Rust isn’t the problem for modern car owners that it was in years past. Older cars, on the other hand, were sometimes referred to as “rust buckets” – either affectionately or not so affectionately – depending on how bad the rust was and how the owner felt about the car.

Manufacturers today have developed new paints and sealers for the body of the car that do a good job of preventing rust. Further, there’s far less exposed metal on the exterior of most modern cars. Whereas bumpers used to be made of metal in the past, bumpers today are more commonly made from high impact plastic or plastic coated metals.

In this day and age, rust usually occurs only if there is damage to the car, such as a scratch or impact that removes part of the paint. When these are quickly repaired and painted, rust usually isn’t a problem. The best way to prevent most rust is simply to care for your car’s surface by frequent, careful cleaning, and repairing any small spots with touch up paint before they can become large problems.

To avoid getting scratches on your car, don’t park too close to other drivers. Avoid driving too close to brush along the side of the road, and don’t let children play near your car. Don’t rub the surface of your car when it’s dirty, and be careful when you use automatic car washes, as misaligned brushes can scratch your car. If the automatic car wash isn’t touch-less or brush-less, make sure it’s well maintained to avoid dirt trapped in the brushes or sponges being rubbed against your car.

In addition, most car manufacturers offer protection against rust. They’re comfortable offering this protection because rust is relatively uncommon. However, rust itself is usually not covered – the rust has to pass all the way through the metal of the car’s exterior creating an opening or hole before you’re eligible for warranty coverage.

More than rust, however, you should be concerned about preventing corrosion. These are the rust-like areas you typically see at the bottom and under-carriage of a car. Technically, these spots aren’t rust, because they aren’t caused by the oxidative interaction of metal and air. They’re caused by salt, which forms a corrosive acid that eats away at the metal of the car. This is more often a problem in areas where the roads are salted because of snow and ice, or where there are heavy winds that aerosolize salt from bodies of salt water.

Regularly cleaning your car will help you avoid corrosion. You may also want to have the undercarriage of your car specially cleaned. Some vendors sell commercial products designed to coat the undercarriage of your car, but usually these offer little benefit beyond what the manufacturer provides, unless you have an older car.

The other source of rust on a car is usually chrome – however, few modern cars have chrome fixtures anymore. Today, parts that are silver and shiny are usually a composite metal or alloy, not chrome, which is found more frequently on classic cars. To prevent rust on chrome if you have a classic car, keep the car clean and dry. If rust becomes a problem, the parts in question can be re-chromed to restore their original beauty and shine.