Our old cars are battling just that. Mine is a 2004 Suburban-rust is getting a bit more noticeable. My husband’s 2002 has even more. I’m hoping my car lasts 2 more years, then we will be down to three kids still at home and can drive something that gets more mpg than a suburban.
I’m driving a 92, lol. Hoping to get several more years from it, too.
It’s the salt.
I just said good bye to a 2007 4Runner that only had 99K miles. It was our second car and our bad-weather car. Something let go inside the rear brakes (most likely the emergency brake inside that mini-hub drum), and after a look underneath at how scaly and scabby it was getting, I decided it was time to trade it in for something newer, even though it ran just fine.
The only reason I commented in the first place is that the article was noting that car lifetime, and average age of cars on the road, is increasing. It’s a tribute to the increasing reliability of most cars. But, in the north, there’s an upper limit, analogous to the speculated maximum lifespan of an organism, imposed by rust.
You can zinc-plate the body, and it will last, but the other components underneath the body... frame, suspension, cabling, fittings... they’re not going to be protected unless they’re built of marine grade alloys. And, that ain’t gonna happen.