Roofline rust due to rock chip (1 Viewer)

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jefo13

jefo13

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I just noticed this rust spot on my roofline due to a chip from a rock (notice the chipped glass).
Is this something a body shop could fix? Dealer? Warranty? (I have extended warranty on my 2016 with 55k miles) Insurance?

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Order the factory touch up paint and bring it to a good detailing shop. They'll have the rust cleaned and spot painted in a way that you will have trouble finding again.
 
This was a simple paint chip repair. But unfortunately you left it too long and now it is a much bigger job that it would have been.

Warranty not.
Dealer not, unless yours has a body shop; most don't, or if they want to take care of it for you and send it to a local repair shop they work with.
Insurance maybe if you have very low deductible. Although they may say that you failed to take corrective measures in time - fix the paint chip, and now the damage - rust, is not covered.

Go to a body shop and see what they say. There are also mobile paint chip repair shops that can give you an estimate. It will not be unnoticeable but it will look good enough and more importantly it will get the rust out and prevent further damage.

Alternatively fix it yourself. It is not very hard if you get the know how (YouTube) and the materials. Basically...
1. mask the area around to prevent damage
2. get out all of the damage until there is no rust left and the paint/primer edges are clean - it will be a much larger hole that you have now but that's Ok. That includes removing the stained paint (but don't go deeper than needed if it is only surface stain). Usually the rust is more extensive under that paint than what you see and may extend under the "good" paint. You are going to know when you get in there.
3. Vacuum and wipe out with solvent
4. If there is still rust left you may use some of the rust removal gels rather that also sand some of the good clean metal.
5. Best is to remove all rust but if any spots left, apply rust converter (brush) that will convert the oxide into some other black inert chemical that you can paint over.
6. With cleaning done make sure you wash/wipe the area well using wax removal and/or solvent.
7. Remove masking and wipe the paint around using wax removal so paint/clear coat can have good adhesion. You can go large, it will not damage the paint.
8. Mask again for painting.
9. If the damage was deep into the panel you will have to fill it in using Bondo or body putty. There are small tubes you can use, don't buy a can. Follow up the instructions. Sand after to bring it below the paint surface so you leave space for primer, paint and clear coat. It should be smooth. If not apply some putty and sand again.
10. Apply a light coat of primer and after drying watch for flaws that you have not noticed before. Sand or if deeper use a bit of putty and sand again.
11. Apply the primer
12. Apply the paint. If the paint level is too low compared to the original paint, apply more coats. Better to do that when priming though.
13. Apply clear coat to the level of the surrounding old paint. If it happens to be a bit higher it is Ok. When dry you can sand it down.
14. Finish sanding and polishing.
15. After a week or two apply wax on the panel!

Make sure you get all the materials before starting the job. Get matching paint from dealer or a body shop supply stores. Some auto stores also have matching touchup paint or can mix a can of paint. The color matching is a tricky business so good luck.

Depending on size you may use a brush or an air brush. The damage is to small to use a spray can. Probably a touch up brush or tip will do.

If you never done it, it is time consuming and patience work depending on how good you want it to look. If looks do not matter then it can be done pretty quick.

Before embarking on fixing yourself shop around. For a good chip repair shop to fix it very well it will cost you a couple of hundred dollars usually less than the instance deductible.

Whatever you decide make sure you fix it as it is already deep. Even a DIY ugly job is better than leaving it alone.

Good luck!
 
For more convenience, that's "good enough", use one of these fiberglass pens (wear eye protection) to easily remove the rust with precision, only as much paint removal as needed. Then spray some Rust-Oleum auto primer in a small container so you can brush it on (tiny brush), then use color-matched Dr. Colorchip (search for YouTube examples for how to apply by smearing w/ gloved finger) - the package that includes their sealer / smoother / polisher. The paint doesn't match tri-layer pearl colors perfectly and the fix is noticeable, but pretty good.

Amazon product ASIN B002RMCFZM
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The OEM touch up paint, which does match the blizzard pearl other than the clear coat, has a fiberglass pen built in to the cap. Also I've repaired a few of these and no primer is needed. It is designed for this exactly.

And it's not very expensive. Any dealer can look up the paint code by VIN or you can do some digging from the ID plate in your door sill to find it online.

Mine didn't have as much rust as this post though.. so you would want to find a chemical treatment or other way of dealing with that.
 
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I have one similar on the leading edge of my hood and it's underneath the 3M protectant as well, it's extremely frustrating. I have no idea how I'll go about correcting it, but it's going to spread if I don't get after it soon. These Toyota's have the least durable paint on the front of a vehicle of any modern make we've owned, it's pathetic.
 
Thanks for all the tips. I wish I had see. It when it happened. That’s what you get when you don’t wash your own car…

I’ll start with the fiberglass pen and see where it goes. I have touch up paint so I’m good there
 
Nice!
 
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