I am looking into getting one of these 3rd generation rams, but I have noticed a lot of these trucks with the bed sides rusting out over the rear wheel wells. I thought that its a little premature for such bad rust. Is this a cronick problem with the 3dr generation rams? I live in ohio but still, theses are really that old yet.

 

They'll rust like a sumbiotch if you let salt get up into the top of the wheelwell and leave it sit up in there in those northern "salt states". Then again, so will a Chevy or Ford truck.

Seven years, the last four mine sits outside in the salt air a mile from the ocean. I've seen three year old trucks/cars with rust on them in my neighborhood. Mine's spotless cause I properly wash & wax it...

 

Mines rusted in those spots. 11 years of Wisconsin and now Illinois winters.

 

My '02 is clean as well. Garaged for the first couple years that I owned it but outside ever since. It was originally sold new from the dealer in Ohio but now lives in PA.

 

7 years outside in the mountains of Jersey where they have not discovered grits or sand so it's 100 salt spread on the roads. I can find some rust under the Truck. The only body rust is on the seam at the bottom of the tail gate. I just cleaned it up and coated it with POR-15. Do have reoccuring rust under the rubber step on the rear chrome bumper. I just clean it up every so often.

 

If you are concerned about rust, I suggest using Fluid Film. It is a great lubricant, and rust penetrant and preventative. Just spray it on underneath the truck and it keeps everything from rusting. www.fluid-film.com check it out. I use it and it works great!

 

I'm in the "It doesn't get washed unless it gets rained on" camp. I have over 171,000 miles on it (mostly sits, now that I have the G Voyager), and it only has rust where there is un repaired scratches, dents, and chips in the paint. No rust in the wheelwells or door bottoms yet. Frame just started surface rusting. Can count on 2 fingers the amount of times it has been washed since it left the factory. I do spray the entire underside with 50/50 Diesel/drain oil just before winter every year. (our 425,000 mile 94 cummins does the same thing all year long-no garden sprayer required)

 

Yes its a chronic problem with these trucks. Just google "Dodge Ram wheel well rust" and check out the never ending list of complaints. It stems from foam used seal the wheel well and the quarter. My 05 has it bad on the driver side and its just starting on the passenger side. Before I purchased my truck it spent 3 years in Michigan. Ive searched for a fix and found that lmctruck.com has inserts to fix this problem but they need to be installed by a auto body guy. The inserts need to be welded in after the rusted area is cut out.

 

Hammer what exactly do you do to yours? Mine is starting to get the bubbles above the wheelwells. I wash it as often as I can and wax every couple months, but the winters of Minnesota are starting to catch up with my 02

 

It is the ONLY negative thing I have to say about this truck. IMO, everything else on it is great.

I have been religious about washing and waxing the hell out of my truck and last year I noticed little bubbles coming from underneath the paint on BOTH sides. After a few months, they turned into massive rust holes. My cousin has the identical truck (same year and model) and the exact same thing happened. I also have a buddy at work with the same truck and its the same song.

There is no way for me to fight the rust unless I cut the entire well off and put flares on it which I am in the process of doing.

It made me sad as hell