I’ve seen worse, especially around Midwest areas.
Kimberly said:
I’ve seen worse, especially around Midwest areas.
Midwest mechanic here. Honestly, I can’t even see the rust people are pointing out /s.
Looks fine to me. Around here, that’s pretty much what cars look like at this age. From the picture, it just seems like surface rust.
Adrian said:
Looks fine to me. Around here, that’s pretty much what cars look like at this age. From the picture, it just seems like surface rust.
Got it. This is a 2012 Fusion I bought back in May. I kind of rushed into it, and it sat for a while. I live in PA, so it does add up.
@MustangMania
I’m in the rust belt too. That rust doesn’t look great, but it’s not a death sentence yet. Just keep an eye on it.
This doesn’t seem too bad to me.
So is this worse than I thought? I bought it for $4500 and it had 86,000 miles.
MustangMania said:
So is this worse than I thought? I bought it for $4500 and it had 86,000 miles.
Honestly, compared to my old 2012 Fusion, this looks solid. What’s the mileage now? With good care, you can probably get another 3-5 years easily. Keep it washed to get rid of salt, and don’t use cheap rust treatments like Linex—it can trap moisture and make things worse. There are better oil-based treatments, but they’re tricky to apply. Let me know the mileage, and I can give you a more accurate idea.
@Holden
It’s at around 89,000 miles now. I’ve had it since May, but I don’t have a garage, so it’s always outside, which won’t help in winter.
MustangMania said:
@Holden
It’s at around 89,000 miles now. I’ve had it since May, but I don’t have a garage, so it’s always outside, which won’t help in winter.
Even without a garage, it should last if you keep up with maintenance. These cars rust, but the 2.5L engine is great. Just change the oil regularly with full synthetic, and it’ll take care of you.
@Holden
You could just replace rusted parts. Do people really let cars just break down and give up?
Pace said:
@Holden
You could just replace rusted parts. Do people really let cars just break down and give up?
Replacing parts works for a while, but eventually, there’s no solid metal left to attach new parts to. My last Fusion got to that point—nobody would touch it because the rust was too bad. It’s not about giving up; it’s about practicality.
@Holden
Parking in a garage can actually make rust worse because of trapped moisture.
MustangMania said:
So is this worse than I thought? I bought it for $4500 and it had 86,000 miles.
For $4500 at 86k miles with this little rust, you got a steal in this market.
This car’s good for another 100k miles, easy.
This is pretty normal for a car of this age.
I’d hit it with a wire brush and spray it with something like Fluid Film every fall. My 2011 Edge still looks great after 13 Michigan winters.