Maryland plaintiff Mitchell Behm has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey after he found out that the protective plastic cover on his 2015 Audi Q5 allegedly caused the subframe to rust, making the vehicle unsafe to drive.According to a report by Carcomplaints.com, Behm purchased the used Audi Q5 in 2018, but after five years of ownership, he was made aware of the subframe corrosion when he took the vehicle to a shop for routine maintenance. The mechanic found rust after removing the subframe plastic cover and told Behm it was not safe to drive his Audi.Behm then requested Audi to cover the repair costs, but the brand declined since the vehicle was not under warranty, resulting in him paying thousands of dollars out of pocket.AdvertisementAdvertisementA class action lawsuit now alleges that the subframe rust and corrosion in the Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles are due to the plastic covers on the subframe that reportedly trap moisture, road salt, and other elements.silver mercedes benz c class on forest during daytimeThe plaintiff claims that the plastic cover blocks the rust from being spotted in advance. The subframe corrosion lawsuit stated:"Instead of protecting the subframe, these plastic covers trap water, road debris, moisture, and salt against the surface of the steel subframe. This design creates conditions whereby water and corrosive materials pool and accumulate between the plastic cover and the steel structure of the subframe, accelerating the corrosion process, which is hidden behind the plastic covers themselves."The lawsuit alleges further that the corrosion leads to owners incurring unexpected repair costs, since they pay diagnostic fees, repair and replacement expenses for the subframes, as well as the cost for the plastic cover, which allegedly contributes to the rusting issue. The vehicle, meanwhile, ends up losing more value.AdvertisementAdvertisementIn addition, the lawsuit claims that the expense will ultimately be a waste of time and money because the plastic covers will lead to the rusting of the subframes yet again. Audi was reportedly aware of this issue, but it chose not to share the information with its customers, according to the lawsuit.