Do You Need to Protect Your Car from Rust?

That small patch of rust or corrosion you see on your car isn't just unsightly to look at. Once rust lodges inside the microscopic holes in your car's metal, it can also corrode and damage not just the surface, but also your car's parts as well.

What's more, rust can lead to brittleness and weaken metal over time. This can dissolve crumple zones that are designed to absorb energy in case of a collision. When this happens, then you and your family's safety become compromised too.

Rust-Prone Areas

There are three areas where rust can often be seen in a car.

First, it can be found on surfaces where the car's paint has been chipped, thus, exposing the metal. Second, it can be found on the frame and chassis. Third, rust can be found on the trunk and engine parts, particularly in the intakes and connectors.

Do You Really Need to Rustproof Your Car?

Not always. Mike Quincy, Automotive Analyst at Consumer Reports explains:

“Rust is far less of a concern now,” he says. “The types of metals and treatments have changed over the past 20 years and cars are well protected from rust right from the factory.”

Most car manufacturers already spray special anti-rust formulations before they sell them. In some cases, they use phosphate conversion coatings. But in most cases, they use zinc coating on galvanized steel. The process is not expensive, which is the reason why a lot of auto makers use it for their cars.

Auto makers also apply underseal or undercoating to the chassis as protection. This tar-like coating hardens to keep water and other hard substances away from the car's undercarriage.

When Should You Rustproof Your Car?

Still, your car's built-in rustproof protection won't make it invulnerable to outside forces. Once the protective coating is gone and the metal's exposed, then the risk of getting rust and corrosion gets higher.

In this case, adding anti-rust protection can help, especially when these factors apply to you:

Location

Do you live near the sea? Or do you always drive by places near the ocean? If that's the case, then you need to rustproof your car.

Remember that salt is a highly corrosive to metal, and can be very damaging to your vehicle. Salt becomes even more damaging when you add in water to the mix. Unfortunately, salt water has both these factors, so you car needs extra protection against rust.

Car Manufacturer

As we've said earlier, most car companies already apply rustproof protection on their cars before they leave the factories.

For instance, Hyundai dips their car's chassis into the galvanization treatment and then fully covers it in zinc coating.

Audi, Mercedes Benz, and Jaguar have adopted aluminum chassis, since aluminum isn't prone to rust.

So before you buy your car, ask the dealers if the car manufacturer you're buying from has already added rustproof protection on the car. If not, then it's best to have it rust-protected.

Personal Habits and Lifestyle

Rustproof protection is very much needed if you can't clean your car regularly. A dirty vehicle, especially one with hardened dirt, tree sap, bird poop, and even dead insects, can ruin your car's paint. And when you leave them to dry up (and exposed to the sun's heat), then they can corrode the metal and damage your car.

Your lifestyle is also an important thing to consider.

Will you solely use your car for rugged purposes, like delivering goods in provinces? Or will you regularly drive it for outdoor trips? If you do, then you risk exposing your vehicle to hurling rocks, water, and uneven bumps on the road. And they all can chip away your car's protective coating.

If that's the case, then make sure your car has rustproof protection to prevent corrosion, especially on its undercarriage.

Future Investment

You need to protect your car if you plan to sell it at the best possible price. Rust can significantly lower a car's value, more so if there are noticeable signs of corrosion on the vehicle.