Toyota Highlander Rust

timchi29

I have a 2003 Highlander and noticed on when you open the door, there small spot of rust. Has anyone heard such a thing?

jab01

I've noticed it on my Highlander also. Drivers side.

kenlw

sand it down to bare metal, paint it or apply some clear nail polish. end of issue.

timchi29

Toyta should do it themselves on a 4 year old car.

kenlw

good luck with that......

lgjava

yeah, good luck! Maybe your dealership will send you some discount offers to go along with the rust!

nil55

I'm not sure I should purchase a used Toyota Highlander 2006 FWD. They have reduced the price down to 16300 and it has 44k on it. The problem, rust on the bottom right of both rear quarter panels by the wheel wells. They touched it up, but the vehicle was kept in Itaca, NY and probably wasn't maintained very well. Also, would I still have the 60k powertrain as a 2nd owner and the 60 month corrosion warranty? Should I be this worried about the rust issue? The car runs great, clean carfax and one prior owner.

Help?!?!?!

other1

There are plenty of HLs for sale. Why settle on this one?? There's the rust you see. What about the rust you don't see?? Having the warranty and getting them to honor it is two separate issues.

icadet

Has anyone else had issues with rust spots on their Highlander? How about rail dust?

webgood

I think what you're perceiving as rust is actually "industrial" or "environmental" fallout...tiny little brown specks that are worse on the lower body panels and the rear hatch? They really show-up on white and they're a devil to get off. The wife and I just got done detailing her '04 HL and did it with clay bars...takes that stuff off very easily (compared to any other process I've found) and she's as slick as glass. :shades: Follow the manufacture's instructions (I used the Mother's kit, gave me more claybar for the money) and try reading up on the site www.detailedimage.com for the claybar detailing guide, it's got some helpful hints. Regards, BGood

stever

I've had good luck with clay bars too. Reading about rail dust is a bit scary.

artwilson

I just heard back from Toyota they will not cover the rust issue on my 2008 Highlander. Rust is starting on hatch and leaching from under the door handles on the driver side. Car is garaged and washed regularly. Toyota said out of warrantee 18 months and even though I bought the extended coverage, they said paint would not be covered.

mike2996

I have a 2012 with 22000 miles, garage kept that is starting to rust. Toyota said its common in north east Pa. Won't cover it under warranty. Is any one else having this problem?

susanindenver

I have a 2013 and I have hundresd of rust spots on all sides of my car. starting to bubble on the back rear hatch and that is the only area the local dealer is willing to fight toyota for to get me a paint job. tells me to use the claybar...guess I am from the old school that when you buy something new. the dealer should have done the claybar on all the vehicles in stock. It should not be up to us as consumers to fix their problems. If it is caused by rail shipping that is still there problem. I think maybe a congressional hearing needs to take place. It is only toyotas that this paint is doing this to.

cromagnum_man

All cars are subject to rail dust, not just Toyotas. My other car is a Dodge and one of the first things I did when I brought it home was to give it a good cleaning with a clay bar. You'd be surprised how many contaminants you can see in the clay bar after using it on the whole car.

ardean

Our 2013 Highlander was showing tiny rust spots by Aug 2014. Toyota checked it 2 times, rust coming from inside paint (not rail dust). Dealership saw it bubble and that it was from inside. A field service person was supposed to come look but never did. Toyota is stalling and still is stalling. 5 Months of Stall now. I don't expect this type of treatment from any dealer. Now is why... I can get an expert witness to figure it out. It would probably end up being a huge Class Action suit as this is all too common. Is it from recycled steel with corrosion in it from the start? A flawed factory process? Rail dust prior to painting? Electrolysis of some sort? We will find out.

PilotDoc

I have a 2006 Highlander with 190K miles with substantial rust on the rear internal frame. Heard from a reliable source Toyota had a recall that covered rust in this vehicle. I never received a recall and can find documentation on line.