Trying to see where other 5 gen are rusting at. In my point of view salt cant cause all this havoc in these particular areas.



Ill buy this one by the wheel well.. A good hang out for salt to build.



on top of the car.. I cant buy this one..



more on the top of car..




WTF, im not buying this one at all.. How can i remove the chrome trim to get to this rust spot? This is unbelievable.. What you all got to show?

 

Mine has some right where you have in the first pic. I have some smalll spots on the hood. This has been the same since I got the car in NC (a non salt state) and been living in NY since then.

 

I can accept the ones in the fender well, and i even got some on the hood i can understand due to the rocks chipping the paint off.. The ones on the roof of the car and by the back passenger window makes me wonder about the paint used for these cars..

 

Exact same spots on my dads 2k, minus the roof.

Back window, and back door handle, check..

rear wheel wells and even down starting on the rocker panels, check..

 

Rust sucks! Its very difficult to combat it (i.e. cancer)

 

It really is.. Get it fixed by a good shop and get it rustproofed regularly.

Other than that, wash often. Not much else you can do.

On my old cars, sometimes I smear grease in such areas, I don't think that would help if the damage has already been done though.

 

It's only a 2002, right? Man, that's nuts. My 2003 doesn't have any body panel rust anywhere, unless you include some minor bubbling on the inside lip of the wheel wells, and what car doesn't do that? I drive it every winter, too. Based on that, I wouldn't necessarily blame manufacturer quality.

If you get the rust repaired, you'll probably be loving the car for years to come. You should do that. It will be worth it.

 

Living in Arizona is a great way to combat rust.... just saying

 

Yeah. It sucks living in the salt belt. But I'm Canadian, and in 85F heat I just about die. I hate that kind of heat, and I know places like Arizona are 100+ for days on end.

I would not survive.

 

If nissan mixed 1k gallons of bad paint to spray like two thousand maximas and at the last min realized it and corrected the problem i would blame it on the mfg. Your car was painted after they realized the paint mix was off.

 

I have zero rust. I don't miss living in Mass one bit when it comes to that crap.

 

It's about the only thing I really despise about living here. So bad for the cars.

 

Hmm, I have a "Florida" car, no salty roads here (no winter here either) Which means almost no rust (I've looked under the car, and found a little at the rear of the front wheel well, not enough to bother with yet. I know your question was about 5th gen, mines a 4th gen though.

 

OP..how often do you wash and wax your car?

Youd be surprised how durable most paint can be with at least a monthly bath. And if you use the liquid shine stuff (sort of wax-esque) every time, it will last forever and never rust. and a good wax and polish about 2-3 times a year and your golden. Ive got a 93 with zero rust...

Is it possible its just your gen max or your production run or anything other than maintenance?

 

dang i have a couple tiny spots, but that is pretty bad

 

unless you live on the coast...like me. i just got a 2000 gle and there are a few small rust spots on the roof like the op has. i'm not that concerned about it...

 

I was my car once a week and wax it once every quarter.. I only had the car for 6 months so i dont know what the previous owner did.. Car was a midwest car all its life from the carfax..

 

I've got a few spots of rust which has pretty much turned me off to modding. I hate rust. It tells me this car is too old to mod.

 

Yeah, that sucks..you never know what the previous owner did. Hell he or she probably never washed it.

As an example of a maintained vehicle versus a non maintained vehicle. My brother is a volvo technician. He came across this cosmetically perfect 94 Volvo 850 turbo at his shop and bought it. Fixed EVERYTHING on it. Washed and waxed it religiously. Then, he gave it to my little sister and moved to Texas....within Id say 8 months, that car went from perfect to little spots popping up here and there and some sunfading starting. then after about a year (yeah, that quickly) it had multiple rust spots, multiple fading, she had bumped a few things so it had scuffs. It was a shame. That car had it so good with my brother owning it.

But that is the reason I dont let my car stay dirty for too long. A good wash off of the salt here and there will work wonders. Sucks you cant go back and undo the rust. If you dont take car of it now, it will only get worse. Good luck.

 

I must be obsessive or something, haha. Am I the only on who actually doesn't drive their car during crappy weather? Salt is the main reason I store my Max in the winter. I drive my $400 purple Chevy Cavalier during this downtime to combat the rust.

Of course, it becomes my daily driver when spring rolls around, but I still wash it once or twice a week, wax every other month, blah..blah..blah...you get the picture.

No rust. Nothing. Not even the slightest hint anywhere on the car (trust me, I'm **** about rust/damage to my cars).

 

There's nothing that would get me behind the wheel of a $400, purple, Chevy Cavalier.

Dude, just take the bus.

 

^++2 Washing the car at least once a month can absolutely protect the paint. I hate seeing cars with faded paint.

 

im not worried about the paint because im a hell of a painter i think..










that hood looks glossy..



super charged too.. I think ill take a vq35..

 

Aww c'mon, it'd be a hoot - espescially a 4 banger with some nice big mudflaps and a leaky exhaust.

 

BTW thats a midwest driven bonneville 96. The hood where the primer is was rust spots where rocks chipped the paint, but the rest of the car was rust free.

 

Another 5th gen thread then ends up talking about a Pontiac, of all things.

What the heck is going on?

 

driving excitement.. Pontiac made some of the hottest cars GM ever put out.. Its a shame they have to discontinue making them.,

 

Where are you located? Wana paint my 3rd gen??

PM me...Thread jack over

 

MA definitely blows for rust! my rad support has seen better days! other than the minor spots here and there like the lower pass side of the hood, spot or two on the trunk i dont have much on my 2k. but that will all be gone soon enough other than the rad support idk when that will ever be able to get that fixed

 

My first leap into beater land was a green Saturn SL1 base model with grey bumpers.

Awesome car! Totally plain looking, dented hood, no power anything.

Awesome MPG, super cheap to fix, and super cheap to own/insure/purchase. Also, never had any problems with that car. I drove it all over the place.

That car inspired me to get my SL2 with all power options because overall I liked the S-series so much I hope to not ever have to give up my SL2 unless it croaks completely. It's almost 15 years old afterall. My DD of 700 kms per week!

 

cmax1, thats a good paint job. Did you use a spray gun?

 

Haha, as a matter of fact, I do take the bus...when I'm too scared to drive the thing. It's been a rough winter...

 

My exhaust system from the cat to the tailpipe fell off my car about a month ago. All the brackets busted, and the flange between the muffler and straight pipe broke off - both from excessive rust. Indiana is very liberal with their salt use in the winter. I'm happy to be in the south now, too.

 

Dude I have a 00 gle with rust around both wheelwells which is a big job but my radiator support was also basicly rusted away I Had a welder just weld plates around it now ITs good as new charge me 160 bucks u should really fix that soon I'f u hit a pothole it could fall right out. That part also supports the engine along with the motor mounts good luck man