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Hi,

My car passed it WOF - but the mechanic noted some rust under the bonnet (under the windscreen panel on the left hand side)

Is this a definite WOF issue for my next WOF?

I got some quotes to fix the issue and all over them are between 300 and 400 dollars.

How can i prevent the car from getting more rust near the bulkeads? Is this a common issue for cars?

The car is parked outside so would it be from rain dripping through the bonnet lid and sitting under the windscreen and on the bulkhead area?

The right hand side is fine, just the left side has the issue.

Looks like i'll have to fork out 400 odd in the next few months.

Yes, this would be a WoF fail. It's not uncommon for this to occur on older cars although some models are worse than others. A car that is kept outside is obviously more prone to this, but with some models there are steps you can take to help prevent the problem. On some cars, drain holes blocked with leaves and debris can accentuate the problem, so part of the answer is to ensure any leaves etc are cleaned out. Also, it's not uncommon for the left side to be worse, as if the car is parked on the roadside, this is the low side where water can collect due to the camber of the road.
But yes, it sounds like you may need to spend the money in this instance.