Help!! My Car is Rusting from Inside!!!

Hello Folks,

I need help.

I bought my 2002 GLE in 11/2002. It already had 968miles on it when I bought it. I have noticed rust spots (mainly on the left side) in the inside roofing on the carpeting--from the driver side sun visor all over to the rear section on top of the left back seat.

I took it to the dealer's service people just yesterday. The lady told me it was not rust but soda spills. Beyond the patronizing and insulting response (I have observed and checked these spots for over a year), they simply attempted a cosmetic fix--brushing or polishing over the spots. The spots are back with a vengeance.

Please advise, suggest and counsel. What recourse do I have? The odometer now reads 26,180 miles.

I appreciate all input.

'BioDun J. Ogundayo, Ph.D

I do sympathize with you. I had a '69 Ford Cortina with a leaky windshield seal. My driver side carpet got soaked if I drove in the rain. Do you live in a very wet and cold climate? I do and my '99 Max's spare tire well gets damp from condensation every year. Try keeping your windows and trunk open on nice warm days for awhile before resorting to anything major. When driving, keep the air recirc turned off unless you use air conditioning. Meanwhile look for coolant leaks from the heater core. Now, if you are using air conditioning in a very warm climate, the cold air could be reaching parts of the hot car frame which draw moisture from the air to the frame. This moisture comes mostly from our bodies and if youre driving around with a lot of people on hot days with the AC on, youre setting things up for a very damp environment. Leave your windows open a crack in this situation. Also try leaving your windows wide open when driving without the AC on from time to time. Air circulation is key.

I hope this helped a little.