Does anyone else have this potential rust issue?

[hoodscoops]

It is where the rubber weather stripping from the rear window meets the trunk lid. It seems like Ford use some kind of cheap rubber/plastic and cause chafing / rubbing. I noticed parts of my trunk lid is almost bare metal.

P.S. This happened on my old WRX and Stis, the giant wings produced a lot of "downforce" onto the trunk which cause it to rub against the chassis. The trunk and would eventually rust out.

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[DarkHorsePremium]

Wow. Never had that issue on my STI (owned 10 yrs). Part of my maintenance routine is cleaning and conditioning weather striping and trim. I just did it to the Mustang a week ago. No chafing on my LGT either. It was 19 yrs old. I'd take your car to a body shop to get the paint addressed and then replace your weather stripping. Then check the trunk lid for proper alignment.

 

[hoodscoops]

Wow. Never had that issue on my STI (owned 10 yrs). Part of my maintenance routine is cleaning and conditioning weather striping and trim. I just did it to the Mustang a week ago. No chafing on my LGT either. It was 19 yrs old. I'd take your car to a body shop to get the paint addressed and then replace your weather stripping. Then check the trunk lid for proper alignment.

Does it snow in SF? lol

 

[DarkHorsePremium]

Twice in 50+ years.

.

 

[Skye]

I hadn't noticed mine rubbing in any way. Went out to check just now. 2022. Garage kept. Trunk opened and closed countless times. Zero rubber marks to be seen. Never a leak.

7G has had some threads on panel fitment. This is the first I can remember involving the trunk seal rubbing.

You're still under warranty. I'd open a case at a dealer and discuss. Replacing the gasket is simple enough. Adjusting the trunk could take some time and concentration. IDK how they'd treat the paint though. If they'd remove the rubber residue, mask and blend or what.

If they make any panel adjustments, clarify to them the expectation is they will make any changes after a new gasket is installed and the surface on the deck lid has been cleaned.

Good Luck. If you have time, please let us know what Ford says.

Edit,

On the gasket sealing my trunk, there's a ridge on the top side of the rubber. This ridge is where the deck lid initially makes contact with the seal. I noticed in the photos that ridge appears to have been worn away.

 

[hoodscoops]

I hadn't noticed mine rubbing in any way. Went out to check just now. 2022. Garage kept. Trunk opened and closed countless times. Zero rubber marks to be seen. Never a leak.

7G has had some threads on panel fitment. This is the first I can remember involving the trunk seal rubbing.

You're still under warranty. I'd open a case at a dealer and discuss. Replacing the gasket is simple enough. Adjusting the trunk could take some time and concentration. IDK how they'd treat the paint though. If they'd remove the rubber residue, mask and blend or what.

If they make any panel adjustments, clarify to them the expectation is they will make any changes after a new gasket is installed and the surface on the deck lid has been cleaned.

Good Luck. If you have time, please let us know what Ford says.

Edit,

On the gasket sealing my trunk, there's a ridge on the top side of the rubber. This ridge is where the deck lid initially makes contact with the seal. I noticed in the photos that ridge appears to have been worn away.

Where do you live? I live in NY and thinking if the recent snow and extreme cold turned the rubber to plastic?

 

[DarkHorsePremium]

Since I'm new to Mustang (first Ford I've owned since '85), it's good that somebody with more experience like @Skye has replied. Warranty 3/36k. Yes, absolutely take it to a dealer. I'm still getting used to the body panel thing myself. The first week of ownership I noticed one of the bumper lines on the right rear corner panel appeared to be bulging to me. It was minor but it didn't look like the other side. I messaged my salesman and he told me this is totally normal. He said the panels on the rear of the car float a bit. In my mind I was thinking ya right. I drove the car the next morning a few blocks to the store, came back home and looked at it again. It was perfect. Never had a car like this before but it's been perfectly straight ever since. I have a pretty steep driveway so I guess backing out or coming back in set it straight. .

