JOE M

You are kidding right!

I built a home for a Half Million, not including my time, but I didn't put a mote, draw bridge and 100 Rotties foaming from the mouth around it. But to let you know I am very **** about my possessions and spent two weeks under the truck like Michael Angelo and used two quarts of POR trying to keep it nice to no avail.

Protected metal will rust if it is not prepped correctly while being manufactured. Trying to protect it after you buy it assembled is like putting a silk hat on a pig. Land Rover started using Galvanized chassis on Defenders after enough people bitched about the preceding chassis rotting away. Quality restoration shops today are doing frame off restorations that will make the car of the late 60's that would rot as you starred at them last forever with the prep technology today. The shame is the big auto makers are not worried about the items not seen by the three year lease and is maintenance included generation.

ColdCase

A lot of the 2006s seem to have rusted out mufflers and tail pipes. My hitch is OK, but I do have some rust on the front bumper and holes in the tail pipe. I've had American trucks go over 10 years in this environment without rust issues and on the OEM exhaust, so I know they can make them last if they really wanted to.

05HDRAM

They dump so much salt on the roads in my area they turn white. Sometimes I stop at the car wash daily to clean it off. I have the same year truck and have no issues with rusting out pieces. Yeah I have some rust spots on the exhaust, but that's mostly from chips in the coating I did not do anything with. Don't clean your truck after driving through the salt, and it is going to eat things up.

I have seen 3rd gen Dodges that look great, and some that look like garbage. My opinion is you need to do your part taking care of it. Even though the paint is crappy from the factory and there does not seem to be much of a clearcoat, my truck still looks great due to regular washing and waxing. The only problems I have dealt with on previous trucks I owned was the bed seam rust on an '83 Toyota Pickup and paint flaking off the rockers on a '90 Chevy.

If you don't think Ford and Chevy have any problems, go read some of their forums. I did my research before buying my '05, and I read more complaints about Fords than any other model. I may have bought a Chevy, but I wanted a solid front axle.

got_soot

i know most dont have this luxury but i park my new truck in the winter and drive my winter beast. thats the only way i keep my truck from rusting out. I do feel bad for people north of me also. vehicles in mich. are nasty with rust.

Grit Dog

Check your front bumper, it should be rusting too!
Yeah, I'm not the biggest fan of Dodge's, chrome,aluminim wheels and undercarriage rustproofing, but oh well. I could think of bigger things than repainting the trailer hitch and loosing a muffler in 5 years to complain about.
If it makes you feel better, my 08 Ford has rusty wheels and bumpers......and trailer hitch.

Like that other dude said, when I was a kid in Chicago, any brand of vehicle rusted thru in 5yrs or less it seemed. A little steel wool to the front bumper and a ratllecan job on th trailer hitch don't seem bad.

JOE M

Yea,it has some stains.
I started this tread to see how others handled this with Dodge but when folks say you should accept this as normal is just American complacency.
When I was a kid I also witnessed the rot as you watch era. But with todays technology there is no excuse and with the price we pay today for trucks! In 1972 the national average salary was $8,030.76, you could by two Chevrolet Impalas.