What do you think of the Leaf's rust protection?

[EatsShootsandLeafs]

I've not known Nissans to be particularly rust prone vs, say, Subarus (I really think those rust a lot). The Leaf looks pretty much like it should be fine, with rubber gaskets around the bottom of the doors (a common rust spot).

However, the rear-wheel well for some reason lacks the plastic shield that is on the front wheel well, and in fact it seems to me that this would be a very good spot for salty snow to hang around (specifically: rear-wheel well in front of the rear wheel) and corrode.

I wonder why no plastic cover here? Rocks thrown off the wheel are going to hit the metal and I presume bust through the paint on occasion, inviting corrosion. A plastic shield is a simple solution, used by many automobiles, so I am hoping I'm just missing something here and it's not a real concern (?).

 

[KJD]

I've not known Nissans to be particularly rust prone vs, say, Subarus (I really think those rust a lot). The Leaf looks pretty much like it should be fine, with rubber gaskets around the bottom of the doors (a common rust spot).

However, the rear-wheel well for some reason lacks the plastic shield that is on the front wheel well, and in fact it seems to me that this would be a very good spot for salty snow to hang around (specifically: rear-wheel well in front of the rear wheel) and corrode.

Yes I would agree that is a prime area for rust formation. My car gets a bath once a week and every time I bath her I take the hose and wash the crud out of all 4 wheel wells. It only takes a couple of minutes and I figure it is easier than fixing rust out later in life.

Where are you located. Here in Utah they salt the roads like crazy.

 

[EatsShootsandLeafs]

I'm in NY.

Any other input on the rust potential for this? I really don't think my concern is ill-founded. I see plastic fascias on basically all other cars' rear wheel-wells now. A vehicle I dumped a year back didn't have those and its rear wheel well was a complete mess of rust. However, it was just paint on metal. FWIW the wheel well of this seems to almost be rubbersized with a very hard rubber or something.