Another Rust question. But not the usual one....

[Mazdafan14]

So I know my car is almost 6 years old... it's a 2010 3 that came out in the fall of '09. I noticed some rust showing up on the ledge under the car... Like the part that sticks out underneath. It's hard to explain. But I'm sure some of you will know what I mean. It is normal that that bottom part of the car is already rusting? I'll take some pictures when I get the chance.

[loki]

"is it normal that my mazda is rusting?"

seems like the same usual question to me

[Mazdafan14]

lol. for a 5 year old car it's rusting pretty ****ing fast.

[jswift79]

ledge = pinch welds?

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Sounds like pinch welds. I wouldn't have expected them to start already to be honest

[Mazdafan14]

Sounds like pinch welds. I wouldn't have expected them to start already to be honest

Yes! The pinch welds. Brain fart. But yeah, they are rusting pretty fast to be quite honest. I don't want it to creep up the side panel...

[jswift79]

Yes! The pinch welds. Brain fart. But yeah, they are rusting pretty fast to be quite honest. I don't want it to creep up the side panel...

i paint my pinch welds with black primer paint. i use a peice of wood to press up against pinch points, and the paint looks scraped. i dont have a hockey puck with a groove cut, or those pinch weld pads (2012 Mazda3 with no rust....yet lol)

i keep forgetting to pick up a can of rubber undercoating paint at Canadian Tire for $10 called "Gravel Guard"

[morganc]

My 2010 is starting to show signs of it. I just Krown it every year and try to jack up my car nicely with pads on the jack.

[staax]

Pinch welds on my Mazda are like butter.

Accidentally bent then while putting the car on jacks right where they are supposed to go.

Wouldn't surprise me no matter how careful you are that they'll rust with minimal contact.

[kingkhan]

My dad bought our 2010 GS sedan back in December and I noticed the other day that it is starting to rust. I noticed a few places. One was the pinch welds at the bottom of the car, the bottom of the passenger door, on the inside of the rear wheel wells, inside of the door handle on the back driver side door, and on the black frame of the rear driver door window.

I noticed that the warranty for perforation is only 5 years and apparently this car was sold back in may of 09. Am I SOL or will mazda still cover considering its a 2010. I mean what a joke that a 5 year old car is rusting this bad.

[staax]

Can't hurt to try, but this is difficult to hear.

Did you ever have it rust proofed?

[Milan96]

2010 GS here. Same rust on the pinch welds, but like someone had already said, with minimal contact they seem to rust. Body care goes a long way. My car will be 7 years old in January, and other than slight rust on the underbody and pinch welds, it's perfect. I just had my car into the body shop recently to get a scuff fixed (my dad doesn't seem to know how to back his pickup into the driveway properly), and my paint guy who used to work at Mazda who has done literally hundreds of rust repairs on protégés and 3s told me that those cars had rusting issues due to defects or something like that in the metal they bought from their supplier. Mazda went to a new supplier for the second generation of 3's, or so I was told. Zero rust on the actual body of my car, and that's with waxing every season and a car wash every week or two. Gen 2 shouldn't be rusting that quickly, and if they are, either you're just really unlucky, or your car should just receive better body care

[c_del]

those cars had rusting issues due to defects or something like that in the metal they bought from their supplier. Mazda went to a new supplier for the second generation of 3's, or so I was told.

I've heard this countless as well and to be fair it seems believable because I haven't seen any rust on countless examples of the newer models. Even still, the rust issues have been a huge turn off for me and I just couldn't bring to buy another when I was recently in the market. It's a shame, but some day I will again.