I have the same rust problem on my 2000 expedition. I thought I was just lucky till I found this thread. Pretty pathetic of Ford if everyone is having this problem and they don't acknowledge it. Mine has been garage kept since I bought it and it's always kept clean. Got rid of my old 85 K-Blaser because I couldn't keep up with the rust only to continue the saga with a 35k vehicle

 

Same here, just noticed it yesterday on my 2000EB. I'm a little p*ssed, needless to say. I'm going to do my best to clean it up tomorrow since I bought the truck "pre-owned" and therefore have no recourse, but I wish you guys the best in getting it straightened out. I've just gotta say, though... doesn't anybody take any freakin' pride in their work anymore?

 

I have a 2000 Expy XLT Sport. I just pulled the plastic thingies (rust hiders) off the bottoms of my door sills and found rust starting on three doors. Only the passenger side front door isn't showing any.

I am FUMING MAD. I owned a 1989 Chevy K-5 that turned into a pile of dirt sitting around a perfectly good engine and trany. I bought this Expy in hopes that American engineers figured out how to keep a vehicle from rusting until at least five years after purchase. I guess not.

Seeing how I live in that whole big part of the country that exists where it snows and I insist on using my truck outdoors (as opposed to the living room) even when it rains and snows (shame), I guess Ford says this is not their problem. I should have known that a $35K truck should only be used indoors in good weather. Oh, well. It's back to the never-ending battle to keep a truck from turning into fertilizer... or maybe I'll just be done with it and buy one of those ugly Honda trucks. I never see Hondas with rust. I guess American engineers STILL can't learn how to properly prepare metal.

 

I tried the local dealerships and they want to drain my wallet dry to work on the rust. I've decided I might be able to do it myself. Now, I need to know where to start.

Does anybody know how to get a hold of the TSB for this repair. Mostly, I need to find out how to open up those seams and work on the inside rust. I think I have a backup plan that doesn't involve opening the seam, but I'd much rather get in there and do it right. If I lick this problem right and soon, before the rust gets really bad, I have a chance. I just can't stomach the thought of having to sweep rust chunks off the driveway every afternoon again.

It's a shame. This truck is great otherwise.

 

I just bought a 1998 EB Expedition that has this rust on the drivers side rear door seam, my buddy owns an auto body shop, its not a hard fix, he cleaned all the rust off the seam and used a small brush to apply POR-15, this stuff is bullet proof, it is a permaneant fix to rust, it is so hard its almost impossible to sand it down, I know this really pisses a lot of people off dealing with rust but it can be fixed, do a search for POR-15.

 

All of my doors have rust on them. The drivers door is the worst.
A 4" spot of the fold over is rusted away. I am going to spend a weekend fixing all the doors before winter hits.

My plan is to wire wheel all the rust off each door. Then I am going to remove the inner door panels and clean up the inside.

I am going to run a bead of por 15 putty in the inside of the door, then paint over a larger area with regular por 15.
http://www.por15.com/product.asp?productid=8

I will treat the outside area with por 15 paint, and patch the rotted area with epoxy putty.

Hopefully after that, I wont have to worry about door rust.



I noticed that my tailgate seam is pretty clean, so Im going to head over to Ziebart to have them rust proof it before its too late.

 

I have had the same issues fixed on my 02 Navi at the dealer under warranty. I would try this 1st unless you are not in a warranty period. These trucks rust so fast now. I'm planning to dump it in a couple of years as it just won't last in the long run. Not good for a 50k vehicle.

 

I posted on this thread back in June, I believe. Back then I said i had fic=xed the problem myself, but i gusess my fix was not permanent, but only good for two years. However, i do have a version of the Ford ? document I rferenced earlier. Here ii is. Hope it helps.

Article No. 01-9-8a Body Corrosion at bottom of door or tailgate at hem flange - repair procedures.

Publication Date: Mat 7, 2001 Ford:1997-2001 F-150 F250 LD

Issue:
Some vehicles may exhibit corrosion at the hem flange at the bottom of any door/tailgate where the outer panel is folded over the inner panel. This may be caused by the adhesive absorbing water duriing the production process.

Action:
Repair corrosion at hem using new design special hem flange tools and procedures. Refer to the following SERVICE PROCEDURE for details.

