Rust spots on my gen 5.5! What the hell?!

[islandboy57]

Details on my car...
- First sold 1/2005
- I bought it 2/2006 [in awesome shape]
- Wash and polish every weekend..using name brands like Meguiar's and Mother's
- Uncovered parking at home, but 8a-3p it's in a covered parking garage

Here's the story --

I was detailing my car today..every weekend as usual - and I noticed black marks (think something like a black grain of sand on your paint; you can feel it) on my hood. I picked them off with my fingernail and guess what.. There's RUST! There's one spot on my trunk and one spot on my hood that's the most noticeable. However, it's all over my car save for the doors.

Needless to say I'm really disappointed. I'm such a Toyota fanboy but at this point, I'm considering selling it and getting something else. Why? Best case scenario, Toyota repaints my entire car. Who's to say it won't happen again a few years from now? Worst case scenario, Toyota tells me it's not too bad and they want to see me again if it gets worse. If so, it'll be too late for me to sell it!

Anyway.. I attached some pictures. I'm attaching a full picture, as well as a cropped picture to show the other small rust spots. Ironically, I have a few small spots where my clearcoat came off (I posted here, basically something got on my car and it took my clearcoat with it) and there's ZERO rust around it.

Any advice or insight is appreciated.

^ In this cropped photo, you can see the little rust spots starting up already. It's even worse at 100% crop on my computer.

[islandboy57]

You're missing the point.. It's a 2 year old car. There shouldn't be ANY rust.. I don't think I'm expecting too much on a car with an MSRP of $21K.

But I appreciate the suggestions. If I get something like Boeshield, will that remove it for good or just make what's visible go away? I don't want to mask the rust, I need to get rid of it. I'm very uneasy about this whole situation because if I keep the car, it's gonna have to last me 15+ years. I don't want it to be littered with holes from rust ten years from now!

EDIT: The rust spots are tiny and all over my car. If I choose to do something myself, I'm going to have to go over my entire car.. This isn't one small spot on my car.

[islandboy57]

You sound very arrogant. I don't care how much your paint job costs. A 2 year old car that is washed/polished every weekend should not be rusting, plain and simple. If you don't like this thread, move on.

EDIT: You added in where rust would develop as a car ages. (No kidding!). I'm not talking about under the car, or in the engine bay. This is smack dab in the middle of the trunk and hood. Let me know how you feel when your 2 year old car develops rust spots all over it.

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by JJJJJJ

You sound very immature. Buy a new car, if you can't stand rust, every car in the world rusts, even the ones in arizona, your is very minor. I am quite sure the dealer/Toyota will deny your claim for a new paint job. What they will do is buff it out with a rust remover, which you can do better at home.

I have a $5,000 (3-stage pearl) paint job on my car, and I use Boeshield, it is aviation grade rust removal and prevention, it's not meant for car paint specifically - but it's the best product out there and I use it sparingly.

You will see more rust develop near the wheel well, in the gas filler, in the engine bay (EGR valve, bolts, clamps, ground, exhaust, all unpainted surfaces).

Unless your car is in a bubble, free from oxygen, or you buy a zinc anode system - no matter what you get rust.

You edited your post yet again. I understand rust will develop as the car ages, especially in places like the wheel well. Are you not comprehending that I'm talking about on the trunk of a nearly new car?

[Mistabullet]

I might be missing something but......

Why are you polishing your car everyweek? Most people polish maybe once or twice a year.

(I'm no PRO at detailing and I'm going to assume you don't know much about polishing so don't take this as a personal attack)


You realize that polishing is pretty much removing a layer of clearcoat.

In other words...
I believe it is who you caused these rust spots. Too much polishing probably caused the exposer of metal and that led to your rust problem.

Here is a great how-to on polishing made by our very own Pb (I believe he is a professional Detailer): Polishing

Originally Posted by Pb

It is possible for polish to "sand" down through your clear coat or even the base coat.

And here is the thread in which you will find that and many other helpful information: Exterior Detailing Interior Detailing


I recommend you visit the Detailing & Car Care thread. Do a search / create a new thread / or PM Pb himself for some help.

Good Luck.

[lammydi]

Originally Posted by Mistabullet

Why are you polishing your car everyweek? Most people polish maybe once or twice a year.

You realize that polishing is pretty much removing a layer of paint and is used to bring out fresh paint.

In other words...
I believe it is who you caused these rust spots. Too much polishing probably caused the exposer of metal and that lead to rust.

