# Ford Ranger with a rust problem

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-ranger-with-a-rust-problem/93950>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** ford, ranger\
**Created:** [July 21, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-ranger-with-a-rust-problem/93950 "2016-07-21T15:35:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![testaccount](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e0b2c6/32.png) [@testaccount](https://community.cartalk.com/u/testaccount)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-ranger-with-a-rust-problem/93950/1 "2016-07-21T15:35:46Z")

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How worried do I need to be about my dad’s rusty Ford Ranger? It’s about 10 years old (sorry, I have never owned a car, but I have heard rust can be bad and spreads).

He briefly fooled me until I saw the wavy edges of his bumper – turned out he’s been spray-painting it and it clearly looks like lace in some places along the bottom trim. I asked if he checks underneath and he swears he does, but how much of an issue can this be?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-ranger-with-a-rust-problem/93950/2 "2016-07-21T16:15:28Z")

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If you can see red rust, there is rust. If the paint is bubbling from below, rust is forming and you’ll see it soon. Neither of these two is a big deal. Now when you SEE THROUGH red rusty areas (holes) or you can push a small screwdriver through the red rust, that is bad.

That said, a Ranger has a separate body and frame, not a one piece unit-body. The body rusting a bit isn’t a very big problem, structurally. Rust through (not just surface rust) on the frame, however is a bad thing. The safety of the truck becomes in question if the holes get bigger than a nickel. Because If you can see a hole that big, the damage is far larger!

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**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 12:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ford-ranger-with-a-rust-problem/93950/3 "2016-07-22T00:51:42Z")

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how about posting some pictures?

Better yet, crawl underneath the truck with a creeper and take some pictures of the frame, suspension, axle, etc.