Can't say my Ford's are fairing any better and I live in Kansas. Both has a little rust on the inside lip of the doors and won't talk about the under carriage. This year started apply oil underneath and may goes as far as applying it inside the door since I know rust starts inside out.
Not Happy with GM right now... (light rant)
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Was it ever in a accident?
Even a slight fender bender or parking lot dent (new door skin)will rust early.
If so did they use GM parts?
So many variables if you didnt own it from new.
Even a slight fender bender or parking lot dent (new door skin)will rust early.
If so did they use GM parts?
So many variables if you didnt own it from new.
The first owner probably got hit in the door and replaced it with a poorly primed/painted/rustproofed unit.
2001 Neon here... driven through salt every winter up in Ontario Canada.
I see some small bubbles on the rear driver side fender and a small spot on the outside bottom of the driver's door. Both of these started on the inside. Minimal rust under the doors.
Cost to fix? $1,500. Am I fixing it? No. The body is not going to fall apart before I'm ready get another vehicle. Fix those spots and likely others will crop up. Body work is just too expensive around here unless you have the skills and resources to do yourself or know someone who will cut you a deal. They all say they will cut the old metal out and weld in a new piece... I don't believe that unless I see them doing it myself.
I see some small bubbles on the rear driver side fender and a small spot on the outside bottom of the driver's door. Both of these started on the inside. Minimal rust under the doors.
Cost to fix? $1,500. Am I fixing it? No. The body is not going to fall apart before I'm ready get another vehicle. Fix those spots and likely others will crop up. Body work is just too expensive around here unless you have the skills and resources to do yourself or know someone who will cut you a deal. They all say they will cut the old metal out and weld in a new piece... I don't believe that unless I see them doing it myself.
Originally Posted By: hone eagle
Was it ever in a accident?
Even a slight fender bender or parking lot dent (new door skin)will rust early.
If so did they use GM parts?
So many variables if you didnt own it from new.
Yes. The front facia(sp?), hood and left headlight were replaced. The doors were never touched....
Was it ever in a accident?
Even a slight fender bender or parking lot dent (new door skin)will rust early.
If so did they use GM parts?
So many variables if you didnt own it from new.
Yes. The front facia(sp?), hood and left headlight were replaced. The doors were never touched....
Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
Can't say my Ford's are fairing any better and I live in Kansas. Both has a little rust on the inside lip of the doors and won't talk about the under carriage. This year started apply oil underneath and may goes as far as applying it inside the door since I know rust starts inside out.
True...I'm hoping mine can be sanded away. There's a decent amount, but light.....
Can't say my Ford's are fairing any better and I live in Kansas. Both has a little rust on the inside lip of the doors and won't talk about the under carriage. This year started apply oil underneath and may goes as far as applying it inside the door since I know rust starts inside out.
True...I'm hoping mine can be sanded away. There's a decent amount, but light.....
Ok even I wouldn't blame GM here... Every car manufacturer today has thinned out the metal they are using in the vehicle to save weight and anything this age is bound to have rust thanks to the salting of the roads, moisture and oxidation.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
Dave, I recall 2dr Cavi's suffering the same issue right around 3yrs/36mi where you don't see it as much on 4drs. Saw it happen on a few. Why 2drs over 4 I don't know. When it happened to my brother's Cavi in the early 1990's (1991-92) his selling dealership fixed it for free. My 2001 Ford Windstar had a horrible amount of bubbled paint/rust under both slider doors and the rear hatch when it was ~32mo old and had just over 37Kmi on it. Ford wouldn't fix it free of charge, but agreed to if I paid $250. It's a hit/miss thing based on your conditions and the quality of the paint & door skin crimp IMO.
Joel
Joel
ZERO rust on either of my vehicle's. you can see where i live too. a 3-4 year old car shouldn't have any rust on it, even in good ol' michigan.
Originally Posted By: JTK
Dave, I recall 2dr Cavi's suffering the same issue right around 3yrs/36mi where you don't see it as much on 4drs. Saw it happen on a few. Why 2drs over 4 I don't know. When it happened to my brother's Cavi in the early 1990's (1991-92) his selling dealership fixed it for free. My 2001 Ford Windstar had a horrible amount of bubbled paint/rust under both slider doors and the rear hatch when it was ~32mo old and had just over 37Kmi on it. Ford wouldn't fix it free of charge, but agreed to if I paid $250. It's a hit/miss thing based on your conditions and the quality of the paint & door skin crimp IMO.
Joel
I'm going to talk to the dealership tomorrow...I'm hoping they will do it...so we will see.
