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      How can you prevent car rust?

      Repairing rust can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars. It's most expensive to fix when the rust has created a hole and has to be patched with fiberglass. Surface rust, on the other hand, is a little more repairable.

      The best repair for surface rust is a process that includes grinding it away, sanding it, priming, and painting it.

      â??Cars in this area, with the amount of snow we have and salt on the roads, they are eventually going to rust,â?? explains Jerry Sebeck, owner of Jerry's Body Shop.

      Rust can occur when you drive through puddles, and your car doesn't dry out completely. The road salt that prevents drivers from sliding also adds to the corrosion process.

      Driving a rusty car can be dangerous. It can rot the exhaust system out and even affect where the axles mount to the body. So it's important to keep your car rust-free.

      â??Well, it keeps the value of the car higher and even the running condition of the car stays better if the car is rust-free. When cars get real rusty, they do start losing strength as far as in an accident," Sebeck said.

      Misti-Lynn Gann's Buick LeSabre has a little rust. The rust isnâ??t too much considering the fact that her car is 20 years old.

      â??Well, without a car, Iâ??d be walking to college,â?? said Gann. â??Walking in the wintertime is not for me. Itâ??s just too cold and dangerous, up here especially. So keeping my transportation up is very important."

      So what should you do?

      Toni Terzaghi wrote on our Facebook page: "Put a thick coat of hard wax on your hubs and don't wipe it off for the winter. That prevents them from rusting."

      Also, keep your car in a garage if you have one. And cleaner cars are less likely to rust. Get your car washed once a week, and get it professionally waxed at least once a year. If you really want to be diligent about rust prevention, go to a car wash with an underbody flush. That's because rust is most likely to develop on the bottom of your doors, your vehicle's trunk, and areas that may not be reached with a regular car wash.