Rust ‘By Design’ ?

[Bullittproof]

Regarding the S550s, I know that the ‘sample pool’ is likely not very large between the number of vehicles produced to begin-with, then of those the number not in the winter weather areas, and after taking out those that are stored during the winter the number of S550 daily drivers prone to rust is probably quite small…
…but my question is, are there any locations on the S550s that are prone to rust? fenders, rocker panels, anywhere?
We all have seen various models of any manufacturer’s vehicles that all rust in the same locations, there generally is a design flaw that promotes the conditions under which rust can flourish...are there any such areas on the S550s that are prone to rusting?

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[WD Pro]

Although not easily visible, the bumper bars front and rear.

The front has a seam that's visible (at the right angle) when looking through the grill. Lots of cars (including my own) are starting to show rusty water marks in this area - I've looked at car meets and on any pictures on here where people have stripped of the bumper cover. I've even seen it starting on the forecourt.

The seam is on the top side with the 'open' side facing forward. I assume the rear bumper bar is of a similar design but its hidden. Get under the car and look up through the tailpipes for witness of rusty water stains coming downwards - might need a light colour and a clean undercarriage for them to be more obvious.

I don't know for sure, but I assume the bumper bars don't get the electo treatment (purposely leaving the frame rails open) and then they are bolted on afterwards so they are only protected by the standard painting process - which we know Ford scrimp on wherever possible ...

WD

 

[Bullittproof]

Thank you, WD Pro, are they areas where they can maybe be sprayed with Fluid Film or similar?

 

[WD Pro]

Yes they could, but it would be difficult to do properly without removing the the bumper covers.

I assume you know about the potential ally corrosion issues with the hoods and wings ?

Other than that, I haven't picked up any other problem areas and I have seen 'aesthetically' good (from the perspective of walking around a parked car) daily driven early UK cars i.e. damp environment / salted roads.

It would be good to get more input from the 2015, 100k+, daily driver guys, I don't exactly get to see a lot of Mustangs over here

WD

 

[Bullittproof]

Thanks again, WD Pro, no, I am not familiar with:

I assume you know about the potential ally corrosion issues with the hoods and wings ?

 

[Crew4991]

WD Pro had a good point, the bumper bars underneath the bumper covers would be prone to getting rust but of course that isn't visible.

The areas that I think would be of concern are the infamous hood corrosion which is widely known about; and then of course probably the doors, trunk and underbody frame for actual rust.

Any bare metals like the exhaust, mufflers and bolts will probably fall apart if you live in rust belt areas. Luckily out west, our cars don't rust very often as the states don't lay much salt/magnesium chloride on the roads but with age things will always break down eventually. Enjoy your vehicle and protect it as best as you can, but don't lose sleep over it.

 

[Bullittproof]

Thanks, CREW4991, you are the second to mention hood rust, is it at the leading edge such as with Explorers for one that delaminate and chip?

 

[shogun32]

Yes. Was common on pre-17. I don't recall there being a large hue and cry by 18+ owners

 

[Bullittproof]

Thanks, hopefully they figured it out by 2023...

 

[Crew4991]

Thanks, CREW4991, you are the second to mention hood rust, is it at the leading edge such as with Explorers for one that delaminate and chip?

Yeah the hood corrosion was caused by poor prep work and contamination during the painting process. I guess it was somewhat common for 2015 but 2016 and 2017 model years were also impacted by it. I would assume that certain 2018+ model years are also affected but to a lesser degree. I have a 2016 and do NOT have any corrosion thankfully, but other owners are getting it.

The remedy for this while the warranty was still available was to replace the hood with a new hood, and have that repainted. Now the warranty is up for these years, so it is either do that same thing but pay for it out of pocket OR every 3-5 years have a body shop strip and repaint sections of the hood as the corrosion will continue to come back. No getting away from it.

I don't have this issue on my car, but honestly if I did I would just have a body shop fix it every few years and pay a lot less than an entire new hood. Mentally I would just write the cost off as a maintenance expense.

This is nothing new though. Ever since Ford switched to the aluminum hood back in 2005 for the retro styling mustang it has been an issue with bubbling and paint coming off.

Here is what the corrosion looks like from a car pic taken from the internet:

 

[WD Pro]

Thanks, CREW4991, you are the second to mention hood rust, is it at the leading edge such as with Explorers for one that delaminate and chip?

There are loads of threads about it, here is one of the larger ones : https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/hood-corrosion.36917/

Thankfully the issues seem to be getting less (but not gone) on the newer cars

WD

Edit : Check this link : https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/tsb-19-2026-aluminum-panel-corrosion.117031/

 

[Bullittproof]

I can say it's a Ford thing not exclusive to Mustangs, Explorers as current as 2018 have it happening I don't know about later ones)...I would imagine that periodic body shop treatment adds up, wouldn't replacing the hood with a carbon fiber hood, painted, be more cost effective??

 

[Basspro302]

The trunk lip at the bottom rusts from the inside, the decklid panel covers it.

 

[Nightmonkey]

If you ask me, the whole underbody is rust by design. It's just a matter of time.
That's simply because what other manufacturers give their cars from the factory (at least here in Europe) isn't even on the Mustang's price list.
The brown plague starts at the impact bar at the rear.

So ,you just have to take care of it yourself, flood cavities, cover the underbody:
https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/th...-do-and-how-should-i-plan.180591/post-3654338

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