Any thoughts on rust proofing a new FEH? Just finished a terrible winter with tons of salt on the roads, luckily delivery was after the latest 12" storm. I don't see much push from after market undercoating any more. Is it worth it "up north"?

Thanks

 

Rustproofing is more than undercoating. Rustproofing involves drilling small holes into the doors, rocker panels and other areas to get at where problems start. It involves spraying a chemical (there is a smell for several days afterwards) on the vehicle to prevent this rusting process. The question on is it worth it also depends upon how long you keep your vehicle. I have read of individuals who have taken their Ford to the Rustproofer on an annual basis and six years later at trade in, they recouped their investiment. Go read the Ziebart information for starters. Do a google search for more details than I can provide at this moment. Think about all the bridges one passes under and how often have we seen rust on the metal frame if it was not coated/protected on a regular basis.

 

In general, no one is pushing rustproofing anymore because it is not needed. If you carefully read the rustproofing warranties, they only cover rusting from the inside out and often require periodic re-treatment. Cars today, if they do rust, rust from the outside in because of paint chips on the lower body. Today cars have steel that has various corrosion preventive treatments, protective clear coats and flexible waxes on the undercarriage, etc. As I understand it, aftermarket rustproofing is harmless at it's best and, if not properly applied, can cause moisture trapping against the steel and cause rust.

As far as greater trade-in value, that would depend on finding someone who thought rustproofing was valuable. Six years? I live in snow country and most of my cars only show pin points of rust after 8 or 10 years in spots where I didn't take care of the rock chips or dings.

 

Put your rustproofing money in the same money market account as you put your extended warranty money. Better yet, put it in a Roth IRA so you don't need to pay tax on the earnings.

 

A little searching came up with this recommendation:
http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/amh.aspx
Looks very interesting

 

You are being mislead. Vehicles no longer come fully factory undercoated and there's a good reason for it. Only about 15 States in the US actually use SALT on their roads in the winter. (Mainly Northeast & East Coast States). Once upon a time, EVERY vehicle from Factory was coated...and you paid for it to. It was listed right on the Monroney Sticker! Customer living in the other 35 States in the US were literally being FORCED to pay for something they did NOT need. After a lot of media attention and the involvement of the Government, Factories stopped applying this to ALL vehicles.

If you live in the following states:

Virginia
California
Iowa
Minnesota
West Virginia
Illinois
New Jersey
Maryland
Maine
Delaware
Indiana
Ohio
Wisconsin
Michigan
New Hampshire
New York
Vermont
Massachusetts

You SHOULD get undercoating. Most dealerships in these states offer it and it's not very expensive. (Couple hundred dollars).

By the way, I have been a toyota mechanic for 18 years and I can tell you that the Corrosion Perforation Warranty does not cover undercarriage corrosion. It only covers Side Panel Body Rust that is large enough to poke a pen through!

I hope this helps!!!!

 

Assess the manufacturer rust proofing as you will. They have a real incentive to provide rustproofing that will get the car to about 100,000 miles. If you intend to keep it longer then I believe an additional treatment is worth it.

My '92 Suburban had Ziebart applied before delivery and another "Tropical Treatment" by Ziebart before I shipped it out to Guam for a two year tour of duty. It is still going strong with little rust after 17 years.

This is my best example. I believe that if you plan on keeping the car for the long haul then it is probably worth it and you should do it at delivery.

 

Totally agree Bill! Good for the Long Term!

Warranties can definitely be a bit ambiguous as they have a Corrosion Perforation Warranty but on the very next page under "What is Not Covered" they clearly state that salt damage is NOT covered under warranty so all the dealership and Manufacturer has to do is say "Sorry Mr. Customer, this corrosion was caused by road salt which is NOT covered under your warranty" and that's all she wrote - Onus would then be on the poor consumer!

 

Hello,

I purchased a 2009 FEH, Cleveland, OH. Took delivery in Dec. 2008, had it undercoated immediately, and stored it until now. I typically keep my cars 10+ yrs., 150K miles. Given my location and the length of service, I have to do this. Otherwise, fluid lines, gas tanks, etc. rust out--been there, done that. My winter car is a 1999 Ford Contour with 175K miles. Good luck!