Rust Proofing: Yay or Nay?

[methodfilter]

So my dealer up here in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada finally got an allocation for a 2015 Mustang. Thankfully this went to me (yay) and yesterday I went in, picked my options and she's ordered.

Anyways, I had them put all the warranties, service plans, rust protection etc into the bill of sale as I can change it later. I just wanted to see a 'worst cost scenario' knowing I have a few months to think it through. The rust protection they sell comes with that electric module and leather seat protection as well. Usually I skip this when I'm buying a car, but this Mustang will be my first 'non-family' orientated vehicle, (that's what the wife's Explorer is for) and I want to take care of it.

So is it worth doing, should I have it done after market, or should I not bother at all? I've done a lot of reading online but nothing specific to a Mustang. I plan to keep the car for about 5-6 years if that helps.

Thanks in advance!


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[Mark's M]

It kills me that dealerships are still flogging this electronic rust protection scam. Honestly, in this day and age....absolutely not necessary. And ditto for the leather "protector". Find yourself some premium products (eg. Leatherique which is made right here in Niagara on the Lake) and do it yourself for lots less. Spend your protection money on some clearguard for the leading edge of the hood, some of the bumper maybe, get your windows tinted, etc, etc. These kinds of things actually work at protecting your car and eventually add value when it's time for resale. And if you can find a reputable installer of such things away from the dealership, even better 'cause they'll be cheaper no doubt. Good luck with everything!!!

 

[methodfilter]

Thanks for the help! That will be a nice cost savings for sure.


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[Tony Alonso]

In your list, I personally would skip EVERYTHING you have indicated. I am with Mark - clearguard for the leading edge of the hood to protect against rock chips, leather conditioner, and keep it washed and waxed.

I've daily driven most of my Mustangs, including through winters on salty roads, and the worst wear I've seen really is from rock chips and fading of black plastic part color because of sun exposure. I had an 8-year old Mach 1 that I sold which saw it all. There was surface rust on the axle tubes in the rear. I have a 4 1/2 year old 2010 GT, and the wear that I see the most is on the leather steering wheel, two of the buttons, and my tires

Regarding warranties, you probably can purchase a Ford one after the sale if you really, really feel like in the 2-3 years beyond your factory warranty you want the peace of mind for managing a large repair in the area of electronics or the drivetrain. That's not to say things can't happen, but my experience has been that you are going to find the failures sooner rather than later. The drivetrains in the V6 and GT are an enhancement of something that has been in production for 4 years. If you are getting an EcoBoost, that might be a different story since it is new. Even that technology has been out for awhile.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[methodfilter]

Thanks for additional help. My dealer here is charging $999 for the rust proofing and $3500+ for the extra warranty and maintenance plus package. If I just take the extra warranty and drop the rest it goes down to $1500 saving me a good chunk of change. I'm going to keep the 5 years because my wife got one of the new Explorers right when they came out and she's had issues with adaptive cruise control sensors, and other electrical issues in her 3rd year.

Thanks again!


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[Jshsharp03]

Check out http://www.zeiglerfordesp.com/ for VERY affordable Ford Extended Service Plans.

 

[Tony Alonso]

Check out http://www.zeiglerfordesp.com/ for VERY affordable Ford Extended Service Plans.

I wonder if they sell over the border, since he is in Canada.

 

[Jshsharp03]

I wonder if they sell over the border, since he is in Canada.

DOH, I did not see that... Probably not.

 

[methodfilter]

It says 'nation wide' so doesn't look good. Wish it did though!


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[GNS]

So my dealer up here in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada finally got an allocation for a 2015 Mustang. Thankfully this went to me (yay) and yesterday I went in, picked my options and she's ordered.

How good is your dealer, overall? I'm in Waterloo, and the Ford dealership (Parkway Ford/Lincoln) is very apathetic to any customer that isn't in the market for a truck or an SUV.

