Any thoughts on Rust-proofing. I know Lexus has rust penetration warranty but for years I've been sold on Krown Auto Rust-proofing but Lexus warned me not to have it done. I don't inderstand why not. Road salt is a bodywork killer and I for one want to defend against it. This is the first NEW car I've purchased. Should I worry?
To rust proof or not rust proof?
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Problem with rust proofing is that if they don't know what they are doing the drain holes could be plugged up and retain water making it worse.
Make sure to go to those self wash places with a high pressure hose and spray the wheel wells and underbody once in a while.
Make sure to go to those self wash places with a high pressure hose and spray the wheel wells and underbody once in a while.
How does the salt and rain affect the plastic that is in the fender wells?
Nice response, seemed almost ironic. You mustn't have visited your northern neighbour or northern states like the NY, MA correct? Good for you, bad for us.
The road salt, doesn't get fully "insulated" by the fender wells. You'll notice underneath your car after the rain or after going through puddles that, it's not just the fender well that's wet, but the full underbody, the sides, joints, all wet. Up here, you don't have to taste the water to find it's salty, because road salt are used to melt ice, and is an integrated part of our car commute. Almost every car up here are ultimately "put down" because of rust, and if not careful, rust happens here very quickly. Up here, a lot of people use various many anti rust mechanisms to elongate car's lives.
Even Lexus here tried to "sell" me an electronic rust inhibitor. Any knowledgeable ones know how much they don't work. A lot of people do undercoating to rust proof, as that is the most vulnerable portion to rust. Problem with hybrids is the electric systems that need extra care before one thinks about rust proofing. Any knowledge on this will be helpful. And please don't say that you sell the car long before rust has shown up, and so its not your problem. A few people like me, love to keep the car for as long as it lives.
I've lived in Chicago my whole life where road salt is used excessively! I have never rust proofed and car I have ever owned and have never had a problem with rust. If you plan to keep your car for 20 years then maybe it's a good idea....
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Every car dealer in the world will try to sell you anything that they can make a buck on, but I thought it was Consumer Reports that said that modern cars have such advanced rust proofing that any efforts to do it after manufacture of the vehicle might well exacerbate the rust problem by causing new areas for water and mud to collect and cause trouble. Besides, don't all modern cars (including Lexus) have 5 year rust through guarantees? I live in an area where there is often salt residue in the areas near the coast, and I live on a salt water canal about 1/2 mile from the ocean. Up until I was in college I used to rust proof all my cars. Not anymore, but that is just my opinion, do what you want.
Well true about Lexus trying to sell anything that they can make their buck on. Lexus 5 years rust through warranty is just the industry standard. Imagine, within 5 years you have a rust perforation (as in the rust has made a hole) warranty. If this happens in five years, you just might as well throw the car away.
As I have seen personally, we are just a scrape away from rust. Check all cars that have had a recent scrape or joints not properly treated, tail light areas on the trunk etc. One scrape and the protective paint or priming is out and bare metal is exposed. You will only need two seasons of snow, ice and warm temperature combo to get major rust (and I suspect if this happens in 5 years warranty time, even Lexus will back out, as it is user's fault). This is made much worse with the salt exposure. So, unless right after a scrape, one treats the exposed area properly and coats the area with primer and paint, rust is waiting to happen. The annual rust protection application, I am told, takes care of those wearable and scrape-able parts, more so on the underbody, as it is not usually visible.
I have a thirteen year old car with me for the last thirteen years. And any paint chips on the body has been taken care of meticulously. Did not apply any rust protection. I am getting rusts on the inside of door joints, and the underbody that got scraped one time (or it may have been an inattentive mechanic in the car's earlier years, who knows), the car got its floor perforated from rust in a localized area, that I just noticed a few months ago. The remedy? Cut the metal, rivet a new metal underneath and another one from inside the car, and then apply rust protection. But the damage has been already done and this is just going to slow down for a bit. The car otherwise mechanically runs almost like new, without any exaggeration. I am almost certain no new invention or engineering has happened within these years to make vehicles completely rust proof.
As I have seen personally, we are just a scrape away from rust. Check all cars that have had a recent scrape or joints not properly treated, tail light areas on the trunk etc. One scrape and the protective paint or priming is out and bare metal is exposed. You will only need two seasons of snow, ice and warm temperature combo to get major rust (and I suspect if this happens in 5 years warranty time, even Lexus will back out, as it is user's fault). This is made much worse with the salt exposure. So, unless right after a scrape, one treats the exposed area properly and coats the area with primer and paint, rust is waiting to happen. The annual rust protection application, I am told, takes care of those wearable and scrape-able parts, more so on the underbody, as it is not usually visible.
I have a thirteen year old car with me for the last thirteen years. And any paint chips on the body has been taken care of meticulously. Did not apply any rust protection. I am getting rusts on the inside of door joints, and the underbody that got scraped one time (or it may have been an inattentive mechanic in the car's earlier years, who knows), the car got its floor perforated from rust in a localized area, that I just noticed a few months ago. The remedy? Cut the metal, rivet a new metal underneath and another one from inside the car, and then apply rust protection. But the damage has been already done and this is just going to slow down for a bit. The car otherwise mechanically runs almost like new, without any exaggeration. I am almost certain no new invention or engineering has happened within these years to make vehicles completely rust proof.
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