Undercoating / rustproofing Mavericks. RU?

[Finnster]

That is more the Kia Soul than the rust proofing. I have a 19 and I fluid film every fall did that the first year and after looking at it good haven't done it since. Every single seam on the metal is filled with filler before it is painted. There's really no where for stuff to collect and start rusting.

Agreed!
I own two old Chevys, 1996 K1500 and 2006 Uplander. Both bought used, no rustproofing, Wisconsin winters.
There is nearly nothing left to the undercarriages of both vehicles - next stop, the bone yard!
K1500's passenger side exhaust manifold rusted through this week, so it's time may have come!

I agree there can be a huge variance in corrosion susceptibility from model to model due to design considerations and the quality of the steel that was used to build the car.

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[581u812]

I guess what i was saying ,, when i first sprayed (upwards) only exposed driveshaft got oil so the 1/3 of the driveshaft on the top did not get any spray as i did not rotate driveshaft so after last winter ,, it was day and night between what got sprayed and what got missed the first time… so for 150$$ once a year its a bargain. I payed the dealer for undercoat once and that was a 2003 Jeep Liberty and it rotted to the ground. It was the case with all Liberty’s but still it cost like 800$ at the time, never again! When I purchase a new vehicle i tell salesman up front, MSRP and nothing extra as my family has repair shop so dealer will never see me again unless its for warranty work. But I live in Canada and winter Roads are covered in salt so some form of undercoat a must.

I still own my 2002 Liberty original owner only 120k I'd love to keep but it is so rusted underneath I'm getting rid of it soon as I get another vehicle. Too bad the engine is still strong with no leaks or burning. The metal they used was absolute garbage. My 98 corolla has zero rust underneath

 

[Xjeepguy]

I still own my 2002 Liberty original owner only 120k I'd love to keep but it is so rusted underneath I'm getting rid of it soon as I get another vehicle. Too bad the engine is still strong with no leaks or burning. The metal they used was absolute garbage. My 98 corolla has zero rust underneath

Yes I get it, I liked my brand new Liberty (2003) also it towed 5,000 lbs the cheapest car to tow that much at the time and it was true a Jeep 4x4 , great approach angle and a powerful V6 . But sadly they had big rust issues. I just hope Ford sourced hight quality steel, it would be nice to look back in 15 or 20 yrs and still see clean 1st year Mavericks on the road.

 

[sanpablo]

Yes I get it, I liked my brand new Liberty (2003) also it towed 5,000 lbs the cheapest car to tow that much at the time and it was true a Jeep 4x4 , great approach angle and a powerful V6 . But sadly they had big rust issues. I just hope Ford sourced hight quality steel, it would be nice to look back in 15 or 20 yrs and still see clean 1st year Mavericks on the road.

I'm buying my 2022 XLT hybrid Mav to replace my wife's 1999 Windstar! It still runs well but rust is getting bad. Nothing structural but outer rockers are crusty

 

[Jer]

I was considering it, but after a good look at the underside of the Maverick it seems like a waste. Unless you want to remove lots of shielding yourself before the service is performed you will be paying to have mostly plastic and metal shields coated.

You definitely need to remove the bottom shields and wheel liners to have it done right. They are very easy to remove and replace. It can not be coated right with them on.

 

[Darnon]

I installed an electronic rust inhibitor on my 1980 RX7 with good results. I had the car stored for many years so it was not out and about in Iowa winters, so not really a good test.

Ironically whenever I've seen one of those in a vehicle they're usually flopping around loose in the engine compartment... because they spot they were mounted to has rusted so bad they've fallen off.

 

[Finnster]

Ironically whenever I've seen one of those in a vehicle they're usually flopping around loose in the engine compartment... because they spot they were mounted to has rusted so bad they've fallen off.

Really?
My buddy has one of those on his 2019 Grand Caravan and those things rust out faster than anything I've seen. I'll watch it, I should know something in a few years!

