I bought my new 2001, F-150, 4.2, 2wd - set up as a work truck, at the end of 2000. It now has 130,000+ miles.
It has massive rust that looks like the underside might have been sprayed with acid instead of rust-proofing. I've already had to have the radiator frame replaced ($1000 job). The exhaust manifolds look like they are about to fall off. The exhaust system hangers have rusted off. All frame and brake parts and tubing underneath are rusted. Even the tailgate mounts are rusting.
Has anybody seen this massive of a rust problem before?
Now the truck has developed a coolant leak that I think is through the intake manifold gasket. If I had the money I would be looking for another truck - but that's not an option right now.

 

where you located, and post pics i would love to see pictures of that.

they must salt your roads.

 

The truck has been mostly in Missouri - with trips to Michigan several times a year. I don't think it's from road salt. About a year after I got the truck and then several years after - I would regularly (once a month) go through those brushless carwashes with bottom blaster. I was wondering if that could have something to do with it.
I would post pictures but am not sure how to go about doing that.

 

its road salt. michigan is the worst, i think onlyone comes clost is newyork.. when i was in ohio it only took 2 years to rust a hole in my truck

the bottom blasters if they are halfazzed like usual they will keep the salt wet.. and thats what really keeps the corrosion in action.

 

Take a close look at those gas tank straps if it's that rusty! And your brake lines! Just trying to keep you safe! I live in Ohio, and I had my tank hanging by a half of one tank strap.

My 2001 isnt bad, But when I look underneath real close it seems that parts on the drivers side are rustier than the passenger side(discs, disc backing plates, brake lines, tank straps, etc)

My 2004 Taurus is the same way(disc, drum and brake lines on the drivers side)

Some say it's that Beet juice/salt combination DOT has starting using to cling to the roads longer. Well guess where else it clings to really good!

 

manifold gasket photo

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...d-on-5-4l.html

 

Once salt gets on sheet metal, it continues to eat the metal. It does not become a part of the rust and used up. It just accelerates rust formation.

Washing with water is not going to remove salt completely, because some salt stays in the rust. Driving to Michigan several times a year is probably half as bad as living in Michigan.

Respect (?) road salt.

EDIT: If it's not too late, brush off the rust and apply cold galvanizing paint.

 

Cold galvanizing compound. If rust tru POR15 seems to work to some degree but propets at hotrodders.com say that is epoxy primer so good at rust like POR. Just stupid question - do you folks just watch yours trucks get rusty through years and do nothing about it. I'm an imigrant but I spot that we can buy paint in this country.
That brushing bussines is confusing. Folks give up becose they think that need remove all rust to bare metal and it would be one month job for bottom of ours trucks. What I do wash truck undernit, brush lose rust, sweep and paint with 2 cans of Rustoleum CGC. 5 hours of work, 10$, once per year.

 

Try photo again
<a href="http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh23/bbsitum/private/?action=view&amp;current=Picture007.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh23/bbsitum/private/Picture007.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

Sorry one more note. This truck in photo drive in Minnesota for 11 years. I both it from city of Mpls before 3 years. Not only it drive in salt, city of Mpls drove salt in this truck and throw around.

 

In hind sight - I wish I would have done that. This was the first new vehicle (other than motorcycles) that I bought. I guess I put too much faith in the manufacturer. I have been following the required maintenance guide but I don't think they suggested rust prevention on the underside or parts like exhaust manifolds. They should.
Thanks for your input everybody!

 

My Acura Legend 90 is hot-dip galvanized (far stronger against rust then cold galvanizing compund) underside and then ruberized to from manufacturer so no any rust after 20 years driving in mn. I think all cars and trucks from 2005 and up are hot dip galvanized. Audi pride itself that their cars are completly hot diped, every last one screw. I would not buy new car today if not is completly hot diped. However we that don't have that luck (my ford pickup) we have to use sprais.
I think solution for you is to use any one of rust encapsulators like POR15 or Rust bullet or Eastwood Rust Encapsulator. It is tough to paint with thise uretane based paints bat not another choise for you.

 

I see where this post is about one year old, but I had to reply. My 2001 F-150 4x4 4.6 only has 58K original documented miles, and the undercarriage is disintegrating, literally. I live in Maryland, not in the rust-belt states, so road salt exposure is not frequent. I've had to replace all four rotors, calipers and all brake lines, exhaust system twice. In fact, I had just returned home from towing a trailer, and while backing into the driveway the brake pedal went to the floor, caused by a brake line rusted through. Fortunately I was going slow and was able to stop with the parking brake. Speaking of the parking brake, it just rusted in half, again fortunate where it happened on the street where I live. I see posts where people say if the truck is ten years old it will rust... well, I've been driving for over 40 years, drove trucks that were 30 years old and didn't have rust like this one does. I truly feel this is a safety hazard, and the gas tank strap recall is just the beginning. I don't know where the steel came from during the early 2000's but it had to be lowest-bidder Mongolia. Save all of your receipts, and hope the truck doesn't break in two on the interstate!

 

As another perspective, Toyota bought back a generation of Tacomas four or five years ago when they developed severe frame rust. I had a 1998 Tacoma and "was forced" to sell it back to Toyota for 1.5 times the Blue Book value. Mine had a perfect engine and drive train, just rust on the frame.They bought back all the 1995-2000 trucks that couldn't pass the screwdriver test - poking a screwdriver through the frame. I read it involved up to 750,000 trucks. I remember driving by dealers in the WV/PA area that had rows and rows of those "bought back" trucks ready to be shipped to be crushed, many with great engines etc. Now you rarely see a Tacoma of this vintage, at least around this area. Later I read there was a recall of the 2000-2004 models. If there was no rust, Toyota automatically extended the warranty to 15 years with unlimited mileage. If there was rust, the frames were replaced at no cost to the consumer.

It's probably impossible, but it would be interesting to know what percentage of f150s have this severe rust problem. I could see that if Ford did something with the f150s like Toyota did with Tacomas, it could have a devastating impact on the company, so I would not expect it to happen. But the 2000 f150 that I bought last spring also has severe rust on the frame and cab/bed, worse than I thought after looking at it before buying. The brake lines have had to be replaced twice at 160,000 miles, and this area alone easily could be a major safety issue and could justify a recall. It seems like a shame because the drivetrain and interior are in such good shape. I have a Volvo car that is two years older, exposed to the same conditions, and it has very little of this problem. I've owned many Fords and like the company, and the f150, but this is a disappointment, both in terms of the actual problem and the company's response to it.

 

I live in michigan and I have a rust free 03 screw fx4 even the rockers are rust free! The truck is originally from florida. I drove there to get it. First thing I did when I got it home is I took it to a local body shop and had the rockers undercoated. I por15 the bottoms of each door. And everytime it snows or they put salt on the roads I spray it off top to bottom soon as the roads are dry. I wash the hell out of it and its paid off! I get asked all the time how its so free of rust.