Rust under 2024 Gladiator with 90 miles it, on dealer lot. Pics below.

[gonemad]

As a follow up, I’ve had the Jeep 7 months now, and was putting some Weather Tech mudflaps up front and noticed the rust was getting worse underneath. Crusty on lots of weld joints. I had already scheduled my first service for next week, but I honestly don't expect much in terms of what they can do to mitigate it.

The dealer, who I like and have traded with before on other brand vehicles, has a new 2024 Sport S on one of their lots that is close by, and is nearly identical to mine but with some more options.

I’m contemplating trying to work a trade. Best case, I’ll be money out of pocket for the options. They have theirs marked down $14,000 between their incentives and Jeep’s, in their on-line ad. I assume this means I’ll get killed on a trade, unless they are willing to eat more of it due to having sold me a new, rusty Jeep last summer. Which is the angle I’ll be pursuing. I mean, I could keep this vehicle. I like it a lot, but my vehicles tend to get passed down to my grown kids and I know they like this one. I don’t want to own a rust bucket, or give them one.

I’m going to drive over to that lot tomorrow while they are closed to confirm that the Jeep is still in their inventory. It will have been on the lot for awhile so I can have a look underneath unmolested.

Then on Monday go see them. I have no idea how will it will go, but I am an old, congenial, relaxed, patient, southern, but deliberate, negotiator. That was part of my job description for about 35 years.

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[Hootbro]

Your money, your choice I guess but if you were not going to even entertain some of the already suggested Fluid Film or similar treatments, anything you buy new now is only getting you a year or two reprieve.

 

[starrskream]

If you have 90 miles on it dealer should be fixing this. That’s a lot of rust for 90 miles of ownership.

 

[gonemad]

Your money, your choice I guess but if you were not going to even entertain some of the already suggested Fluid Film or similar treatments, anything you buy new now is only getting you a year or two reprieve.

If I am reading your post correctly, you are suggesting that another new Jeep will look like mine inside a year or two. No one upthread had observed this kind of rust at any age if I recall all the posts correctly.

 

[Hunter#1]

I leased mine last March. It's my daily driver. It see's 2 months of daily beach driving for surf fishing , not being washed to much during winter snow's. No rust , just a spot here and there where I see it on most trucks, Little on shocks, exhaust. none on the frame. Glads do have some problems, but there built like a tank.

 

[AmosMoses]

I bought a couple cans of fluid film last fall and sprayed the undercarriage. It took about 20 minutes. Seems like a cheap and easy way to add a little bit of protection and it's something I plan on doing every year now going forward.

 

[amiyank]

I had the same issue on mine after one winter in upper state NY. I knocked down the rough spots with a wire wheel, and used a rattle (Fusion Matte) can to get the most egregious spots back to black. If I was keeping it I might want to use the Fluid Film or the NH Undercoating.

 

[Hootbro]

If I am reading your post correctly, you are suggesting that another new Jeep will look like mine inside a year or two. No one upthread had observed this kind of rust at any age if I recall all the posts correctly.

I am not trying to be argumentative with you on this but as mention, the frame rust you showed has been reported in other threads from the transportation handling. Some are worse than others but you chose to not even deal with it and now it is worse from your statements.

It obviously in your craw over this and you seem to be more financially stable to absorb such costs since you regularly pass on vehicles to your adult children.

Anybody up North laughs at this and would treat it so it does not get worse. Obviously not your Jam to do similar.

 

[Badunit]

I have never seen a vehicle that didn't eventually get rust underneath. Maybe not directly off the lot (except Ford trucks) but none escape it for long unless you do something to stop it.

You bought your JT in July '24 and noticed the problem a week or so later but did nothing about it. In Dec '24 (5 months later) you posted here for advice and received quite a few decent ideas but did nothing about it. Now, 2 months after that, you still have done nothing about it. What you have now is minor surface rust. You can clean it and paint it yourself in no time. The dealer will probably just sand or wipe it down a little and hit it with a rattle can. You can do that yourself and do it better. But that isn't going to stop rust forever or handle new places.

Fluid film (or equivalent) will get in everywhere, even places you can't see or paint. It looks like a major oil leak and smells bad for a while but then it sets in and just looks a little shiny. With a wand or an air-compressor setup or going to someone who does it for you, it can be sprayed into all the holes in the frame and all the little nooks and crannies that would otherwise rust unseen until it was too late. Unlike paint, it is self healing if it gets nicked or scratched, it does not peel off or scrape off, and you can spray it on nearly everything, not just the black painted stuff. Unlike the old tar-based undercoatings that actually made things worse, it does not crack or peel and let water in, allowing rust to fester unseen under the coating. The only downside I see to Fluid Film is that everything underneath will be slightly oily when you want to work on it. Big whoop. I see that as protection, not a problem. Keep a can around to quickly touch up places you missed or that need more. You really should consider it.

Or you can trade in your 7 month old JT for one that has no rust (yet) and you can protect the new one before it gets any. I think this option is going to cost you a lot but if it fixes the problem for you then go for it.

 

[gonemad]

I’ve lived in the two Carolinas (away from the coast) my entire life. Owned vehicles since 1972. Never seen a new vehicle that started life here with rust like this when new. Never even recall selling a used vehicle here that looked like that either. (Including the 2017 Ford truck with 110k on it that I traded for the Jeep.)

I did spray the underside of the Jeep thoroughly with SaltAway, recommended here, after first reporting this here. First time I’ve ever done anything or seen the need to do anything to treat the underside of a vehicle here.

I checked trade values today. Trying to trade for even another 2024 does not look like a winning strategy. Nor for a 2025.

I’m scheduled for my first service Tuesday. Not optimistic about what the dealer will say or do when we discuss it, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

 

[Stan H]

I am not trying to be argumentative with you on this but as mention, the frame rust you showed has been reported in other threads from the transportation handling. Some are worse than others but you chose to not even deal with it and now it is worse from your statements.

It obviously in your craw over this and you seem to be more financially stable to absorb such costs since you regularly pass on vehicles to your adult children.

Anybody up North laughs at this and would treat it so it does not get worse. Obviously not your Jam to do similar.

I totally agree we always have salty roads in winter. That is as stated transportation damage as it is scrapped. I just sanded and painted several places from my own off road wheeling adventures and salty roads very similar to this my trusty ryiobi drill and wire wheel and a paint stripping wheel and some rustoleum and a pair of safety glasses and the job was done in 15 min.
That aint no big deal as @Hootbro stated ..

 

[Vtur]

The issue is that Jeep didn't bothered with removing the weld silicone from welded joints before painted. Paint do not adhere to it. Once those brown stuffs chipped off, rust will formed instantly.

 

[gonemad]

My Jeep is definitely an outlier. I was on three Jeep lots yesterday and looked under several 2024s, just like I did six months ago when I first discovered the rust three days after I bought it, and all of them looked great underneath.

 

[Stan H]

Well, I will say this yes make them fix it . And then in the future expect to have it happen again if you off road any. And
P.S. I am lifted 2.5 on 35's and still do it on occasion.

 

[Sigz]

A: Either make them fix it.

B: If they don't, use fluid film or woolwax

C:Trade in, take the cash hit, and prophylactically treat to prevent rust.

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