I just hate all these surface rust areas that I keep finding on my new truck. Like the drive shaft and even some small spots on the 6.0 block.

 

The drive shaft is bare metal. What would you expect? The block is iron, iron rusts.

I sympathize, I hate rust too. Nothing is more beautiful than showroom new, but once you've driven it, all bets are off.

 

Yeah, you're going to get a lot of rust on any undercarriage parts that aren't painted or coated - heck, a lot of trucks on the lot have rust on them.

What bugs me is that the chrome front bumper on my '04 is already rusting - it seems odd to have a chrome bumper rusting on a 8-month-old truck, when you see older vehicles running around with rust-free bumpers after 10+ years. Maybe Michigan is putting acid on the roads instead of salt....

LK

 

I will tell you what I expect. That a $45,000 dollar vehicle not have any surface rust, anywhere.

 

I know what you mean. Ialready have rust through on the door panels and I am fighting with ford to resolve the problem.
Looks like the last blue Oval I'll ever buy. 1989 all over again

 

Well instead of complaining about it, go buy some cans of black spray paint. Spend the weekend under there doing a good neat job and spray all the non-painted areas gloss black. It also helps if you powerwash the entire undercarriage once a month.

 

Should I do this to my new F250 do you think? Will it prevent anything from wearing out faster? I just bought it monday...

 

I have the same thing on my 2004 rusty Oval.
Yeah, Maybe Ford should just sell us a box of rusty parts for 45k and we can build it on our own time.
For 45k I would expect no corrosion anywhere. Once rust starts there is no stopping it.
The drive shaft on my Bronco rusted through because of this and snapped. It destroyed the undercarriage.

 

There was a post on this a while back.....STOP WHINING and go look under ANY car and you will find rust underneath.

 

Greg250 -

Nice of you to be so sympathetic to a fellow Ford owner. Also nice to know that you're so familiar with rust on "ANY" car (not true in the desert, but you're the expert). Maybe Saxon was looking for help/suggestions - not "WHINING".

Steve

 

OK....then, cars that are not living in the desert have rust under them. Feel better?. My point is that if you pay $6000 for a new car or $45,000 for a new car...any part that is not painted under the vehicle will rust. Just because you pay more money for it does not mean it won't rust. This is common sense. I paid
35k for my truck and I wish that surface rust on my driveshaft was the only thing I can complain about.

 

Greg250 -

Yes, I do feel better - thank you! As for your '02 F-250 complaints, aren't they still covered under warranty?

Steve

 

They should be but........I won't get into that one..lol

 

Sorry to hear that - I wouldn't be too happy if I had issues with my '04 Explorer that I couldn't get resolved (traded in an '02 that had a "normal" tranny clunk).

Steve

 

You guys should get some rust bullet. I did my 99 and bye bye rust forever. Even the driveshaft...