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[humbucker]

What is it about Omegas that makes the bottom rear corner of each door start to perish? It's a strange phenomenon that I haven't been able to understand. I've had loads of Vauxhalls, many of them much older than the Omega (I've got three Cavalier Turbo 4x4s atm), and not one of them has suffered from the dreaded door rot. 

Even facelift Omegas don't seem to be able to dodge this terrible affliction!

[2boxerdogs]

Neither my 01 saloon or the 03'estate suffer from this, both have been garaged from new although the 03 now resides outdoors.

[05omegav6]

Crap maintenance and catching the back of the bottom edge on kerbs etc...

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Mine are fine. No tin worm.

[DrAndyB]

Crap maintenance

Crap in terms of what ?

Mine started to go on the usual spot and just under rear wheel arches and mine is maintained and looked after  (http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=129223.0) washed, dried and regularly autoglym'ed. Also kept in heated garage for last 7 years and I have had her form 6 months old 

Not sure what else there is to maintain on a door 

Luck of the draw, or luck of the door I presume  (or perhaps too much cleaning !)

[chrisgixer]

I wouldn't say the superior face lift doors have a rust problem. Except the rather stupid design of the rear edge of the rear doors forming part of the frint edge of the rear wheel arch. All the crap gathers behind the seal and in extreme cases the doors eventually catch tin worm as well.

Pre face lift doors all suffer, but on the top edge as well, due to a galvanising issue at the factory, going by legend on here.

My drivers door is a bit battered on the lower rear corner as it's clearly caught a wall and a kerb at some point as Al suggests. But I can't say it rusted as a result. Yet

[05omegav6]

If you keep the bottoms of the doors cleaned and polished then no reason to rust... But if you keep scraping them over kerbs or verge banks, then expect the paint to be damaged allowing rust to take hold...

[05omegav6]

To add, keeping the crud from building up along the bottom edge of the lower seal attached to the sill is also imperative as that traps moisture against the lower edge of all four doors...

[chrisgixer]

I wonder if its worth keeping the vent holes clear on the bottom edge of the door...?

[DrAndyB]

If you keep the bottoms of the doors cleaned and polished then no reason to rust

Yep, bottom banana shaped rubber on door at bottom always seems to atract grit and dirt.  Always keep clean and dry 

[05omegav6]

I wonder if its worth keeping the vent holes clear on the bottom edge of the door...?

That's another differnce between thorough and crap maintenance

[VXL V6]

Hmmm I think it's also to do with that strip of exposed door (as well as the edge of the sill and wheel arch) also catching debris flying off the wheel, if you look down the flanks of the car you can see the wheel / tyre clearly proud of the body, only takes one tiny stone chip and a regular dousing of water / salt water and away you go.
 

[woolley11]

Yea my drivers door has the pox and the one I really sold did too.

You'd think the passenger side would rust first as all the water/puddles etc on that side?

Figures it could be kirbng and from opening doors constantly

[kevinp58]

Nothing on mine they look like new and I live on the coast. 

[Nick W]

I wonder if its worth keeping the vent holes clear on the bottom edge of the door...?

Stop wondering, that's almost certainly the best way to avoid the problem. Ensuring that the external seal at the base of the window is effective would also help.

Doing both of these will reduce the amount of water that gathers in the hemmed joint of the doorskin and frame. And that's what causes the rust, which is why rotten door bottoms is a common rust spot on just any vehicle. I've repaired loads.