Rust Proofing and Undercoating w/ Valugard - experience (on 2025 Hybrid Lariat AWD)

Pghmav25 · Aug 1, 2025

Just wanted to share my experience with a Rust Proofing/Undercoating product - Valugard. (valugard.net)

Coming from Western PA, winters are definitely challenging on vehicles with the salt and liquid brine sprays. Have experience with other products in the past (NHOU, Fluid Film, WoolWax, Zeibart, etc) - currently having NHOU on my F150. For my Maverick, looking for something different. Found Valugard. There are 3 different products - one for Rust Proofing (spray-in body cavities) VG-101 and 2 for Undercoating - either VG-104 or VG-160. I went with VG-101 and VG-160. Had it applied 2 weeks now. My installer invited me back for an annual checkup and free touch ups - if needed, but it is a once and done product - so no yearly 're-spray' as with NHOU (and others).

Cost was in line with everything out there - both products plus tax was $600. Had the rear 'famous' Mav cavity sprayed before putting the Mabett Underbody Cavity shield put on. Then the Undercoating applied. Rockers were sprayed before the Mabett Rear Wheel Splash Guards installed and the tailgate before the Mabett Tailgate Hole Cover installed. So, it is all sealed up. Again, this was my choice with this product. I like having the 2 products applied. No issue with the other products out there (as I said I use another currently on the F150). Simply put, the goal is to get to a minimum 10yr and 150k miles with no body issues. I am replacing a 2013 Ford Taurus with 165k miles and no rust issues. Obviously, I keep vehicles a long time. Have had the Mav since May 3, 2025. Approximately 2100 miles when coatings were applied.

Added benefits so far - a lot of sound dampening and it added some weight that you can feel. The Maverick replaced my 2013 Ford Taurus as the daily driver, and I have missed the weight/heavy feeling of the sedan on the road. Here are 2 pictures on the area after the Underbody cavity was sprayed and the Cavity shield installed with the Undercoating product applied. Remember - the Hybrid doesn't have the muffler in that location like the EcoBoost does for the Mav

Ford Maverick Rust Proofing and Undercoating w/ Valugard - experience (on 2025 Hybrid Lariat AWD) Picture2

Ford Maverick Rust Proofing and Undercoating w/ Valugard - experience (on 2025 Hybrid Lariat AWD) Picture1

phoneguyinpgh · Aug 1, 2025

Pgh here too. Had my '25 Lariate hybrid Ziebarted the day after I picked it up from the dealer.

bobaguy · Aug 1, 2025

Does it wash away at car wash under splash?

phoneguyinpgh · Aug 2, 2025

No it doesn't. It is a tar like substance that is sprayed on the underside of the vehicle. That is undercoating. Ziebart also does full rust proofing where they drill holes in all the body panels and doors and spray in side those. But, with the way the factories are electro-paint priming the bodies now a full rust proofing is not needed anymore, just an undercoating. When the undercoating dries it is waterproof and doesn't just wash off while driving through rain covered streets or in a car wash. It can wear or chip off if you drive over a lot of gravel, sand or dirt roads but you can always go back for a touch up treatment.

Master Blaster · Aug 2, 2025

Living in the snowbelt means that factory zinc coatings are insufficient unless you're dumping the vehicle every three years. On the Maverick I used Krown creeping liquid sprayed into all the cavities and on the underside. Zero rust after 2.5 years of salt spray in the snowbelt. It does have to be resprayed every year though. I also used it on my previous two vehicles and had zero rust after 12 years each. I also hear good things about cosmoline and lanolin sprays as well, but they are only available south of the border. On multiple previous vehicles I used a hard coating that eventually delaminated and actually caused severe rust problems by holding the salt solution up against the metal in the bubbled coating.
As a result of this learning curve, I won't ever again use a hard undercoating. Way back in the 70's, I also used a spray-on used transmission oil that worked ok, but ate the door and suspension rubbers pretty badly.

Cancunbadlands · Aug 2, 2025

Getting ready for winter time

Maverick123 · Aug 2, 2025

Master Blaster said:
... I also hear good things about ... lanolin sprays as well, but they are only available south of the border.

