GTR31

I will be buying a the new 2013 lexus es350 and I am not sure if i should do an undercoat for the car. I would just the the undercoat the car and would NOT rustproof the body so its not necessary to drill holes in the car. I just personally don't like how it looks after its undercoated especially on a brand new car.
For my old car i did undercoats every few years but i hear that since the car is modern and specifically a lexus es350, that it uses galvanized steel which wont rust and because it already has protection. Does Galvanized steel protection as effective? So with the galvanized steel, would i need to undercoat it? Also, does anyone know if the ENITRE bottom of the 2013 es350 is galvanized steel?

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

Undercoating is fine. I'd do it, but in late autumn before winter only. I don't have holes drilled, I get a product that goes over and around what is there without drilling anything, in black for underbody and clear Vaseline like for door jambs & engine bay.

SW17LS

Not necessary IMHO...

LexBob2

I agree. Today's cars, not just Lexus, don't need undercoating or rustproofing. Save your money.

iceblast

YES, get the undercoating at the bare minimum! It shouldn't invalidate any warranties as there is no drilling (make sure you request this). Nothing will keep the salt and moisture out and off the underbody of the car, like oil based undercoatings (like Krown). Will help prolong the life of all your underbody components (shafts, fuel lines etc). Hell, even as spring rolls around, the oil begins to creep again. I have been told spring is the best time to do it, but I always do mine in early September, while it is still hot enough out for the oil to creep around all the nooks and crannies of the car.

After a few years, do the undercoatings with the holes in the doors ... you won't be worried about the body as much as a brand new car and you will ensure the panels don't rust from the inside out (which is always the problem!). Keep on top of any chips that happen before and after winter, and always wash the car 1 time per week in the winter (maybe more).

I winter drive my 07 ES 350 and it looks like a 2012 (so I am told).

I will agree undercoating is probably not required for the US residents, but up here, you need it.

bc6152

Google "Should I undercoat a new car?" and you will see that it is an absolute waste of money. Don't let a dealer talk you into this; This is an old trick used by dealers to charge more. Like a wax sealer, special spark plugs, window etching, nitrogen filled tires, and a dozen more "add-ons". Cars haven't needed undercoating for about 30 years because they no longer rust unless damaged and not refinished properly. Save your money and don't be the fool.

Mike728

Total waste of money.

BikrMike

First of all if you live further south (south of Ontario, as in the U.S.) I agree rust proofing is likely a waste of $ since winters by Ontario, Canada standards are no where near as severe. If you are keeping your vehicle less than around 8 years here in Ontario you're not going to see anything (rust) much less perforation until after that.

Where did you hear that Lexus uses galvanized (zinc coated) steel )? That's news to me and I would expect Canadian dealers and Canadian Lexus ads would be making a big sales pitch with that fact ! I have my doubts.

Undercoating and rust proofing are not quite the same as far as I know. Ziebart used to provide undercoating...........it didn't work and made rusting worse by hardening and allowing corrosion to take place as it peeled back. Ziebart eventually went to oil based system with drilled holes that creeped and displaced moisture.

I keep vehicles a long time.........as in 15+ years. I have used Rust Check (oil based) system with holes drilled and oil based product sprayed in. It drips a little but more importantly it creeps which is what you want. Last year I traded in a 17 year old Corolla that had been Rust Checked since day 1................no rust, no rust stains, nada.

4 days after I picked up my ES300H in Dec. I had it Rust Checked in Toronto. This guy does Ontario Goverment vehicles. Like I said.........if you keep vehicle 8+ years, it's a no brainer here in Ontario, Canada !

SW17LS

Almost all modern cars use galvanized steel...

BikrMike

I'm a retired Mechanical Engineer who sold to the automotive industry and I've been in many assembly and stamping plants including the 2 Toyota plants up here in Canada, Some galvanized steel may be used but it wouldn't be much and that zinc (galvanizing) coating would be quite thin like a electroplated nut or bolt, nothing like on a galvanized steel pail, for example.

Most stamped steel that makes up a body shell starts out as a sheet with a light oil coating that goes through a multi-stage wash/rinse process followed by a phosphate dip (to etch surface) followed by E-Coat dip (electro-deposition primer) and finally more rinses. After several more stages of inspection and sanding, etc. it's ready for top coat and clear coat. You can check out the e-coat process on the internet. Most people think it's galvanizing that has made modern vehicles more rust resistant.........no, it's the E-Coat process. I believe PPG has the lions share of this global biz. I expect a serious galvanized coating would not allow the paint finish consumers demand.

In my opinion, for galvanized steel to make a difference in automotive applications you'd have to have a fairly thick coating as in highway guard rails, lamp posts, etc. Not likely to happen. Here in Canada winters can be so severe as to be like in a Marine environment with constant salt spray from the road.

03LX470

You would be surprised at how many Lexus have undercarriage rust (even ones that are a few months old)

I always consider buying slightly used cars to save the depreciation as I change cars frequently. The one thing I don't miss every time is to put the car on a lift to see the undercarriage.

The most common rust is the suspension arm. Surface rust always there - whether SUV or sedan. I've been told the new GS uses aluminum so it could be an exception.

On SUVs like LX570 the chasis is visible and so is the rust. I bought "an almost new" LX570 from a Lexus dealer where I noticed the rust soon after the purchase. After a long battle, they agreed to replace the car although they weren't obligated to. Guess what. The replacement also developed rust soon on the same areas.

Rust proofing is a MUST on all Lexus in my opinion!

NA2NC

Sorry to be bumping this 6+ years later. Having live in Southern Ontario for the last 30 years and owned many Japanese cars, Krown rust control has kept my cars on the road many years past what their service life ought to have been. The oil will not hurt galvanized steel. Any plugged holes will have oil coatings that prevent rust. Keep doing it year after year and you won't have any problems. In fact this oil will help you later in the service life of the vehicle if you decide to keep it for more than 5+ years. shocks and struts and control arms will break free much easier, fuel lines will not degrade, as well as any exhaust hangars will come free when it comes time to replace. Your 10+ year car will show little if any signs of rust.