LIFTGATE RUST: Rust under bottom of license plate

[Rich Norman]

What causes liftgate rust to develop where the bottom of the license plate is located ?

[Biff]

Maybe the plate holds moisture in behind and eventually it gets through the paint ??

[Rich Norman]

Maybe the plate holds moisture in behind and eventually it gets through the paint ??

Paint getting rubbed by the plate primarily is what sets up the rusting process. I've seen this on many Festivas, including the ones I have owned ( used ).

Once the protection is removed, rust is accelerated by humidity or direct contact with water. When the bottom of the plate is against the liftgate, it allows water to remain in the area of the exposed metal ( the trapping you spoke of ).

Adding rubber pads like I suggested not only keeps the two metal surfaces from contacting each other, it also removes much of the water entrapment.

There are other solutions, but I started with the easiest one.