Q&A for How to Repair Minor Rust on a Car

The best way to remove rust from chrome is with acid. However, this can be a tricky process,. If you make a mistake, you can burn through the chrome, leaving a bigger problem than you started with. 0000 steel wool is a good alternative if you're not comfortable with acid. Just buff away the rust, then rinse the area clean. However, make sure not to leave any of the steel wool residue, because the steel will rust, and you'll have to deal with the same problem again.

Consider taking your vehicle to a professional if the rust is on the paint. The longer you let rust sit on your car, the more it's going to spread. It's best to take it in right away, because that's going to be less expensive in the long run.

Covering the rust will not get rid of it -- it will only slow the process of oxidation. To cure the issue, the rust has to be completely removed. Think of rust on a car like cancer in the body, only with the car there is no natural way to fight the rust.

You have to remove the rust before using the touch up paint pen, otherwise it will continue to spread beneath the paint.

It depends on what you have. You could use an aerosol can or, if you have a compressor, you can use a gun.

Automotive filler primer will do a good job at filling any small pits that might have been created from the corrosion or during rust removal. If you have a light colored car, or don't care about perfect paint, this should be enough, but if your car is a dark color or you want pristine paint, I would also recommend going over the correction with a fine layer of automotive glazing and spot putty before priming.

You could, but chances of rust coming back increase as bare metal is left in the weather.

Sanding off the rust will only remove the surface rust, it will not stop it from returning. Course grit sandpaper will work to start with but a finer grit will be required to feather (smooth out) the courser sanding scratches. Use 80 grit to start and 220-400 to finish.

Rust holes are an entirely different beast. Depending on the severity of the hole, you can either sand away the remaining corrosion, install a body patch panel from behind, and fill with a body filler, or take your car to an auto body center and have them correct the issue. Correction could be as simple as patching and filling, or as tedious as cutting out the corroded sheet metal and welding in a new sheet.

With minor rust, you can sand the area and paint over the metal to remove it. Start by washing the area with soap and water to remove dirt and debris. Then, tape off the rusted area with painter's tape. Use 40-grit sandpaper which is rough enough, to make short work of most surface and even scale rust. Press the sandpaper flat against the rust spot and move it quickly from side to side, then shift the part of the sandpaper you’re using as that area gets worn out. With the rust sanded away, switch to a finer sandpaper such as 120-grit to expand the area you’ve sanded and remove any edge that has developed in the paint. Wash and dry the area again to remove rust and paint chips. Then, apply automotive primer evenly to the entire area you’re painting. Wait at least 20 minutes for the primer to dry then spray on a base coat of paint that matches your car's paint. Wait an hour for it to dry, then add another coat. once that coat dries, spray a layer of clear coat over it to add a layer of protection and give the paint a glossy shine.

It depends on the extent of the rust. If the engine components are rusted to the point that they're no longer functioning, they may not be worth repairing. Additionally, if the undercarriage, wheel struts, or body of the vehicle is so rusted that there are holes or breaks in the metal, it could be dangerous. You may want to purchase replacement parts rather than try to repair them. However, some rust on the body and exterior of the car usually isn't a big deal. You can actually just sand the rust off and repaint your car and it'll look like new!

WD-40 actually can remove rust and protect items from rust. Soak the item in WD-40 and then scrub it with a wire brush. Try testing a small area first to make sure it doesn't cause damage to the surface of the metal. If it doesn't, keep soaking the metal and scraping off rust with the wire brush. once you remove the rust, coat the surface in a layer of WD-40 to keep it from coming back. Apply more of the WD-40 on a regular basis to help keep the metal coated and lubricated, which can help prevent rust from forming again.