I agree, I don't think you're going to have any problem getting the weather stripping replaced or trunk adjusted. Getting paint addressed is more difficult, but if you're persistent it may work out. The wear in that area does appear to be excessive

 

[Skye]

Where do you live? I live in NY and thinking if the recent snow and extreme cold turned the rubber to plastic?

I'm out West. Skye is stored during the Winter. But my Daily Driver and others see temps as cold as -10 F / -23 C. My DD is approaching 20 years old. While I have a light patina from the seals, it's rubber and dirt only.

Ford put the 7G through extreme cold and heat tests. I'd think if something with the gasket material or design were faulty, they would have seen that and corrected it. If there was a bad batch of deck lid seals, I'd think other 7G Members would have noticed by now.

Your overall deck lid shape differs from mine. But that area where it's been rubbing is the same. The 6G forum has a few threads dedicated to people who drive year-round and will post photos in the depths of Winter. MN, MI and NY. I can't remember anyone experiencing what you have.

Using something like Armor All, Silicone spray or something like that could lubricate the rubber, keep it from sticking, etc. It's nice to do that, but it's not the kind of thing we should have to be doing, like part of a maintenance routine.

Just some thoughts. The Service Advisor sees tens of vehicles daily. Maybe they've seen this before.

Once they have a new gasket on, it'd be like checking the gaps when installing a new door in a house. They can adjust things, tight enough to get a good seal, but not so much as to rub the paint off.

Edit,

If...sometimes with the snow and ice, doors and other bits freeze together. Like some, I've had to chip the seams clear around a door panel and then just yank. Opening a door is met with cracking, broken ice and all that. Something like that could be happening if routinely accessing the trunk stuck with ice. Several freeze/thaw cycles. But instead of rub-type marks, I'd expect to see the rubber breaking and falling apart. Or the seal being pulled away from where it is often secured.

The other half of this is the paint itself, that it was bad prep or something. I have not seen or read of that area having a problem. Most issues with paint are drips, dirt, cracking (on plastics, like bumper covers), etc, not rubbing off.

The day is young. Others living in the north and northeast can offer feedback on how theirs look.

 

[Wiley Marmot]

Gotta make a grocery run this PM. I'll try to remember to look more closely at mine.

PS: Good advice on cleaning and treating rubber gaskets/seals annually!

 

[DarkHorsePremium]

Treating the rubber on your car should be part of a maintenance routine. If you keep it clean it lasts. I clean and lightly grease the hinges on my doors, hood, trunk and their latches too. Sunroof tracks If you got one also. Once every year or two. I do the door hinges on my house as well. I live a mile away from the ocean. Price you pay for a house that faces the water. In my world there's no such thing as stainless steel. The porch lights on the front of the house melt after about 3 or 4 years and it doesn't matter if they're marine grade.

 

[smurfslayer]

That looks like stiction. When you open the trunk, do you hear the trunk separating from the weather stripping? either a gradual sticky, almost tearing sound, or a kind of 'pop' when it breaks free?

This happens to the ubiquitous F series twin panel moonroof. It requires lubing the weather seal, or you break the front panel lift brackets.

 

[hoodscoops]

That looks like stiction. When you open the trunk, do you hear the trunk separating from the weather stripping? either a gradual sticky, almost tearing sound, or a kind of 'pop' when it breaks free?

This happens to the ubiquitous F series twin panel moonroof. It requires lubing the weather seal, or you break the front panel lift brackets.

No, If you at the rubber stripping, youll see some red paint there. Also, I can see shiny metal there, although not apparent in the photo.

 

[smurfslayer]

No, If you at the rubber stripping, youll see some red paint there. Also, I can see shiny metal there, although not apparent in the photo.

I saw what you're talking about. So if you're not seeing, hearing or feeling any stickiness, I'd go to the previous comments about fitment, and possibly it's loose somewhere. I would do this before you attempt a permanent fix.

Thanks for sharing this, hopefully it's isolated.

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