I was in northeast for a while and never had rust issue, all u need is to do undercarriage wash frequently in winters.

 

Undercoating is great when done right.

If done wrong it will clog drainage holes and cover bolts and body clips, sealing in water and/or causing more problems than it helps.

I would not get it unless I frequently drove gravel roads or parked outside on dirt or gravel, and then only from a body shop or dealer who lets me see their other completed work first.

 

I'm in the process of purchasing a 2017 Highlander SE. One of the things I want to prepare myself for is when they try and sell me the undercoating for rust protection. Should I get it?

Let me make this the 3rd reply out of 3 to suggest No, its not necessary plus one other reason for you to think about and verify that is if you have an aftermarket undercoating/rustproofing applied to your new vehicle then the OEM rust-through warranty will be void immediately; Perhaps let me put it more gently, once an aftermarket undercoating is applied the company who does the work (and/or the manufacturer of the undercoating product) should carry the warranty from that point on (in general, most places will want you to return on an annual basis for check-up and reapply the undercoating in order to honor such warranty - warranty period vary by manufacturer/store). Besides, take a look at the HL's under chassis (I assume the 2017 is no different from my 2016), its quite well covered strategically with plastic shields...

P.S. I still recall back in 2000 how I debated with myself on "should I", "should I not", "what if" and etc. as if I tried to convince myself to buy the aftermarket rustproofing... after these years, the best, cheapest and not to void OEM rust warranty way to go is as already suggested by other members to regularly rinse the undercarriage and wheels with water (I live in the Chicago area, in the winter on a sunny day, I would bring my car to a local self wash place spend $2 via High Pressure Rinse the undercarriage and wheels). :smile:

 

I'm only getting it because my friend's shop does it...first vehicle where I'll have it done on..I hope it helps to protect everything!

I've read from other sources that it does a bit for noise cancellation (debatable), and is only worth it if you keep the vehicle long term (i.e 10+ years). Others have said rust protection is more useful, especially if you're not the one under the car doing the work yourself..

 

Save your money.

 

I wouldn't have it done. It was popular many years ago, but found to actually trap salt and promote rust. Better to park on a sprinkler come spring.

 

The fact that 50 years of debate has not definitively proven its value makes me tend to think it's not.

 

skip it...

 

I'm the oddball of the group. Usually I would say no as well, however my trade in was an 07 Lexus RX350 with a ton of rust issues. It was the first vehicle I've owned for ten years and the rust started about a year and a half ago. Not sure what happened or why I had such a bad rust issue on a Lexus, however it changed how I feel about rustproofing. The rust was mainly behind the rear tires where the plastic met the metal. Rusted underneath the plastic wheel well cover where I didn't see it until it bubbled out of the quarter panel.

Good luck

 

Yes, this past week was the very first time I noticed a lexus on the winter streets with very noticeable rust issues, most were underneath in the rear,not sure what model though

 

At best, it would depend upon the area you live and that would only influence me slightly. I have lived near Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City where snow and salt could be an issue, but even then I would not go there any more. Now that I am in central Florida, it is a positive NO!

 

I'm in the process of purchasing a 2017 Highlander SE. One of the things I want to prepare myself for is when they try and sell me the undercoating for rust protection. Should I get it? Thanks

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Never....it's just another money maker for the dealer.

 

FWIW my wife is driving an '02 Honda Civic bought new (yes, that is '02 not '12). No rustproofing and no rust. This in the metro Detroit area where salt on the roads in winter is sometimes more prevalent than snow.

 

No. I have not undercoated my Toyotas here in MN and they use a lot of salt on our roads.

My 2005 Camry was rust free when it was sold to buy the HL, and my 2006 xB remains rust free.

 

I would say skip it. My Toyota Corolla doesn't have undercoat and it has zero rust after being in Seattle for 11 years. I undercoated my Yukon many years ago while living in Alaska and it made minimal if any difference in sound deadening. I had to tape off drains, plugs, and other connections because in the future if they weren't taped over then it would be hard to separate them.

It would be interesting to hear your decision.

 

I started to get surface rust on the frame/underneath components on my 2008 Toyota Sequoia. Did a lot of research and ended up going with Krown undercoating. They are primarily in Canada but they do have a few locations in the US. Another popular one up in Canada is called Rust Check. I intend on keeping this Sequoia for as long as possible so I want to make sure I am maintaining it the best I can all around.

 

Save your money.

 

Google "Tundra Tacoma Frame Rust Recall" and do some reading. Do YOU trust Toyota will never have these issues again? After you soak that all in and take into consideration where you live (salt, humidity) because you didn't tell us, decide for yourself if you are willing to part with the money to purchase some additional protection for the length of time you plan on owning the HL.

