Car cancer: PROBLEM SOLVED

[Geesie]

My daily driver is a 2003 Chrysler Sebring coupe. It's given me zero problems, I get significantly better than EPA mileage on it, I like the way it drives and the way it looks.

About a week ago when I was washing it I noticed that it was starting to rust. This should not happen. I keep it washed and waxed and it's only 5 years old. It's not rusting in spots, like where gravel chipped it or something. The entire exterior sheet metal is speckled with rust spots. They're barely visible right now, you have to practically press your nose against it to see them, but they're there.

Is there anything at all I can do to stop this or are my only options
- get rid of it
- take it to bare metal and repaint
?

I can't afford a new car or really even a repaint right now so I'm hoping there's another option.

P.S. Please keep "that's what you get for buying a POS Chrysler" comments out. That really isn't helpful.

 

[megaladon6]

a guy i worked with told me about a common problem on those cars (he was a chrysler dealer tech), the drains get plugged and the body, fills up with water. they had one where you could actualy hear it sloshing around! i'd check the drains. if that's the problem the rot is probably too bad to fix by now. if they're clear and the rot is on the outer surface only you have to take it down to bare metal, prime and paint.

 

[SBCregal]

look into the warranty, alot of cars have a rust perforation warranty that exceeds the bumper to bumper and powertrain warranties

 

[Geesie]

Unfortunately, the corrosion warranty only covers holes. This is uniform surface rust. I wonder if the salt air has something to do with it... 🙁

 

[Geesie]

Problem solved. I guess parking near a shipyard for a while was my problem. It was iron particulate fallout embedded in the clearcoat that had started to oxidize.

Clay bar to the rescue!

 

[megaladon6]

nice!!!