[PearlWhite]

I remember the days of the "Rusty Jones" rust proof undercoating that never worked. Do the new ones work, I have no idea. In my area we just pay a local guy 50 to 100 bucks to spray the underneath with paraffin wax based chain bar oil every fall.

 

[mryanlaflair]

Well hello fellow upstate New Yorker. Syracuse '19 Sport checking in here. I'm in the club of it being a waste of money. Just wash you undercarriage during he winter is more effective than rust proofing.

 

[SubaruSpouse]

I am in the mid Atlantic where they coat the roads with salt after a snow and brine before the snow. The rust problems of the past has been reduced by better manufacturing techniques.

The options sold at the “financing” desk after the purchase are where the dealers make most of their profit. My general rule is to just say no.

I bought an attachment for the power washer to clean the underside of our cars in the spring to clean the salt and brine.

Ask your neighbors, friends and coworkers that own 10 year old cars in your area and have not had their cars rust proofed if they have any problems with rust. If most say yes, get it done. If not save the money.

 

[SubiDad19]

Well hello fellow upstate New Yorker. Syracuse '19 Sport checking in here. I'm in the club of it being a waste of money. Just wash you undercarriage during he winter is more effective than rust proofing.

Syracuse Forester too! Bill Rapp. Never Romano. Have you had issues with rust?

 

[Kat9]

Hey folks, I'm a new 19' Forester Owner, living in Upstate NY. My wife and I are hoping to start a family soon, so we needed a bigger vehicle. Previously I was driving an 09' Nissan Altima, and while I loved it, it was starting to get a little long in the tooth. So I've taken the plunge and joined the Subaru family. LOVE the new redesigned Forester. I'm a big guy, 6'4, so I'm really digging the big headroom and expansive cabin. I got the Premium edition, the push button and keyless entry was a MUST for me.

Quick question. Is it worth it to rustproof and undercoat the vehicle? The dealer is offering to do it for $699, which seems very expensive to me, although they do offer a 10 year warranty (which I assume is full of loopholes). With where we are in the country, we see over 100 inches of snow annually. I'm looking to keep the car for at least 10 years/100K miles. Am I better off just taking it to the car wash in the winter? I've heard that rustproofing is a waste of money and can do more harm than good. I'm sure this topic has been covered already, but if someone could point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it.

Really enjoying the Subaru family. It's a great brand and I have no doubt I'll be very happy.

That seems high. I don’t remember how much Ziebart cost on my Kia— the car I had before my 2011 Forester. It’s the only car I did it on. Waiting to see if/ what my dealership offers when my new Forester comes in. I know they said they offered their own which lasts 10 years. We do get a lot of snow in the Syracuse area, though the real issue is the road salt. The only rust I see on my 2011 Forester is right above the windshield on the driver’s side which seems an odd spot to me.

 

[SubiDad19]

Folks, should I rustproof my new 19' Premium? I live in Syracuse, so one of the snow states where we use LOTS of road salt. The dealer is charging $700 for rustproofing. Surely getting the car washed in the winter is also effective, no? I'm hoping to keep this car for about 10 years/115K miles.

It seems that rustproofing is largely split on here. Some people say yes, others no.

 

[hoshie]

Undercoating/rustproofing and the most important...3ming the entire front end

 

[Moe]

They use salt by the kilotons here. Our new Sport got a $895 Ziebart Package of Rust Protection, Undercoat, Sound Deadener, Paint Sealant, Aquapel, and Fabric Protection. We've had this on all our cars in the past and did the annual maintenance, except the truck--and we really regret not doing it.

 

[ForesterBill]

Surely getting the car washed in the winter is also effective, no?

Absolutely, and many car washes have a "bottom blaster" which you want to add.

 

[SubiDad19]

Undercoating/rustproofing and the most important...3ming the entire front end

Sorry, I don’t understand your post.

 

[Moe]

Sorry, I don’t understand your post.

He was referring to paint protection film on the front end.

 

[SubiDad19]

Ahh. Gotcha.

I know this is an area where dealers just clean up in terms of the add ons. I’m just wondering if folks have seen tangible benefits?

Is a dealer’s rustproofing as good as Ziebart. Dealer says I don’t need to come back yearly like with Ziebart.

 

[hoshie]

I know this is an area where dealers just clean up in terms of the add ons. I’m just wondering if folks have seen tangible benefits?

The 3ming is a life saver where I live. Paint protection (3m) is key. I also like to undercoat and rustproof. This is my other car which has gone through 10 harsh Canadian winters. I take amazing care of my rides, but having the initial protection has been great.

 

[QMaze]

Do you have Krown in your area? I would never go with any rubberized coating only oil based applications that creep. Undercoatings are the worse thing you can do, they actually get moisture build up and rott the car, get Krown if you can, its a yearly application to maintain its warranty, only about $140.

 

[Yeahoo Whoyah]

I was hoping the rust proofing question would get a few more answers. It’s a subject alien to me living in California so I’d like to learn more about it. How did this thread migrate to dealers and salesmen?

 

[kjohannes]

I don’t know what Krown is and I think I have heard of Ziebart.

However I use Fluid Film which is linseed oil based. Re application every year before winter is needed but it has been great. Used it the past 4 years on all our cars. About 100$ per application.

Something I will consider is doing a 3m front end on our 14 outback. It’s new to us with 46k miles on it now. It would need some help before install since the PO wasn’t the most careful :/.

 

[SubiDad19]

The dealer is matching Ziebart's price of $399 for undercoating. I'm going to go for it.

 

[ForesterBill]

Before you do, ask the dealer who warranties the work if you have a rust problem. My guess it is some fly-by-night third party and not the dealer itself. Compare whatever warranty is being offered to Ziebart's warranty. Ziebart has been in business since 1959.

I got burned many years ago by a Toyota dealer's rustproofing that was guaranteed by Dal-Guard. When I went back to the dealer with a rust claim, Dal-Guard was out of business and I had no recourse.

 

[fcsnc1]

My Dad owned many cars during his life, and this is one of the first things he did every time he got a vehicle--new or used:
He jacked up one side of the vehicle and used a garden sprayer to coat everything underneath the vehicle with a 50/50 mixture of kerosene and used motor oil. He would then lower the vehicle, let it drip for a while, and then head to the dustiest road he could find for a drive of several miles. For whatever it's worth, my Dad never had a vehicle rust-through.

 

[hoshie]

I don’t know what Krown is and I think I have heard of Ziebart.

However I use Fluid Film which is linseed oil based. Re application every year before winter is needed but it has been great. Used it the past 4 years on all our cars. About 100$ per application.

Something I will consider is doing a 3m front end on our 14 outback. It’s new to us with 46k miles on it now. It would need some help before install since the PO wasn’t the most careful :/.

Ya, If you are 3ming a used car, make sure you do paint corrections first or it won’t look good