Procedure A: Corrosion/Bubbling At the Door Bottom Hem Flange

Procedure B: Corrosion/Bubbling At the Tailgate Hem Flange

There follows a 19 step procedure which is too long to re-type. However, here are a few useful, but abbreviated, details:

- Use tool 501-078/1(RT) or tool 501-078/2(LT) in an air impact gun to open the flange
- Grind out/ wire wheel out rust, blow out with air
- Apply Corrosion Converter (SEM 69508) as directed
- Sand/smooth where paint was disturbed. Wipe with wax and grease remover
- Mix and brush on Ford approved epoxy or self etching primer as per directions
-Apply Motorcraft CTA-1 adhesive
-Use tool 501-080 to close down the flange
-Apply Motorcraft CTA-2 urethane Seam Sealer around the door hem and repaint
-Spray Superseal (CTA-8) rust preventative into the inside of the door at the hem location.

The note also states: WARRANT STATUS: Eligible under Basic Warrant Coverage


Essentially, you have to remove ALL of the old defective sealant! I did pretty much the above, two years ago, but used POR 15 products. Now two years later, I do have a little comming back. I guess I did not remove all the old sealer. Just had the whole truck oiled (Rust Check) so I hope this will stop it.

 

Yep, I got it on the inside lip of all four doors of my 1999 Expedition.... this shouldn't happen on vehicles this expensive.

Ground Zero

 

I park my beast in a very flat indoor garage. I have the rusty lower inside doors problem. I do use the high pressure wash..but not often.

 

I purchased a 1999 Eddie Bauer Expedition with 94,000 mi. in 2003. I noticed the seams starting to rust a couple of months later. I tried the paint/body warranty tactic, but was denied due to rust not perforating. Was informed of the TSB for rusting seams on doors. TSB states all trucks within the 5 year paint/body warranty should be repaired.
Dealer denied repair using excuses such as "Ford is tightening their pursestrings, and it is difficult to get them to pay", or "Even though it is less than five years old and is still under paint/body warranty, the trucks mileage is excessive and we shouldn't have to repair it".
My question: If a truck is parked in a salt bed and has only 20,000 miles, it would be repaired under the TSB?
Their answer: Yes.
Long story short: Three months and an innumberable amount of phone calls later the doors were repaired at no cost to me. Don't be afraid to be persistent.

 

How specifically did they repair it. My 2003 is at the body shop as we speak for the same repair. It is has only 48000 miles but has rust in all 4 doors and the tailgate. I should get it back on Friday so we will see then how good a job they did. Mine is being done as a supposed courtesy as the warranty does not cover it

 

A time-honored way to prevent door seam rust (for the mechanically inclined) is to mix 90wt gear oil with a small amount of gasoline, and spray/pour it in the doors (after removing the door panels for access). Then shut the door on newspapers (to catch the drips) and let it sit overnight. The gasoline will help the 90wt oil creep into remote areas and then evaporate. Wipe off the excess with a rag.

Long before cars were rustproofed (think '72 Ford wagons, VW Beetles, etc.) I did this in Michigan, and the doors/door seams held up great.

Is it fancy? No. Is it messy - yes. Can the dealer do it - no. Does it solve/stop the problem - yes. To this day, I do it on all tailgates and on my collector trucks.

Steve

 

ultimatenavi:
They performed the procedure as stated in the TSB. The TSB is posted in a previous reply by EagleDakota. I have a printed copy for record-keeping. The fix worked well-I recently sold the vehicle and there was no visual sign of corrosion on any of the doors. BEWARE OF QUICK FIXES! I know of someone who tried to get the rust on a 2000 F-250 repaired. They were going to sand blast the rust, treat and paint the area, and apply a sealant/caulk over the door seam. This does not solve the root problem of faulty adhesive, it only hides the rust temporarily.
The correct repair costs appx. $1500 to perform. The temporary fix would cost a dealer less than $500. If the dealer is doing the work out of "courtesy", it is doubtful they would spend the money to do the work outlined in the TSB.

 

Finally got my Navigator back after repair of thr 4 doors and tailgate. Job looks good just like an OEM finish but obviouslt time will tell whether the repair holds up. I think I will add some oil or other rustproofer to the inside of the doors