I washed my car today and noticed I have tons of small rust spots all over the sides of the car, particularly worse on the front fenders. They weren't there a couple months ago so they've just formed recently. I noticed similar spots after last winter but to a much lesser extent and I was able to get them off with a claybar.

I'm just wondering if this reflects a more serious problem under the paint since they keep forming and if I need to get some body work done or a new paint job. I also have bubbling on my roof from rust along with the common 4th gen rock chips on my hood which are also rusting. I just don't want things too bad as I need this car to last me for several more years.

 

I would say it's a bad sign. You're probably looking at a new paint job in the near future. :sad:

 

Ouch...I'm scared to find out what kind of shape the less visible parts of the car are in! I replaced my muffler last year because it had completely rotted and was peeling into little bits.

 

Are you SURE they are really rust spots and not some sort of contimination on the paint? Wash and clay the car, see if they come off. I find it hard to believe a 99 would be simply rusting in small sports all over the place within a few months. That doesn't make sense.

 

It sure looks like rust...I should try and take some pics tomorrow, problem is my car is already dirty by the time I get home from the carwash. Unfortunately I can't clay the car until May when the temperatures warm up. I'm not worried about getting rid of them, just whether there is a larger problem with rust underneath.

 

I'm pretty sure that it's just the outside. Check for rust in the wheel wells and under the car along the frame rails. Rust on exhaust components is fine. Even if you do find some more serious signes of rust it will take at least another 5 years before you will have to start worrying about it.

In most cases, if the vehicle was not in a salt-water flood there isn't really anything to worry about.

 

I have quite a few as well. Noticed two days ago while washing that I had a couple on the edges of my trunklid also. Not overly happy about that on a car that is less than 4 years old.

 

I could be wrong because I've never tried it, but I don't think claybar removes rust from metal. More likely, there was rust/sediment from your water pipe that got deposited on your paint after you washed it. That does come off with clay.

 

Northern, I had the same issue with a white Accord. A clay bar took care of it because the 'rust' was actually very small metal particles (contamination) After I clayed, they didn't return. I had them on the metal of the fenders and also on the plastic of the bumper...and I knew that plastic doesn't rust!

 

That's good to hear. A few people on another forum with white cars came across the same issue. Maybe it just shows up more on our paint? I guess all the road salt and warm temperatures we've had reacted with whatever particles were on the paint.

Thanks for all the info!

 

Took a pic this afternoon of what I'm talking about...It's going to take a long time for me to do my first clay this year when Spring hits!

 

That's what my Accord looked like. My money is on the clay bar for removal. Looks like oxidizing contamination.

Check to see if there are any of those spots anywhee on the plastic parts of your bumpers. If so, it's contamination for sure.

 

not rust/ if you leave it/ it will become rust after eating at your paint. it's oxidizing contamination. use a clay bar with soapy water/ it's gonna take some time to remove but the clay bar works

 

We had a white corvette (01) and it did the same thing. We parked next to a railyard, and metal shavings (we suspect) landed on the car and the particles rusted, not the paint and not the body, just the metal particles. A Clay bar took care of it! Good luck!

 

I have rust on the bottom of my back doors, the inner bottom closest to the hinge, thats the only spot on my car...I highly doubt those would be rust spots without seeing other big signs like wheel wells/door bottoms...etc.. and my car is 3 years older than yours...but you do have a lot of road salt up there...I think you would see other signs besides those little flecks, they arent rust...

 

Hey man, it's Bill. We've been out of touch for a while but thought I'd give you my input on this. What you think are rust spots really aren't rust spots. They're contamination in the paint and can easily be removed with a clay bar. That's the method I used to get rid of all the spots on my white max. If you have any questions PM me. Hope all is well

 

I second what everyone else has said. My brother's white truck gets those all the time. Most cars have them, but they show up really well on white cars. They are particles in the air that have landed on your paint and then oxidized. Clay bar takes them right off. If you get them when they are new and small they are not a problem. It's when you leave them there for a long time they start to oxidize through the paint surface.