When I look at the bottom of my doors instead of seeing a flat seam where the outer door skin wraps the bottom edge and is normally pinch welded, I see a large V lip that is already collecting dirt (see attached). Is this normal on the 2010 and 2011?

I checked an 08 and an 09 at the dealer this afternoon and they have the normal flat pinch weld. My doors have the flat pinch weld on the sides it is just the bottom edge. It sure looks like it would trap dirt, moisture and salt brine here in MI and soon become a problem.

 

I noticed this too and think it may be an attempt to lessen bottom door seam rust ... with it open like this, moisture can more easily evaporate.

Just a guess.

Doug

 

I too noticed this at the first wash, as my '09 VW CC has sealed seams all the way around the door as does my wife's Passat wagon. This seemed very strange and at first I thought the guy on the line was on break when the car went by.

I do clean the seams and dry them. If you have a leaf blower, it works like a champ to get the water out. This will be an area to watch come Spring.

 

thing is though, if it was welded shut water would never get in there to begin with.

 

Little things like this appear to be attempts to improve longevity/quality of body panels on the vehicle. I don't have any specific info, but I can ask around and see what the reasoning was behind the change. I wouldn't be surprised if Ford paid attention to German and Japanese manufacturing practices, and applied them if it wasn't cost prohibitive.

 

The Chrysler Crossfire has a problem with rust on the bottom of the doors, under the rubber gasket. Many owners have protected their cars with this product, which also stops the formation of rust once it starts.

http://www.por15.com/?gclid=CJ3X8sTc3ZECFSE-IgodJQWPYQ

You paint it on; however, it is black. I figure if you use a small brush and paint it down into the bottom of the seam it should prevent the formation of rust, and not be too noticable. You can paint over it, with the car color, after it is applied if you like.

This will be a last resort, if all else fails.

 

I have found out that there was a design change in the 2010 Model Year which incorporated a open bottom hem on the bottom door edge on several of Ford's vehicle lines including the Mustang. The purpose of the open hem is to prevent moisture from being trapped in the hem thus causing corrosion concerns. The Paint Department installs a glue stick in the bottom door to bond the outer panel to the inner panel securing the door dimensionally.

I will continue to assure this area is flushed out when I wash the car, so our salty MI brine during winter time doesn't provide any unwanted surprises down the road.

 

planned obsolescence...
when I got my 06 I pulled fenders/door panels/trunk lining/etc and spent a week under/in sealing up all but the lowermost drains. take a flashlight and look back in the fender where the air snorkel goes thru: is dirt piled up behind the headlamps in those downward pinchwelds? how about that flat area where bumper/fender meet- the metal plate with the studs is like a dam to hold dirt .
take a light and mirror, look behind the 'flap' just in front of the rear wheels- my 06 on both sides, one side of the wifes 07 and one side of the 09 had zero sealant in there, and all have a small hole on top(had) that will let road grime in to the razor thin gaps at the bottom to collect...its the joint from inner/outer rocker panels, no way would that be a easy repair. I swear I think Ford designs them to rot after 8-10 years. theres a opening behind the headlights(cant see without removing the fender) that is like a ram air scoop into the hollow unibody structure...I attached little reverse opening scoops there to keep road grime from blowing directly into the frame, yet still let it breathe...all the pinchwelds in the unibody that point downwards, I poured or injected paint into- when it started seeping out of the razor thin gaps between welds, taped them to hold paint in till it dried- let it dry a couple days, ran water thru afterwards, no drips anywhere except the lowest drain holes... also filled the inside door bottoms and let it flow out the drains- many cars have a plastic clip in the drains in one or both holes- looks like it would hold leaves/debris inside the door- if the lower pinchwelds are damp it will eventually corrode. did find only a couple tiny seepers in the lower doors, but the unibody joints are a different story.

I would like to find the seam sealer tape Kia uses on their panel joints- tried nit-picking one at the auto show and was really suprised at the panel fittment/seam sealing details- gotta say assembly wise the kia body joints looked nearly perfect.

 

LMAO at some of the responses here. It is an "open hem" design that Ford has been using for some time now. If you look at other Ford products you will see a similar non-crimped lower hem flange. It is actually for an improvement in corrosion protection. The open design allows the e-coat and paint to get better coverage in an area that is notorious for corrosion. Plus, like another poster mentioned, it allows for more air exposure to evaporate any water that does get in there. Each of our doors has a built-in tip to it when you open it, any trapped water will flow out of the low point and not collect.

 

Actually most of the Germans and Japs use an over-hem sealer around the periphery of their doors. That design can potentially cause more issues with corrosion if it was not applied correctly. Water/moisture can collect under that sealer and fester into the metal turning to rust.

 

I didn't even think to ask you J, you should have been the go-to guy.