 

It does lessen road noise if that is a problem. I had my 2013 HL undercoated through the dealership. My 2016 Sienna was undercoated as a DIY project using about 10 rattle spray cans of undercoat/sound deadening material. It also lessened the road noise in the van. The important thing is to make sure the undercarriage is clean and salt free before you do it.

 

I use fluid film. 20 bucks on amazon for 3 cans. Works great on my 14 FJ cruiser and 15 Highlander.
I had a used 12 FJ cruiser with major rust! My newew fj no rust anywhere. It can last 8 months .

 

I use fluid film. 20 bucks on amazon for 3 cans. Works great on my 14 FJ cruiser and 15 Highlander.
I had a used 12 FJ cruiser with major rust! My newew fj no rust anywhere. It can last 8 months .

Is that the same as rustcheck? I found that at walmart.. .green can cap . I sprayed some on my rusty drums and realised it stayed wet. I could still spray black paint over it and the paint held good... until chips of rust come off rly.

 

There are a lot of opinions on here as to whether undercoating is worth it. The opinions are nice but unless you do exact side by side tests then no one really knows if it is worth it or not. I have an eight year old Tacoma with little rust underneath but I’m considering an undercoat just to make it look better. For the few hundred bucks it’s worth it to me.

 

Are you saying to cover up the rusted area with undercoat (without treat the rusted area first)? If you are selling the Tacoma, that is UNETHICAL; if you are keeping the Tacoma that is DECEIVING yourself. I suggest that you treat the rusted area(s) first with rust nuturalizer (or patch the area if it's already rusted through) then apply any undercoating to "fix" the problem.

 

Depends on where you live. Vehicles these days don't rust like they use to back into the early 80's. Manufacturers learned their lessons. We haven't had any rust issues living in NH on any vehicle we've owned since the mid 80's. My wife's 1980 Datsun 510 had a lot of rust in just 4 years. But her 87 Accord had just a little rust when we sold it 9 years later with well over 300k miles.

I still have relatives and friends still living in Central NY (real snow country). And when I visit you see a lot of rusty cars still. But they get 5-10 times the amount of snow we get here in Southern NH....and thus a LOT MORE ROAD SALT. If I still lived there I'd get rust proofing. Well worth it. But 99 % of the country - NOT worth it.

 

From my research it would seem that oil/lanolin based protection is the best but it needs to be reapplied every year. This would be products like fluid film and Krown coat. These are hydrophobic products so no moisture can touch the metal at the same time as the product. You might have areas that lose protection but these products will never trap moisture and make things worse.

Undercoating can be effective but it is highly dependent on surface prep and application technique. Our local undercoating shop is Ziebart. Undercoating can trap moisture and create a rust problem. If you drive on dirt/gravel roads undercoating will most likely be compromised.

The youtuber “Project Farm” did a nice video comparing several rustproofing options.

 

Fluid Film works for me. This is after it's first winter in the midwest.

 

Fluid Film works for me. This is after it's winter in the midwest. View attachment 322526

That fancy fluid film seems to washes off WAY too easily if any high splash or water spray hits it, I tested it on my old Midwest tacoma and it failed very quickly to protect frame, axle and a few body panel spots needing to be protected
Currently testing woolwax from MA not CA
But I am also having issues with the spray can stuff, but! The brush on HV woolwax is holding well, even on the body panels I need to protect

I have many pics of what I am going through if interested in another thread here in the 1st gen taco section

Fwiw my truck was rubber undercoated by dealer when new at 20 miles

 

I purchase the premium unlimited monthly car wash package for December through March. It sprays the entire undercarriage. I go in the mornings when it is slow. I do the touch free first and then immediately return for a brush wash. Two undercarriage washes back to back. Sometimes I do this several times a week. My hope is that this will remove most of the salt. Will it work to prevent rust? Time will tell.

 

This product right here is lanolin sheep fat that so far has held up like no product I have tried other than corrosionX hd which is on the toxic side

Looks like caramel

 

This product right here is lanolin sheep fat that so far has held up like no product I have tried other than corrosionX hd which is on the toxic side
View attachment 322537 View attachment 322538
View attachment 322539
Looks like caramel

i wish that guy testing would've included this caramel-like stuff into his testing

it still looks relatively stuck to my taco frame back there, and the fender bolts, and the body panels that needed protecting
and i have taken the power shower garden hose and carwash wand sprayer to it on multiple occasions this past winter