2004 Toyota Prius body rust / corrosion (rocker panels, front fenders)
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NOTE: I split this discussion from my Prius build/ecomodding thread because it's something specific that other owners will be searching for more and more as these cars age.
--- My 2004 Prius is rusting out in several places. It's worst in the rocker panels, but the front fenders have also started to go. This thread will show where and hopefully why the corrosion has started,so owners of newer cars (or older cars in less rust-prone parts of the world) can take steps to prevent it. Eastern Ontario & west Quebec are perfect laboratories for discovering automotive design flaws that cause rust by trapping moisture, winter road salt (the killer) and dirt. Here's what the rocker panels look like when I got the car http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1437675683 http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1438795933 It was easy to poke that screwdriver through the side of the car. I have an idea about the cause/path of this rust, and hope to offer some good preventive info to owners of newer cars (or cars that live in less salty winter environments) that haven't begun to rust... yet. |
How do you think the rust started?
It looks like it started from inside. Rusted trough wheel well got dirt in there? Some clip from bottom plastic paneling fell off and allowed dirt in there? Just by itself? Some other way? Maybe you (mostly meaning other Prius owners) can put rust preventing oil into there from rear spat attachment hole. |
On the 3rd gen, that whole area is covered by a plastic rocker panel.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/images.holla.../5IG/SJL/2.jpg I wonder if this was one reason Toyota made that change. Is rust in that area common? |
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I haven't opened up the rocker panel yet to confirm, but I believe the problem has to do with this "shelf" at the bottom of the rear wheel arch (ahead of the rear tire) that holds dirt, salt & moisture: http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1439047072 You can't see it well in the pic, but where the yellow arrow points, the tip of the screwdriver that I stabbed into the car is visible at a small hole there. Which means water, salt & dirt are getting in the rocker cavity there. Also, all the factory undercoating has flaked off that shelf, exposing bare metal. Quote:
And when I cut the existing rust out of the rocker panel to repair it later this summer or early fall, I should be able to confirm the source. |
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front fender rust too
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I'll post a pic later, but there's also rust starting in the front fenders as well, behind the tire.
It's in the location of the holes in the wheel arch where the plastic inner fender liner & mud guards attach to the panel. On the passenger side of my car, the corrosion has crept around the corner from the tabs out onto the side of the fender. UPDATE: some pics... http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1439053569 http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1439053569 http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1439053569 http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1439053569 |
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Prius rocker panels have inner structure. Only pictures that I have found: http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/pix/hf07/156aby-ch.jpg http://priuschat.com/data/attachment...5_23.31.29.jpg Looking forward for your pictures. EDIT: On the other hand is it even that beneficial to protect the inside of the rocker? If that hole was rusted and worn into the wheel well wouldn’t just stopping the hole from appearing stop the rust from appearing? Or is the hole in there from the factory? Or did that hole start from inside? |
Thanks for those picture links of the rocker structure! We'll have more when I cut out my rust.
I suspect the hole on the "shelf" in the wheel well was caused by rust, and then salty water & dirt got inside from there. So if you could prevent the hole, you prevent the rocker rust. I would still rust-proof the inside of the rocker. It's normal procedure (commercial aftermarket) here to drill access holes to spray rust inhibitor inside hard to access areas. Then you put greased plastic plugs in the holes. I'm posting pics of the front fender rust in a minute. I'll add them to the previous post, above. |
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We use lots off road salt here. But for some reason Priuses don’t have front mud guards (which off coarse causes the paint to wear from rocker and then it rusts from outside). But since front inner fender liner attaches with plastic clips there’s no rust in there. |
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