2013 Ram rust

I have a 2013 Ram I bought new. I know I live in Minnesota, but since new I've used the truck sparingly during the winter and always made it a point to take it to the car wash and hose the heck out of the underside whenever the weather was acceptable. It's indoors 80% of the time. Just turned over 80,000 miles.

About a week ago I took it to the car wash to do the clean up thing, since it was finally above freezing. I'd used the truck a total of 6 times this winter. I've discovered the left rear wheel well is rusting out. By spring it's going to be showing pretty well. I'm really upset about this.

Have you in the rust belt seen similar problems with these?

It's 8 years old, you live in the "rust belt", I don't think it's called that for no reason, but maybe I'm stereotyping. It's sad I know but the best thing to do is have it cut out and fixed as soon as possible then treat it.

After seeing how bad the 3rd Gens rust, I asked the North East on here how the 4th Gens were holding up a few years ago: Members replied and said they were already rusting.

Blame has been pointed at some block of foam or body sealer used in the rear wheel arches.

I've come to the conclusion that from 3rd Gens and on, Dodge has been sourcing sheetmetal from the same supplier as Blunder Motors.

Could be worse: Moving to Fords, there is quite a few of these aluminum Expedition tailgates that look like this, wonder what the whole fleet of F Series are going to look like in a few years?

My experience in the rust belt is once over 7 years old the rust will start.

My 06 in Va rusting over the wheels now for about 3-4 years. Just bubbles at first now worse. It’s a design flaw, doesn’t rust anyplace on the fender other than there, I’ve looked at many trucks. There is a 16” brace from inner part to the fender lip that holds the ‘rusting’ agent lol anyway once I cut out the bad section that BRACE will be removed so NOTHING will collect up there. Why it needs a brace is beyond me.

Thanks guys. Started pricing out repair panels this afternoon. I know it's going to drive me crazy this summer.

On new Rams there's an optional wheel well liner, wonder if this is supposed to help with this problem.
We just bought an '08 Mega Cab with 47K miles, beautiful condition, guess I need to check the bed!

i was told 2 things. 1st-if you get a bed from south west, in two years it will rust from inside out and 2nd it wont rust IF you take out the tail light and remove that foam filler and have it sprayed with rustproofing stuff if not rusting already. body man told me this. i live in il ,close to st louis,mo. rust belt also.

My 2015 4x4 just started rusting right in the center of the right wheel well. Nothing new for a Dodge...

I didn't read the article, but I seen an MSN headline of 2021 F150's already rusting...

Just because he lives in the rust belt it isn't automatic... Based on his description of use seems excess but typical of todays autos. For instance I have an '01 3500 Dodge with absolutely zero rust and you don't any more rust belt than Western NY. Driven very minimally in from oct to April, kept out doors, 220000mi, Additionally I have a '05 magnum driven daily year round, 150000miles again no rust. My guess they have changed their pre-paint prep. Again guessing, due to its increased popularity phosphate wash vs a primer dip may be the root of this issue. Phosphate is body-less (cheaper, less costly to apply and doesn't run if applied wrong) where a primer dip had substance to it. It offers a better seal where paint may not be able accumulate. Add the lack of sealers and foam sound/stiffening materials rust is sure to happen.

everything likes to rust. In Rams it's the rear wheel wells and for a while people with 2009+ complained about the front fenders rusting thru and bubbling in the middle that people were claiming was from a sound deadening pad that's stuck there. I dunno but I saw a ram with that problem when I was looking to buy. They seem to hold up better then Ford and GM trucks of the same age at least.

The 05-10 LX cars like to rot out in the door bottoms and the side lip of rear door and rear wheel wells.

I think you can remove the taillights and get a good look above the wheel wells.

Thanks, I'll take a look soon.

You can also take a 2" hole saw and drill above the inner wheelhouse and get a good look. Then spray the hell out of it with oil every year.

Yep.. I have tried very hard to keep and preserve my 08 H.Q.C. it only has 58,000 miles , I filled the inner fender holes with silicone and tried not to drive it on salty roads , if I did I cleaned it as soon as I could. two years ago the passenger side started to bubble but its not real bad now I just noticed the driver side has a small bubble. I researched patch panels and they are relatively inexpensive. I ordered a new truck instead it will be the same : only really used to tow the race car but I am also considering getting it Ziebart rust proofed to try and preserve it even more

My 2011 Ram 1500 just started rusting...rust spots on the RR wheel well and bottom of the RR door (Quad Cab). Talked with several body shops, most won't do rust repair (??).
Those that do...told me $7K plus to repair these two, minor spots. Both want to completely replace the door and the bed side. No one will repair the rust anymore.

I was going to fix it now before it gets any worse, but that's no longer a worry since (I'm told) the only fix is complete replacement.


JS

I've seen even California trucks that are located farther inland with the wheel well rust as well. Not as bad at the trucks in the NE or Midwest though.

DO NOT Ziebart your new truck

2011 Ram 1500 Quad Cab - Owned since new

Honestly , most of the time it’s used in the winter months here in WI - UP Michigan

Best thing I ever did was pull all four plastic wheel well liners out , and just went to town with about $200.00 worth of fluid film and LPS 3

I found zero foam or insulation in the rockers , rear bed quarters

Pulling the rear taillights did nothing for me on this truck

However pulling the rear tires when I pulled out the wheel well liners allowed me to get my melon in there and spray where those rear braces are for the bed / quarter structure

Still own the truck - Zero and I mean zero rust - Not even a speck - Even the frame is still black

Only 50,000 miles on the truck and most of those are in winter

Underbody flush at the car wash is a must in the winter - The crap they put on the roads here

Anyways I know it doesn’t help now for those that have rust , but $200 and some hours during the summer ten years ago was pretty damn cheap insurance

My 71 Bee still has the original Ziebart rear window sticker and plug caps

It helped in some areas , and destroyed other areas

Ziebart of 50 years ago is not the Ziebart of today

However

There are so many great options out there for rust control that you can do at home with just a little labor , and some protective clothes , patience

Pull the plastic , plugs , door panels etc. , well liners

I bet they don’t do that at Ziebart

I am still waiting on my new truck to arrive, got a price quote from Ziebart the other day... starting at $800 !! forget about that !

People gonna think I’m crazy when we move back north and I put my pristine 4x4 2500 away for the winter....