The Best Rust Inhibitors for Your Garage

It’s virtually inevitable: over the course of months and years, rust will begin to form on your car, truck, or crossover. Left unchecked, it’ll spread, expand, and eventually ruin its finish, structural integrity, and more.

Rust can form virtually anywhere: in obvious locations on the painted surface of your vehicle, deep beneath its floor, within its body panels, or even completely hidden from sight behind plastic trim and weather stripping. When rust begins forming, it’s hard to stop and very invasive.

Thankfully, numerous products are available to help slow or stop the formation of rust in and on your vehicle. So are several accessories that may help protect your vehicle and prevent rust from forming in the first place. Read on for the scoop about rust protection for whatever you drive, and remember: not all rust-protection products are created equal.

Further, note that surface rust typically forms rapidly when the paint is compromised with a deep chip or scratch. As such, timely and effective sealing of the vehicle’s painted surfaces, if damaged, goes a long way to keep rust from spreading.

“Electronic rust protection works, though it’s designed for applications like underground fuel tanks and large boats,” says Jeff Major, a collision repair technician. “Thing is, in those applications, the metal exterior surface is always wet or damp, allowing the signal to conduct powerfully and fully throughout the metal structure or body.”

Major works in Northern Ontario, where vehicles are exposed to large amounts of salt. When he repairs vehicles with body damage, he takes note of whether or not they have a rust module installed. Then, he inspects the body, beneath the body panels, for signs of rust.

Major’s hobby has led to an interesting observation. “I’ve yet to see a car with a rust module installed that isn’t rusting,” he says. “I was working on a new Corolla the other day that had a rust module installed at the dealership. This car hadn’t even seen its first oil change yet, and it had a rust module but was already showing some rust. In my opinion, these just don’t work as advertised. I haven’t been proven wrong, yet, and I wouldn’t waste my money on one.”

Clean It First: Though the instructions in the rust inhibitor you’re using should be followed precisely, it’s typically a good idea to remove any dirt, debris, or loose existing rust from the area you want to protect before applying the product.

Choose the Right Product: Rust inhibitors are available in a multitude of general-use and application-specific formulations, each with a different purpose. Assess the rust area you want to address, and choose the right product for the job. If you’ll be applying the product on the exterior or underside of your vehicle, you’ll want to use a product designed not to wash away or drip. Thinner or more ‘runny’ rust inhibitors are generally best used for areas protected from exposure to the elements.

Preventative Maintenance: One of the best ways to keep your vehicle rust-free is to help stop rust from forming in the first place. Keeping your vehicle clean, regularly washing its undercarriage with fresh water in winter months, and preventing dirt, mud, leaves and debris from accumulating in or on its body are all great ways to discourage rust from forming. Treat paint chips and scratches on metal surfaces right away for even better results.

Read the Warnings: Don’t skip the warning label on the rust inhibitor you’re using. Some formulations can damage your vehicle’s paint, wiring insulation, rubber seals, and more. Not all rust inhibitors are compatible with all parts of your car or truck—so be sure to carefully read the warnings for best results.

If we were to compare rust to a disease, it will likely be cancer. It spreads rapidly if the conditions are right, if untreated it can destroy a body panel. And if you don’t get it repaired on time, it can even eat through the chassis rendering the car undrivable and sometimes outright dangerous. Many cars have been written off due to excessive rust. So if you notice your car is developing rust despite your best efforts, ensure you get it treated immediately. You can even treat rust at home but bear in mind you do need some automotive experience and know-how to treat the rust at home. So without further ado, here is how you can remove rust from your car at home.

Plastic Sheeting– To cover the vehicle and avoid damage to the area around the rust affected patch.

Painter’s tape– again as an added layer of protection for the unaffected areas.

Sandpaper– 180 or 320 grit to sand away the rust. You will need much more aggressive grit sandpaper in case the rust is deeper than the surface.

A grinder tool– again depends on the type and depth of rust

Wax and grease remover– To clean the affected area before you apply the primer or clear coat.

Body filler– to fill the areas that have been sanded away.

Paint matching the car color– for obvious reasons

Protective gear– Latex gloves, dust mask, and protective goggles to protect you from the fine dust and paint fumes.

Before we begin the procedure, there’s one thing you need to ascertain, the type of rust you are planning to treat. There are three types of rust that you will encounter, surface rust, scale rust and penetrating rust. Surface rust, as the name suggests is just on the surface of the metal. This is the initial stage where the rust has just begun to settle in and it is relatively easy to tackle if you treat it at this stage. You will rarely require a power tool to treat surface rust.

The second type of rust is called scale rust. This is when the rust has settled into the metal and has caused the metal to pit. You will need to be more aggressive in your approach to treat this type of rust and will require the grinder tool to get the rust out. You will need a lot more body filler as well.

The third type of rust is penetrating rust and as the name suggests, it is the type that causes holes in the metal. And there is no going back from this stage. If you have penetrating rust, that body panel will need replacement.