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Is rust normal on all new trucks? We examine Chevy, Ford, Ram and Toyota

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Is rust normal on new trucks

Yes, that’s a new truck. And yes, that’s rust on the U-Joint. However, that’s it. This is less rust than you will find on other brands of pickups. (Photo by Tim Esterdahl)

Publisher Tim Esterdahl found rust on his new truck and he isn’t alone. We have received emails from owners all across the country with surface rust forming on their new 2021 Ford F-150 hybrid trucks some with a few hundred miles and others who have spotted rust on trucks sitting on a dealer lot. Tim’s 2021 F-150 hybrid and he’s owned it for just three months with only put 3,000 miles on.

With the comments flying in that the rust is normal and EVERY truck on the lot has the same EXACT rust under it, this created a question: is rust normal on new trucks? How about used trucks – how much rust should we expect to find and are there different types of rust to look for?

After discovering rust on his own truck, Tim reached out to other truck owners for their stories and even examined a neighbor’s truck to compare. He went to a local dealership to check out some lightly used trucks to see how they looked and talks about his findings and shares his disappointment in the video below.

So, is rust normal on new trucks?

Yes. And no. It depends on the type of rust, and where it’s located. A little surface rust on something like a u-joint seems pretty common. Surface rust isn’t something to worry too much about, but it can look bad to a potential buyer, which is what Tim is concerned about with his own truck which he plans to sell at the end of this year. Deeper rust on something like a frame or muffler could be a bigger issue and of course a lot of deep rust could be a structural issue. So you have to know what you’re looking.

When do trucks start to rust?

It seems to vary a lot by brand. Some trucks Tim examined had surface rust within a year while others were quite a bit older with the same amount of rust.

Mileage driven, local climate, and how the truck is cared for are big factors when it comes to rust. A lot of northerners apply an undercoating on a regular basis because if they didn’t, their trucks would rust a lot. While those of us in the south rarely even think about rust on our vehicles.

Watch the video. What do you think? If you found rust like this on your new truck would you be concerned?

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Erica Mueller

Erica Mueller is a Texan, which means she believes that trucks are family vehicles and giant SUVs make good second cars. As part-time auto journalist for almost a decade, Erica enjoys driving all kinds of vehicles and sharing her experiences with others. Erica is the secretary of the board for the Texas Auto Writers Association as well as a contributor at A Girls Guide to Cars.

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