 

[Darnon]

Really?
My buddy has one of those on his 2019 Grand Caravan and those things rust out faster than anything I've seen. I'll watch it, I should know something in a few years!

Minimal rust on a 3 year old vehicle? I'm shocked.

 

[Finnster]

Minimal rust on a 3 year old vehicle? I'm shocked.

I should know something in a few years!

 

[MichaelG]

If you do decide to go undecoated for the love of god dont use that solid rubber coating or whatever liner it is, use an oil based spray on product. The solid stuff is such a headache. Traps water and causes issues over time with creating MORE rust and a nightmare to do any maintenance when bolts are covered in the s**t.

Id gonna look into Fluid FIlm myself just because this is gonna be my first new car purchase and Id like to own it til I run it into the ground.

Like many of us, waiting for my build date just gives me more time to think about what I want to do to my CG 2.0 XLT AWD loaded except for moonroof and FX4.

I have asked two dealerships for what they would use (to be fair, only a couple of days out from asking). I also talked with Chad today at a Ziebart franchise in Bloomington, MN who quoted $799 for both undercoating and rustproofing applications (yearly update for $60.00 to keep warranty up). There was some disconnect about if the shields (for air flow mpg) would be removed during their process, so I sent the video of underneath a Maverick 2.0 AWD.

For those of us who live in snow country, are you thinking of undercoating/ rustproofing your Maverick and if so, who are you planning to use and why?

thanks to all

As others have posted, Ziebart kills the frame. If not done correctly, it will trap moisture and accelerate the rusting. Best to go with an oil or film. I am going to do the NH oil undercoating. I got a quote for $300. I drive in the rust belt here in Michigan. You should see how rusted my Ranger is. Granted it is over 20 years old and I never even thought about rust prevention.

 

[MichaelG]

To remove the rocker panel clips use a pliers. Be sure to get the pliers on the top and bottom part of the square clip and turn. I took all of mine off and only broke the first one while figuring out how they worked.

I plan on removing the rocker panel clips also. What is the trick for turning them without breaking them? I have a set for replacements when I break them attempting to get them off.

 

[reciprocating_ravioli]

For those that have older cars that are now rusted to bits... did you frequently wash the undercarriage, or take it to a car wash in the winter?

 

[oljackfrost]

Not me. I had Rusty Jones back in the day and have never had anything since. With a lot of the vehicle being aluminum, is there a need for it?

The entire unit body is steel.

 

[oljackfrost]

Like many of us, waiting for my build date just gives me more time to think about what I want to do to my CG 2.0 XLT AWD loaded except for moonroof and FX4.

I have asked two dealerships for what they would use (to be fair, only a couple of days out from asking). I also talked with Chad today at a Ziebart franchise in Bloomington, MN who quoted $799 for both undercoating and rustproofing applications (yearly update for $60.00 to keep warranty up). There was some disconnect about if the shields (for air flow mpg) would be removed during their process, so I sent the video of underneath a Maverick 2.0 AWD.

For those of us who live in snow country, are you thinking of undercoating/ rustproofing your Maverick and if so, who are you planning to use and why?

thanks to all

I live in Minnesota too, in my opinion rustproofing is a must with all the salt on our roads. Call P&L Automotive in Edina, get Auto Armor rustproofing. The chassis is sprayed with a plasticized coating that is thin and won’t crack off; the cavities get a sticky coating that expands and contracts with the sheet metal. 10 year warranty and No annual fee. Had my Maverick done before I even took delivery. A lot of the local dealers work with P&L, ask them. And no, I don’t work for P&L, just had great results on past vehicles. Example: moved back to Minnesota from Nevada with a 12 year old Subaru that had not been rustproofed
(no need in Nevada ); had Auto Armor applied to a USED vehicle and no rust 9 years later.

 

[matmondro]

I've been giving this consideration too. I also drive in Michigan where they use more salt than you'd ever believe. I'm leaning towards yes for doing some sort of undercoating or fluid film, just want to protect my investment as I plan to own my Mav for years to come.

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