why do dodges rust so bad

T77911S · 04-11-2018, 04:32 AM

just bought an 03 Dakota truck with 110k on it.
you open the hood and every bolt, bracket, valve cover, even metal hoses are rusting.
there is a bad quarter size rust spot on the hood, some rust on the inside bottom of the drivers door. looking down at the suspension it looks pretty rusty.
thing is I see a LOT of dodge trucks that look like the body could fall off any minute due to rust.
I just took one valve cover off. the rust holes are almost all the way thru on them.

I have a 90 mazda b2200 that I bought in 1995. it has some rust under it but no signs of it on the outside and nothing like it on the engine.

I would like to keep the truck as long as I have had the mazda but I don't see it happening with the way these things rust.

happy with the price, 3500

tabs · 04-11-2018, 05:14 AM

Maybe it is because it was under water.

recycled sixtie · recycled sixtie's Garage

That is simple. Because they are built cheaply. How many rusty Porsches do you see? Very few coz they are better built.

T77911S · 04-11-2018, 05:29 AM

I thought about the water thing. but I see so many others rusting away.
that's what it looks like, underwater
friends with the PO, so I know and trust him.,

my mazda sits outside all the time.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

I read it as "Dodgers"... 4-6

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by peteremsley

economics? Dodge less likely to be garaged and taken care of than say a MB or BMW?

At least in the Northeast USA, garaged vehicles rust more than those parked outside. If left outside, the salted cars stay below freezing. In a garage, you end up with salty water.

Maybe money savings? Cadmium or nickle plated bolting is more expensive. Thinner metal with less galvanization?

kach22i · kach22i's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by T77911S

just bought an 03 Dakota truck with 110k on it.
you open the hood and every bolt, bracket, valve cover, even metal hoses are rusting.
there is a bad quarter size rust spot on the hood, some rust on the inside bottom of the drivers door. looking down at the suspension it looks pretty rusty.

Sounds like an ocean surge (flood car-brine water) or salty ocean air car to me.

If it were just the body I'd look into percent of foreign steel used on the car. Many countries have a higher percent of recycled steel in their final product than American made steel, so it is said to rust out quicker. I heard this like 40 years ago, so maybe things are different now.

nota · 04-11-2018, 06:14 AM

F.I.A.T. invented rust then licensed it to karman [old car guy saying]

guess who owns Chrysler/dodge now ?

herr_oberst · 04-11-2018, 06:53 AM

I'm curious to know, and I'm asking with all due respect to you, why did you buy a rust bucket, if you knew it was a rust bucket?

How many more miles do you think it has left in it? What will you use it for mainly? Is there anything you like about it, and what else was out there when you were making the decision to buy this particular truck?

I really like the looks of the '03 Dakota.. Is yours 4WD?

vash · vash's Garage

they must have sold the patent to the toyota truck frame branch.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

they must have sold the patent to the toyota truck frame branch.

For sure, and it's not just the frame. A long list of parts on my 2003 Tundra rusted out. The most surprising to me was the steering rack rusted through. I was a great truck and ran flawlessly but it was falling apart under me.

908/930 · 908/930's Garage

I think it has to do with the untreated metal they use, like the cars from the 70's. I have a friend with the same truck and same problem, no plating and then super thin layer of primer and paint.

Check the nuts holding the rear u joints, his rattled loose and his drive shaft came flying out.

VincentVega · 04-11-2018, 08:04 AM

I think they get metal from the same place gm got rocker material.

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

I think it has a lot to do with how well they are taken care of. This is a 2000 that lives in the upper midwest and garaged and has 195k miles on it. It does have a rust bubble starting on the passenger side but that is a replacement fender due to a suicidal deer. YMMV

T77911S · 04-11-2018, 08:36 AM

T77911S · 04-11-2018, 08:43 AM

its not that its a rust bucket, its just that I am surprised to see things like fuel line rust and bolts rust.

I was not looking for dodge, only reason I bought it is the price, it is a good looking truck and I new the owner. its also very clean inside,

maybe it sat, 110k is not a lot for a 15yr old truck. the aluminum on the intake did look like it had sat at one time

Tim Hancock · 04-11-2018, 08:47 AM

My wife wanted a brand new Dakota 4x4 in '98. We bought it and then unfortunately had it into the dealer for 8 different issues in the nearly 3 years we owned it. The Dodge trucks of that era had very thin brittle paint. Our front bumper had rust forming all over the place from tiny stone chips in the black paint. The rear end which is visible from behind on the 4 x 4 was bare steel and rusted when brand new.

I have been driving Toyotas ever since after dumping that POS Dodge.... My first Toyota ('99 Tacoma 4x4) had no visible rust issues, but Toyota bought it back due to a Dana US built frame rust recall for 1.5 times KBB excellent Retail value. My next Toyota (2002 Tundra) also got a recall and they coated the frame with rust preventer. I now drive a 2011 Tundra Limited 4 x 4 and I absolutely love it. I will never own another Dodge.

T77911S · 04-11-2018, 09:08 AM

I may just hang on to this one for few years.
my daughter has a 99 f250 7.3. she is always looking for a bigger one so I may drive this until she finds what she wants and buy her 7.3.

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by T77911S

its not that its a rust bucket, its just that I am surprised to see things like fuel line rust and bolts rust.

I was not looking for dodge, only reason I bought it is the price, it is a good looking truck and I new the owner. its also very clean inside,

maybe it sat, 110k is not a lot for a 15yr old truck. the aluminum on the intake did look like it had sat at one time

Parked in the grass for a while?

jcommin · jcommin's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by T77911S

just bought an 03 Dakota truck with 110k on it.
you open the hood and every bolt, bracket, valve cover, even metal hoses are rusting.
there is a bad quarter size rust spot on the hood, some rust on the inside bottom of the drivers door. looking down at the suspension it looks pretty rusty.
thing is I see a LOT of dodge trucks that look like the body could fall off any minute due to rust.
I just took one valve cover off. the rust holes are almost all the way thru on them.

I have a 90 mazda b2200 that I bought in 1995. it has some rust under it but no signs of it on the outside and nothing like it on the engine.

I would like to keep the truck as long as I have had the mazda but I don't see it happening with the way these things rust.

happy with the price, 3500

They always have. A long time ago Dodges were almost bullet proof vehicles. There suffered from conservative styling. That changed in the 50's when Virgil Exner became the head of styling. His designs looked fresh but the cars suffered from quality problems and rust. Chrysler was the first car company to offer a 50,000 mile warranty - it was intended to deflect their quality issues.