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New car rusting already

2003

Hi, my question is this: How long does the underbody of an new automobile take to rust if the paint is cracked in a small contained area? The reason I ask is I just bought a new car 1 month ago and last weekend while detailing it I notice a small paint crack near the front driver side fender well, and the body has already rusted. I took it to my dealer to ask them to repair it and the declined because they said that I could have hit something to cause the paint to peel and crack (mind you the car had 440 miles on it when I purchased it and I have only had it for one month). So is it possible for this to have happened in the month that I have owned it or is this an old problem that I just discovered?

Thanks,

John Pennington
mobile laser provider - South Charleston, West Virginia, USA

I admit that I don't understand your photo. If I were a worrier I'd be more worried about what looks like a broken spot weld just below area 3, caused by the impact--but it may be nothing of the sort, just a misreading of the photo.

The fact is, depending on how deep the scratch, and the severity of the environment exactly in the rusted area, it could rust in a couple of days or it could take months. You are not going to prove anything short of retaining a metallurgical expert at somewhere between the cost of several car payments and the cost of the car, and maybe not even then.

If I am not misunderstanding the photo, I'd say it was normal wear and tear for 440 miles of demo driving anyway, put a dab of paint on it, and forget it.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003