Hi, I had already become a member of this forum but couldn't access my old account, so apologies for the noob post count.

I have sprung a leak in my gearbox today and need some advice!

Car: 2007, 2.0 TDI 140, DSG, saloon, ~135k.

I was changing the engine oil earlier (normal servicing) and noticed that the underside of a front-facing black steel cover plate on the front of the DSG gearbox was really quite rusty. The main body of it is fine: painted back steel, it's just the very lower section that faces the road that the paint has flaked off and exposed the steel.

I tapped it lightly with my knuckle and the bloody thing was evidently *so* thin that it sprung a leak! It's currently dripping about once per second. I'm collecting the oil in a clean container.



I'm staggered that this cover (does anyone know what it's for and what it's called?) has become rusty to the extent that I can basically poke a finger through: the car is only 7 years old! That's the sort of thing I'd expect to find on a 40 year old Mini at MOT time.
A bit of surface rust on some components of any car is expected after 7 years, but to be wafer thin is just a joke...

So has anyone experienced anything like this before? Is this cover easy to source (dealer-only, I assume) and replace? Are there any major pitfalls to encounter when replacing it?
It looks like it's held in place with a few Torx bolts and access isn't overly terrible from a quick glance.

Thanks everyone.