Anyways, I had them put all the warranties, service plans, rust protection etc into the bill of sale as I can change it later. I just wanted to see a 'worst cost scenario' knowing I have a few months to think it through. The rust protection they sell comes with that electric module and leather seat protection as well. Usually I skip this when I'm buying a car, but this Mustang will be my first 'non-family' orientated vehicle, (that's what the wife's Explorer is for) and I want to take care of it.

So is it worth doing, should I have it done after market, or should I not bother at all? I've done a lot of reading online but nothing specific to a Mustang. I plan to keep the car for about 5-6 years if that helps.

Thanks in advance!

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Google that electronic rust protection and read up on why it's a scam. You can bring your car to Krown and have it sprayed if you're worried about rust, but be warned that they drill holes in your car and the oil makes the underside of your car dirtier (if you care about that sort of thing). The oil also drips for a few days after an application, which has to be done every year for a daily driver.

I have it done on my current car and I don't worry about rust at all, even after driving through dirty brown slushy roads and not bothering to wash the car for a couple of weeks or longer. If / when I get a Mustang, it'll be my daily driver as well and would be worth it for me to Krown rustproof despite the drawbacks. It's either that, or worry about rust.

 

[methodfilter]

How good is your dealer, overall? I'm in Waterloo, and the Ford dealership (Parkway Ford/Lincoln) is very apathetic to any customer that isn't in the market for a truck or an SUV.

I live in Kitchener, but drive out to Ridgehill Ford in Cambridge. My sales guy Ryan is awesome, i've dealt with him for about 4 vehicles and 2 for my in-laws. Their only knock is im not a big fan of their service department, but if I get frustrated I just take it to Kitchener Ford.

Google that electronic rust protection and read up on why it's a scam. You can bring your car to Krown and have it sprayed if you're worried about rust, but be warned that they drill holes in your car and the oil makes the underside of your car dirtier (if you care about that sort of thing). The oil also drips for a few days after an application, which has to be done every year for a daily driver.

I have it done on my current car and I don't worry about rust at all, even after driving through dirty brown slushy roads and not bothering to wash the car for a couple of weeks or longer. If / when I get a Mustang, it'll be my daily driver as well and would be worth it for me to Krown rustproof despite the drawbacks. It's either that, or worry about rust.

I'm more worried about my car rusting than the under body. I'm not a car show guy or take to meets or anything so the only one looking underneath would be a mechanic. Being as our region has gone from using salt on ice to sand, that helps keep the rust down too. I'll have a look at it Houghton's to see what they charge, thanks for the advice! I'm glad im not alone in making this my daily driver even in the winter! Although my wife works from home, so I could use her SUV in a bad storm which is nice.

 

[DHG1078]

Ya that electronic rust protection stuff is a scam, and can actually make your car rust worse if you get something really crappy. It just takes a little bit of reading up on cathodic protection, and how corrosion works to be skeptical about it. It works great on many applications, but your car is probably not one of those applications.

 

[EXP Jawa]

Given all of the rust-resistant materials used in new cars, its hard to believe that people even buy into the rust-proofing gimics. The couple of older cars I've been involved with that had Ziebart prep work have also had rust inside the wheel wells, or in other areas that water might sit but they didn't treat. So, those systems were far from perfect. Now that cars use galvanized, e-coated and preplate steel as well as aluminum panels extensively, there is little reason to need aftermarket rust proofing. Just make sure the drain holes stay clear and any chips in the paint are addresses...

 

[methodfilter]

I'm glad I posted this as I'm quite naive to the whole rust proofing. Nice to know i'll save a chunk of change and some piece of mind as well. Thanks everyone!

 

[RoryTate]

I grew up on the east coast, and basically if you didn't have your car rust proofed in some way, you had holes in fenders starting in about two years. Rust proofing was a no brainer for me there.

Now that I'm living "inland" and corrosion warranties are so much better these days, I weigh the cost of the rust proofing against how many years I plan to keep the vehicle, taking existing warranties into account. In the last few years I've only been keeping cars for 3 years, so the extra rust proofing doesn't make any sense for me.

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