RUST ON EXHAUST PIPES

Actually, I think the "rust" issue has been put to rest on acadiaforum.net - I believe that it ended up being one person who had rust, which means he got a bad exhaust somehow. All the other posts about "rust" turned out to be normal stainless steel discoloration caused by the heat in the exhaust, which is completely normal. The only "issue" is that, because of the high rear deck, some of the exhaust is visible from behind the car and it doesn't look great.

A few users there talked about using rubbing compounds to remove the discoloration, purely for aesthetic purposes.

admin said:

Actually, I think the "rust" issue has been put to rest on acadiaforum.net - I believe that it ended up being one person who had rust, which means he got a bad exhaust somehow. All the other posts about "rust" turned out to be normal stainless steel discoloration caused by the heat in the exhaust, which is completely normal. The only "issue" is that, because of the high rear deck, some of the exhaust is visible from behind the car and it doesn't look great.

A few users there talked about using rubbing compounds to remove the discoloration, purely for aesthetic purposes.

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GREAT, THATS GOOD TO HEAR.

admin said:

Actually, I think the "rust" issue has been put to rest on acadiaforum.net - I believe that it ended up being one person who had rust, which means he got a bad exhaust somehow. All the other posts about "rust" turned out to be normal stainless steel discoloration caused by the heat in the exhaust, which is completely normal. The only "issue" is that, because of the high rear deck, some of the exhaust is visible from behind the car and it doesn't look great.

A few users there talked about using rubbing compounds to remove the discoloration, purely for aesthetic purposes.

Click to expand...

Is there an easy way to tell if you have a rust issue or if it is just stainless steel discoloration? We took delivery Monday and yesterday noticed the exhaust pipes have sporadic brown spots (rust color). We are very surprised to see it and am hoping it is normal. The brown spots cover about a third of the exhaust pipes and I am not sure if it has developed in the last couple days since delivery or came that way upon delivery.

Stainless does indeed turn dark with heat. It's why I won't own a stainless outdoor gas grill.

kmitchell said:

Is there an easy way to tell if you have a rust issue or if it is just stainless steel discoloration? We took delivery Monday and yesterday noticed the exhaust pipes have sporadic brown spots (rust color). We are very surprised to see it and am hoping it is normal. The brown spots cover about a third of the exhaust pipes and I am not sure if it has developed in the last couple days since delivery or came that way upon delivery.

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Not to worry!
We have 8,000 miles on our Enclave, and the normal discoloration on the lower part of the exhaust tips comes off with regular washing.
You do wash the exhaust tips when washing the Enclave ... don't you? ;D

Egad! Doesn't everyone?

newtobuick said:

Not to worry!
We have 8,000 miles on our Enclave, and the normal discoloration on the lower part of the exhaust tips comes off with regular washing.
You do wash the exhaust tips when washing the Enclave ... don't you? ;D

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I just got the Enclave Monday and on Thursday I noticed the rust appearance. I am hoping it comes off with my first wash. We will see. I read other posts on here that says this is very common even with new Enclaves.

newtobuick said:

You do wash the exhaust tips when washing the Enclave ... don't you? ;D

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I do. I also clean behind the brake and gas pedals ;D.

kmitchell said:

Is there an easy way to tell if you have a rust issue or if it is just stainless steel discoloration? We took delivery Monday and yesterday noticed the exhaust pipes have sporadic brown spots (rust color). We are very surprised to see it and am hoping it is normal. The brown spots cover about a third of the exhaust pipes and I am not sure if it has developed in the last couple days since delivery or came that way upon delivery.

Click to expand...

I have some pictures in my Gallery of the underside of my Enclave when it was new. There are shots that show the exhaust system with the discolorization talked about by others. It is only the expected normal stainless steel discolorization and not "rust". Hope this helps. :thumb:

Yes, very helpful. Thanks.

Interesting. My discoloration is in very different patterns. More like nickle size dots instead of streaks like yours. When it is light out tomorrow I will take some pics and post them so you can see the difference. The service department told me it was normal and under warranty anyway so they would watch it but it looks odd, especially on a brand new Enclave.

Hello kmitchell

I am experiencing the same nickel size brown spots on the exhaust. I'll send some pictures. I showed it to the dealer and they said it was some "oxidation" and not rust and to not worry about it. I am not sure what to believe. I just got this car 2 months ago with 5k miles. It does look ugly when you stand back and look at it. Had I seen and check underneath before I bought this car, I would have demanded I get another vehicle. The dealership told me that they have to wait and see if there are actual holes or the whole exhaust comes off if it was truly a rust problem. By that time, the warranty coverage is over.

You should have the Dealer Note this in your Enclave records in case it comes up later, might help if you have date and documentation available.