Lanolin sprays are available in Canada, Fluid Film is sold at Canadian Tire and Princess Auto IIRC, and many other auto parts stores

You can buy it in spray cans or by the gallon for use with an applicator gun

Escapologist · Aug 3, 2025

I am also looking at something between washes off, and hardens and gets water creep. The "won't wash off but you need to come back to redo it yearly trust us bro" crowd don't seem to account for the effective sandblast effect when we get a lot of sand down on slush. It's maybe fine where you only have a bit of rain all winter.

I don't think the zinc coating is all that ineffective, it just gets penetrated by stone chips easily, especially on the underside. Then all the edges catch the more minor grit, sand, rocksalt chunks, often enough that it's an attrition thing rather than a single particle bouncing off event.

I remember Ziebart being the top dollar, top value treatment, and anything from 70s 80s 90s that was Ziebarted will be in great shape. But then I guess they began to compete on price and I see lots of complaints about them in 5-15 year old applications so it's glory days seem long gone.

A lot of the independent places that do spray in bedliner etc can do cosmoline I think. I might go that way myself.

Cherokee · Aug 3, 2025

My Dad Zbarted his truck in Florida, he backed his boat into saltwater. Never had any rust.

ice445 · Aug 3, 2025

I'm a fluid film guy. Even if you have to reapply every fall, it doesn't take too long and it works very well.

notfast · Aug 3, 2025

I use Fluid Film even though I don't venture out of the southwestern US often. Looks like hell after a drive down a red dirt road, but after blasting it off with a pressure washer (which I do yearly), the undercarriage looks brand new.

I once had a customer from the northwest come in for something unrelated. They knew basically nothing about cars but knew enough to religiously take their car in for Fluid Film once a year. I thought the car (then 11 years old) was a southwestern car because it had less surface rust than a car from Arizona.

Bear · Aug 3, 2025

I've been doing the NH oil undercoating. The only bad thing about it is you have to do it every year

wax87 · Aug 4, 2025

Pghmav25 said:
Just wanted to share my experience with a Rust Proofing/Undercoating product - Valugard. (valugard.net)

Coming from Western PA, winters are definitely challenging on vehicles with the salt and liquid brine sprays. Have experience with other products in the past (NHOU, Fluid Film, WoolWax, Zeibart, etc) - currently having NHOU on my F150. For my Maverick, looking for something different. Found Valugard. There are 3 different products - one for Rust Proofing (spray-in body cavities) VG-101 and 2 for Undercoating - either VG-104 or VG-160. I went with VG-101 and VG-160. Had it applied 2 weeks now. My installer invited me back for an annual checkup and free touch ups - if needed, but it is a once and done product - so no yearly 're-spray' as with NHOU (and others).

Cost was in line with everything out there - both products plus tax was $600. Had the rear 'famous' Mav cavity sprayed before putting the Mabett Underbody Cavity shield put on. Then the Undercoating applied. Rockers were sprayed before the Mabett Rear Wheel Splash Guards installed and the tailgate before the Mabett Tailgate Hole Cover installed. So, it is all sealed up. Again, this was my choice with this product. I like having the 2 products applied. No issue with the other products out there (as I said I use another currently on the F150). Simply put, the goal is to get to a minimum 10yr and 150k miles with no body issues. I am replacing a 2013 Ford Taurus with 165k miles and no rust issues. Obviously, I keep vehicles a long time. Have had the Mav since May 3, 2025. Approximately 2100 miles when coatings were applied.

Added benefits so far - a lot of sound dampening and it added some weight that you can feel. The Maverick replaced my 2013 Ford Taurus as the daily driver, and I have missed the weight/heavy feeling of the sedan on the road. Here are 2 pictures on the area after the Underbody cavity was sprayed and the Cavity shield installed with the Undercoating product applied. Remember - the Hybrid doesn't have the muffler in that location like the EcoBoost does for the Mav

did you notice a reduction in road noise?

haze10 · Aug 4, 2025

Nearly the whole bottom is covered with removalable plastic panels. Did the spray company remove all the panels?

LanceMav · Aug 4, 2025

wax87 said:
did you notice a reduction in road noise?

That would be my main concern as that would be what I want. No real need for undercoating here in Oregon, but less road noise is always a plus.

Rust Proofing and Undercoating w/ Valugard - experience (on 2025 Hybrid Lariat AWD)

Pghmav25

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