+1 I agreed with Mistabullet here. Not to mentioned you also wash it every week. More water= more prone to rust.
I washed my car average once every 2 months. I do dust it off everyday. But I live in San Diego where it doesn't rain much. You live in Hawaii so I can see where you have to wash it more often than me. But go easy on those polishing products....Sorry to hear this happened to your car! I would be pissed too.

[islandboy57]

That's interesting. I've never heard about polishing/waxing your car too much. Obviously something like a rubbing compound made for removing dirt from the paint, if used often, will strip your clearcoat because there wouldn't be any dirt to take off.

I'm talking about something like Turtle Wax liquid ICE. It's made to make your paint glossy, not to clean it. I hopped on the internet and here's something from Meguiar's website:

If you always want your car to look like it just won a car show,

then you can and should apply a pure polish or premium wax often.
Meguiar’s pure polishes can be applied as often as you like, even daily with no negative effect, and in fact will keep you car looking showroom new for the life of the car if you were in fact to polish it each and every day. Meguiar’s polish/waxes and pure waxes can also be used often for maximum protection and eye dazzling good looks

Can someone point me to a reputable online website which states polishing your car too often can cause rust or other problems?

BTW. I wash/detail 4 cars with a friend just about every weekend. '05 Avalon, '89 Legend, '95 Camry, and my '05 Camry. My car is the only one with problems. The '95 already has rust but that started years before I started washing it regularly. We also do a '06 Corolla every now and then but the paint has gone to hell already. Without a good coat of polish/wax, the clearcoat vaporizes in Hawaii's sun. I see lots of cars with peeling clear coats on the road here.

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by Mistabullet

Why are you polishing your car everyweek? Most people polish maybe once or twice a year.

(I'm no PRO at detailing and I'm going to assume you don't know much about polishing so don't take this as a personal attack)
.

No offense taken.

Most people wash/wax their car once or twice a year like you said because they're lazy. Not because they're trying to preserve their paint (just the opposite in fact) or prevent rust. I'm sure I know more than most about car detailing. Practice makes perfect right? My car's finish is as glossy as ever. Same with my mom's '95.

Thanks for the links by the way. I'm going to take a look at the thread now. I just took a quick glance and see the thread differentiates between polish and wax. I've seen people say wax cleans your paint, and polish makes it shine. Some say polish cleans your paint, wax makes it shine -- the cleaning part being the most abrasive. I have a clay bar, and other abrasive compounds that I use once every year or every other year to give my car a good cleaning. The stuff I use every weekend is to make the paint glossy.

[islandboy57]

Anyway, I appreciate the input from mista and lammy. I'm curious what my local Toyota dealership will have to say. If anything, my car is just 1 out of 100,000 Camrys with a slightly imperfect paint job exacerbated by the grueling Hawaii sun. Or..maybe I'm loving my car to death. Literally!

[Mistabullet]

Good Luck with that ^

& once again....

I highly recommend you visit the Detailing & Car Care thread.

I'm sure you'll find a solution to your problem as well as a list of better products and online vendors (I think they love www.autopia.com)

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by Mistabullet

Good Luck with that ^

& once again....

I highly recommend you visit the Detailing & Car Care thread.

I just did, and edited my previous reply to say what I think.

EDIT (just to avoid cluttering this thread): I PM'd Pb and asked him to check out this thread if/when he has time. Thanks again for a direct link to the thread. Let's see what he says..

[Kingdom934]

Hmmm...

Could it have come from small rocks on the freeway? For all I know, there's so much damn pot holes on the freeway that have gravel flying out of em every time.

My Mom's 2001 Camry doesn't seem to have any of that rust spot that you seem to have. Her car is white though. On the other hand, my Uncle (was my dad's) 1998 Corolla with the metallic color as your Camry, The Corolla has those small rust dots on the top of the car and on the hood though. Then again though, the corolla came from somebody who went golf...

[v6kamuri]

lol

just get another car or get a whole new paint job, either way rust will happen especially since you live in a moist climate.

rust happens sooner or later, you just got hit sooner.


seriously chill, i'd hate to see what happens when your paint starts oxidizing.
Silver is the fastest one to do so.

[geoff5093]

I know that polishing does remove your clearcoat, but a very minimal amount. Thats why after polishing you get rid of most of the swirl marks. You really shouldnt polish your car every weekend, but theres nothing wrong with washing it.

[aussie_gen1]

OK, potentially stupid question...

Could this be tree sap or tar from the road?