Dave, I recall 2dr Cavi's suffering the same issue right around 3yrs/36mi where you don't see it as much on 4drs. Saw it happen on a few. Why 2drs over 4 I don't know. When it happened to my brother's Cavi in the early 1990's (1991-92) his selling dealership fixed it for free. My 2001 Ford Windstar had a horrible amount of bubbled paint/rust under both slider doors and the rear hatch when it was ~32mo old and had just over 37Kmi on it. Ford wouldn't fix it free of charge, but agreed to if I paid $250. It's a hit/miss thing based on your conditions and the quality of the paint & door skin crimp IMO.
Joel
I'm going to talk to the dealership tomorrow...I'm hoping they will do it...so we will see.
Oh and nope it didn't get any special treatment. Never undercoated. Just kept in the garage like most cars. Though to be on the safe side, I did undercoat it today with Amsoil Metal Protector. (That stuff goes a LONG way)
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I dunno, we still have my 01 Impala in the family(brother is driving it). There is ZERO rust on the car after what, 8/9 years. NJ in the winter can be very salt intensive but zero rust the last time I gave a once over on the vehicle during a 100k tuneup.
All cars can be subjected to rust, it's not really the manufacturer but luck. Seals on the door that keep water out may go, other issues can occur like leaving windows down etc. It's a shot in the dark with any car.
All cars can be subjected to rust, it's not really the manufacturer but luck. Seals on the door that keep water out may go, other issues can occur like leaving windows down etc. It's a shot in the dark with any car.
Of course this isn't a GM problem.
GM built your car to a rather low actual retail price.
If you pay a little more, you get a little more.
My '97 Accord?
No bubbles.
My '99 Accord?
No bubbles.
My '97 Aerostar?
Some rust in the sills. The doors and all else are fine.
Now, our climate in this part of Ohio is not nearly as severe as any part of MI. When I go back to Rocky River to visit my mother, I notice that "North Coast" cars typically have more rust than you see around here.
Still, if I were you, I would be a little irritated, particularly since what you are describing is rust-through, not surface rust, and your car is almost new.
GM built your car to a rather low actual retail price.
If you pay a little more, you get a little more.
My '97 Accord?
No bubbles.
My '99 Accord?
No bubbles.
My '97 Aerostar?
Some rust in the sills. The doors and all else are fine.
Now, our climate in this part of Ohio is not nearly as severe as any part of MI. When I go back to Rocky River to visit my mother, I notice that "North Coast" cars typically have more rust than you see around here.
Still, if I were you, I would be a little irritated, particularly since what you are describing is rust-through, not surface rust, and your car is almost new.
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
*sigh*
I can't believe it that it happened already.....
Today, I took my my 2006 Cobalt to the car wash. As I dried underneath the doors, I noticed something that surprised me: I decent amount of rust bubbling underneath the driver's side door. (2dr car) What the heck?
I'm just so disappointed right now.
I know how you feel...rust through on a 4 year old car...no excuse. GM knows about road salt. But don't worry the GM moonies on here will tell you it's "your fault" or you live "in the wrong area" or any number of silly excuses. Just hope the dealer doesn't say the same thing. Does tha car have a rust through warranty? Look in your owners manual.
*sigh*
I can't believe it that it happened already.....
Today, I took my my 2006 Cobalt to the car wash. As I dried underneath the doors, I noticed something that surprised me: I decent amount of rust bubbling underneath the driver's side door. (2dr car) What the heck?
I'm just so disappointed right now.
I know how you feel...rust through on a 4 year old car...no excuse. GM knows about road salt. But don't worry the GM moonies on here will tell you it's "your fault" or you live "in the wrong area" or any number of silly excuses. Just hope the dealer doesn't say the same thing. Does tha car have a rust through warranty? Look in your owners manual.
Originally Posted By: PT1
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
*sigh*
I can't believe it that it happened already.....
Today, I took my my 2006 Cobalt to the car wash. As I dried underneath the doors, I noticed something that surprised me: I decent amount of rust bubbling underneath the driver's side door. (2dr car) What the heck?
I'm just so disappointed right now.
I know how you feel...rust through on a 4 year old car...no excuse. GM knows about road salt. But don't worry the GM moonies on here will tell you it's "your fault" or you live "in the wrong area" or any number of silly excuses. Just hope the dealer doesn't say the same thing. Does tha car have a rust through warranty? Look in your owners manual.
There is a rust thru warranty. But I must add that this was purchased as a used car so we do not know the history (if any) of damage to that area. Also - steel is steel and if you break the paint - you will get rust. This is true on a car as well as a fence post.
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
*sigh*
I can't believe it that it happened already.....
Today, I took my my 2006 Cobalt to the car wash. As I dried underneath the doors, I noticed something that surprised me: I decent amount of rust bubbling underneath the driver's side door. (2dr car) What the heck?
I'm just so disappointed right now.
