rust on 2003!!!
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rust on 2003!!!
Father just took delivery of his 2003 f-350 superduty extended cab with the new 6.0. I got under the truck to put nerf bars on and noticed huge amounts of rust. The frame all of the shocks and even the underside of the cab and bed, exhaust, and almost anthing under the truck has rust in one spot or another with paint peeling off. Brought back to dealer and he said not the first one that he has seen and ford has come back and said nothing is going to be covered as it does nto affect the performance of the truck with the other 4 or 5 vehicles he has seen come back. Has anyone else heard anything about this or experienced it? parked next to nother 2003 our truck underneath looked as though it was 4 years older with the rust. With a sticker of over $42 K you would expect more I would think anybody have any suggestions. I told him to push for a replacement truck and ask for a buyback as everyone knows rust in the northeast is a killer and to have this much this early is a killer. Have some pics that are a bit scary if you ask me took dig pics to document.
Shane
Shane
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From: S.W. Oregon
I would not be satisfied with a brand new truck with rust as you describe. Of course issues with paint or rust don't really affect performance, but what relevance does that have? I would expect a brand new truck should be covered for something like this.
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From: Bass Lake, CA
are we really talking about serious rust, or just some surface rust?
i understand that even surface rust can become more severe.....but if it is the amount i am picturing in my head....
anyway, not trying to flame or anything, but i work for a dealer, and i had seen many chevy trucks come to the bodyshop with light surface rust on a driveshaft, or a spot or two on the exhaust...it is absurd in most cases, and we send em down the road.
once the cosmoline gets knocked off the frame and axles, they will be rust-brown colored untill you paint them.
it does not matter how much you pay for a car, it will have some spots of rust here and there.....fwiw, i just had a porsche cayenne turbo in the shop today, $114,000 STICKER....guess what?
i understand that even surface rust can become more severe.....but if it is the amount i am picturing in my head....
anyway, not trying to flame or anything, but i work for a dealer, and i had seen many chevy trucks come to the bodyshop with light surface rust on a driveshaft, or a spot or two on the exhaust...it is absurd in most cases, and we send em down the road.
once the cosmoline gets knocked off the frame and axles, they will be rust-brown colored untill you paint them.
it does not matter how much you pay for a car, it will have some spots of rust here and there.....fwiw, i just had a porsche cayenne turbo in the shop today, $114,000 STICKER....guess what?
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believe me I am not one to raise a question about minimal surface rust on the driveshaft or the axles but i have several clear pics I took of the rust if anyone would like to see...... Not a first time truck owner. just posted to see if anyone else was having the same problems. I have a 99 silverado that looks better underneath than this thing does. There are also some spots of actual pitting underneath on the body that has me concerned.
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From: Tallahassee, Florida
Without seeing the underside of the truck, I can offer a possibility. When the trucks are transported via railway they may collect rail dust on the underside. Ford uses great lengths to protect the show part of their vehicles during transport by using the plastic cling on hoods, roofs, or any area rail dust may settle during transport. They just do not shield the underside, just a possibility. The rail dust looks just like rust and if it gets wet it spots, after drying, looking like rust. 
Last edited by f-250zilla; Nov 7, 2003 at 06:52 PM.
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I too heard the railway dust story but I am way beyond railway dust here actually have paint hanging off and coming off in chips. Large flakes are coming off the axles etc etc. Even the rancho shocks are heavily coroded. Not sure why but when parked next to another 03 the other had no rust underneath. Dealer said he was specifically seeing it on superduty trucks with the offroad package.
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I don't have FX4, or ORP whatever it's called this week. I too have/had paint hanging off my axles. Parts of my wheel hubs were rusted when I took the truck. Just to clairify, it was a new truck, not pre-owned or used in any way. I really just thought it was something that must be normal because there was so much of it.
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From: Long Island
Just to clarify things....Are we talking about rust on the driveshafts and axles...which is normal or rust under the cab and/or bed which is not normal.
2002 Black F-250 XLT Supercab 4x4 auto 5.4...the little engine that couldn't
2002 Black F-250 XLT Supercab 4x4 auto 5.4...the little engine that couldn't
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How is rust normal on a truck with 0 miles on it, axles, hubs, under cab, bed or whatever. Paint falling off parts and showing rust may be normal in some circumstances but for a truck with a build date 3 weeks before you get it?
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Bare metal like driveshafts and hubs will rust no matter when it was built. Heck it will happen overnight. Axles are painted from the vendor they came from granted not very good. This will not hurt anything but your eyes. Unless you live a low humidity state...they will rust. It's a fact of life. Rust under the cab or bed....now that is not right.
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But the hubs and axles are painted black. My point is, 3 weeks isn't long for rust to eat away paint. Vendor painted or not, would you be happy buying an 3 week old already rusting truck? I fully expected to see some rust in short order. Like I said, it didn't bother me all that much or I would have said something at delivery. However, I didn't give it much more thought until this subject was posted. I'm not saying anything, other than, it does seem that the rust hit a little quick. (ie) pre-delivery.
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Mine had axle rust on it the day I bought it. Yeah it looked like crap but it was not surprising. They paint these things to look good for a while and thats it. The axles are built long before the truck is and they do sit around for quite some time. Lots of variables here. If you don't have a good paint job no matter what is painted....It will rust. I have never heard of a axle rusting out and failing. I agree with you on the rust issue. We pay a lot of money for these trucks and expect a lot in return. But we don't live in a perfect world. It would be nice to have everything under the truck epoxy coated but Ford and anyone else will never do it. Rust on sheet metal above or below, thats a different story. Just remember that these trucks are built by humans, and to Ford it is about the allmighty dollar. BTW, I'm not trying to say that any of this is right but we are fighting a uphill battle on this one.
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Also, as far as axles go I would imagine they could have already have surface rust on them before they are painted. Assuming they mill X amount of axle housings and then paint them at a later date, if they accumulate surface rust between milling and painting im sure they would just paint right over the rust as someone else said, they are only painted for short term eye appeal. The average auto buyer does not inspect underneath before purchase.
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yeah the rust on driveshaft and axles doesn't concern me it is the body and frame rust. Granted frames do get rust etc etc but mine looks as though the damn thing has cancer. The body right above these bad spots is where the rust is forming which makes me think twice about what I am saying. Obviously outside vendors such as dana supply the axles and I amnot expecting them to hold there paint for the life of the truck they simply paint essentially to make them look good on the lot for the sale.