Citroen DS3 Left Rear Quarter Panel

R8,400 to R26,500 through a panel shop, plus paint — and the spread is that wide because this is skilled labour rather than a part price. A full section replacement is at the top end. A cut-and-weld half panel, where only the rusted portion is removed and new steel let in, is considerably cheaper and perfectly sound for localised damage. Send photos and get a written quote.

It depends whether the rust has perforated. Surface rust sands back, seals and sprays without difficulty. Once it has holed through — which is what has usually happened by the time it is visible from outside — the affected metal has to be cut out and fresh steel welded in, then sealed on both faces. Done properly it is invisible and permanent. Done as filler over rust, it comes back within a year.

Complete quarter panels are rarely available as parts, because they are welded into the shell and a stripper has to cut one out rather than unbolt it. Pro Citroen Spares can source cut sections from C2 and Xsara donor shells on request, which is exactly what a panel shop wants for a let-in repair. Send photographs of the damage so we can specify how much of the section you need.

A missing or torn wheel arch liner. The liner is the only thing keeping road spray out of the cavity between the outer skin and the inner arch, and once it is gone that cavity collects water and dirt and never dries. On the C4 and older Xsara hatches this is the standard route to a rotten quarter. Coastal salt accelerates it sharply. Replacing a torn liner costs very little and prevents a repair costing thousands.

Five to ten working days for a proper cut-and-weld repair with paint, and that is not padding — the metalwork, the sealing, the primer stages and the blend into adjacent panels each need to cure before the next. A shop quoting two days is filling rather than welding, and filler over rust cracks within a year. Use an RMI-accredited beater for anything structural.