(2021 Corolla Hybrid) Worth getting dealer-applied rust protection?

How much are they asking? I don't have first hand experience with ECC module but have not heard or read too good of reviews. Here is an excerpt from an such review.

The technology itself is based on the models used on the bottom of boats. In addition to other arguments, many say that electronic rust protection for cars therefore only truly works when fully submerged in water. There are to date no official reports which show that cars with electronic rust proofing have less corrosion than they would without the device.
source: The Truth about Electronic Rust Protection
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Or read this: Goof of the Month: Rust Protection isn’t Magic | autoTRADER.ca

Depending on the price, you may do better with conventional under body coating (but not traditional rubberized type which is known to cause more problem of trapping moisture under the coating). The distance you drive have very little to do with rusting, it is how many years you have driven on roads with salt. If you are not planning to keep your car longer than 10 years, then rust protection is probably not needed.

 

For 5-7 years, you may not see substantial rust that would affect drivablity of the car. In my experience, problem becomes rampant after 10 years. You might want to read this thread. Do you need underbody rust protection on new Prime? | Page 7 | PriusChat

I have heard very good review about FluidFilm. I myself used it on three cars so far, but I have not kept the car long enough to know it's effectiveness. If your 2021 Corolla Hybrid is similar to Prius Prime I have that the under side of the car is heavily covered by plastic, then there may not be much metals exposed enough to spray the under body coating. I plan to use several different brands of rust inhibitors on my 2020 Prius Prime this year to see which one works the best. If you don't want to wait for that result, seems to be most of commercial rust inhibitors do work well. A few spray cans of FluidFilm is probably much cheaper than what your dealer is offering and most likely more effective.

 

Also - check what extent of rust is covered. Back in the days when cars rusted (the '50s - '80s) - there were rust protection guarantees which, when you read the fine print only included "structural" or "permeating" rust - but people discovered it didn't cover surface rust which didn't eat "through".

 

Just to pile on: how much are they asking?

 

The steel parts of the body/frame are now dunked in anti-rust and an electric current applied to bond the anti-rust to the steel. Look around and how many cars do you see rusting out and what is their age.

Dealer applied rust products make them a lot of profit but all they do is clog up areas that are designed to drain. You are better off hosing the undercarriage with water after it has been exposed to salt and letting all drip away.

I wouldn't buy a car that had it done even at zero additional cost.

 

So what year was the year Toyota started this anti-rust procedure? Certainly it had to be after 2005. Our 2005 Sienna did not have that done to under side... It was a rust bucket after 12 years even though it had only 100K miles on it and engine and everything else was still in great running condtion. And, yes, the car was washed with under carriage jet almost every time it was driven on snow/salt road. Same with our 1998 Civic. We never had a car which rust was not problem after 10 years on NE winter roads.

 

I always enjoy when you trot out the old rusty Sienna pics.

Nice reminder for those of us on the best coast.

 

Our 2010 Prius has rust bloom up on the suspension members, VERY readily. Especially around the welds. Same story for most bolts and smallish bolts/screws.

 

This was a photo of our 2014 Pathfinder Hybrid. The car was purchased in the spring of 2019. The 5 years old underbody had quite a bit of surface rust. Woolwax underbody coating was applied in a shop fall of 2019. I will be taking it back to re-application before winter.

Do you need underbody rust protection on new Prime? | Page 5 | PriusChat

 

And the bonnet and boot lid are ALUMINIUM.

Yes, but that would almost certainly not have been covered by an aftermarket rust-protection warranty.

 

WOOPS - I'm thinking PRIUS. No - Corolla is only steel.

 

FYI, I used Krown Rust annually for my new 2010 Suzuki and had zero body rust after 14 years in Salty Nova Scotia, when I finally sold it.

 

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

The systems that work by trickling electricity through the frame work very well on boats but are questionable on autos.

The thing to do is to sit down and read the actual warranty, not the sales literature. The sales brochures are just advertising happy talk.

 

old thread...

FWIW: Toyota has a 5 year unlimited mileage rust through warranty.