vehicles, the rear door is separated from the wheel arch and therefore this problem does not exist. However, on the Ateca, the lower part of the rear doors are directly exposed to spray from the rear wheels & tyres. It appears that this problem affects all models.

Having been involved in the motor industry for many years, I would advise that you check your vehicle and if any dirt is collecting in this area then please help all Ateca owners by writing (with photos if possible) to your dealer and also to Seat (this can be done by searching 'contact us' on the Seat website) . The more of us who do this, the sooner a fix will be available. In the meantime I suggest that owners take the time to keep this area clean until Seat comes up with the required fix.

I would have posted some detailed photos but unfortunately I need 15 posts on this forum before I am able to do this.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Hey,

Can you post some pics now or not yet?

Thanks
 

Tell

Full Member
Staff member
Moderator
You use a tooth pick and toothbrush to clean the bits out when you wash the car. VAG have been making cars with that combined door wheel arch for sometime. It was just the Ateca was the first with it on Seat. Caused some uproar with those that hadn't noticed that feature till they got delivery. Not a big deal really except the back of the inside door gets muddy if you drive thru a lot of dirt. Tooth pick to get stones out of a veined area at the bottom. Brush to clean that area as well.
 
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