I know how you feel...rust through on a 4 year old car...no excuse. GM knows about road salt. But don't worry the GM moonies on here will tell you it's "your fault" or you live "in the wrong area" or any number of silly excuses. Just hope the dealer doesn't say the same thing. Does tha car have a rust through warranty? Look in your owners manual.
There is a rust thru warranty. But I must add that this was purchased as a used car so we do not know the history (if any) of damage to that area. Also - steel is steel and if you break the paint - you will get rust. This is true on a car as well as a fence post.
It's funny I have a ton of stone chips on my hood near the head lights, above the windshield on the roof just as it bends upwards a few on the doors and one on the trunk hatch.
I'm also on my second windshield. All because of stones in our "Rural" area... Anyways...
Once a year, in the summer I touch up and stone chips with a Dupli-colour paint pen and it's amazing that even though the chip is there and the paint/clear-coat is gone from that area the metal that I'm touching up with the pen looks like brand new and doesn't rust.
I'm not sure if it is coated, galvanized or because I have rust-proofed the car every year. Nevertheless I'm happy it stays like that until I can touch it up.
I'm also on my second windshield. All because of stones in our "Rural" area... Anyways...
Once a year, in the summer I touch up and stone chips with a Dupli-colour paint pen and it's amazing that even though the chip is there and the paint/clear-coat is gone from that area the metal that I'm touching up with the pen looks like brand new and doesn't rust.
I'm not sure if it is coated, galvanized or because I have rust-proofed the car every year. Nevertheless I'm happy it stays like that until I can touch it up.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted By: StevieC
It's funny I have a ton of stone chips on my hood near the head lights, above the windshield on the roof just as it bends upwards a few on the doors and one on the trunk hatch.
I'm also on my second windshield. All because of stones in our "Rural" area... Anyways...
Once a year, in the summer I touch up and stone chips with a Dupli-colour paint pen and it's amazing that even though the chip is there and the paint/clear-coat is gone from that area the metal that I'm touching up with the pen looks like brand new and doesn't rust.
I'm not sure if it is coated, galvanized or because I have rust-proofed the car every year. Nevertheless I'm happy it stays like that until I can touch it up.
Probably galvanized. Though I'm sure the liberal doses of Krown it sees helps
My Lincoln has a spot on the corner of one of the back doors where it hit a rock or tree or something; it was opened into a stationary object and was cleared of paint. There has been some light surface rust on it for the last decade. That's it. I chalk it up to the body metal being thicker than armour plating and the fact that the car is sprayed regularly.
It's funny I have a ton of stone chips on my hood near the head lights, above the windshield on the roof just as it bends upwards a few on the doors and one on the trunk hatch.
I'm also on my second windshield. All because of stones in our "Rural" area... Anyways...
Once a year, in the summer I touch up and stone chips with a Dupli-colour paint pen and it's amazing that even though the chip is there and the paint/clear-coat is gone from that area the metal that I'm touching up with the pen looks like brand new and doesn't rust.
I'm not sure if it is coated, galvanized or because I have rust-proofed the car every year. Nevertheless I'm happy it stays like that until I can touch it up.
Probably galvanized. Though I'm sure the liberal doses of Krown it sees helps
My Lincoln has a spot on the corner of one of the back doors where it hit a rock or tree or something; it was opened into a stationary object and was cleared of paint. There has been some light surface rust on it for the last decade. That's it. I chalk it up to the body metal being thicker than armour plating and the fact that the car is sprayed regularly.
Originally Posted By: StevieC
It's funny I have a ton of stone chips on my hood near the head lights, above the windshield on the roof just as it bends upwards a few on the doors and one on the trunk hatch.
I'm also on my second windshield. All because of stones in our "Rural" area... Anyways...
Once a year, in the summer I touch up and stone chips with a Dupli-colour paint pen and it's amazing that even though the chip is there and the paint/clear-coat is gone from that area the metal that I'm touching up with the pen looks like brand new and doesn't rust.
I'm not sure if it is coated, galvanized or because I have rust-proofed the car every year. Nevertheless I'm happy it stays like that until I can touch it up.
Ah Ha! With all those stone chips and two windshields it's confirmed....you ARE a tailgater. I knew it......
It's funny I have a ton of stone chips on my hood near the head lights, above the windshield on the roof just as it bends upwards a few on the doors and one on the trunk hatch.
I'm also on my second windshield. All because of stones in our "Rural" area... Anyways...
Once a year, in the summer I touch up and stone chips with a Dupli-colour paint pen and it's amazing that even though the chip is there and the paint/clear-coat is gone from that area the metal that I'm touching up with the pen looks like brand new and doesn't rust.
I'm not sure if it is coated, galvanized or because I have rust-proofed the car every year. Nevertheless I'm happy it stays like that until I can touch it up.
Ah Ha! With all those stone chips and two windshields it's confirmed....you ARE a tailgater. I knew it......
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