Little bit of rust, what now?

[dlock13]

My car got some rust on the outside of the back driver wheel well. It got under the pair and started cracking. Is there anything I can do, or should I find an auto shop to fix it for me?

I've attached 2 shots. One of it up close and the other from further away for perspective.

 

[CurseTheSky]

If you want it to look perfect, take it to a shop.

If you just want to stop it from spreading and don't care if it's perfect, use some sand paper on the rusted spot and about a square centimeter surrounding it. Buy a touch-up pen for your paint code and touch it up.

 

[nedfunnell]

If you want it to look perfect, take it to a shop.

If you just want to stop it from spreading and don't care if it's perfect, use some sand paper on the rusted spot and about a square centimeter surrounding it. Buy a touch-up pen for your paint code and touch it up.

+1.
What's the value of the car? On my beater Echo, I noticed a few spots that were rusting. I sprayed some white spray paint in the cap for the can, dabbed it on with the corner of a paper towel, and called it good. Still looking fine 6 months later. Stupid cheap for a stupid cheap car. Would happily do every 6 months.

 

[dlock13]

If you want it to look perfect, take it to a shop.

If you just want to stop it from spreading and don't care if it's perfect, use some sand paper on the rusted spot and about a square centimeter surrounding it. Buy a touch-up pen for your paint code and touch it up.

I would prefer it to be perfect, but if I can get it to look similar with sanding + a touch-up pen, then I may have to do that since my wife and I are buying a house now.

+1.
What's the value of the car? On my beater Echo, I noticed a few spots that were rusting. I sprayed some white spray paint in the cap for the can, dabbed it on with the corner of a paper towel, and called it good. Still looking fine 6 months later. Stupid cheap for a stupid cheap car. Would happily do every 6 months.

I believe my car is still valued at $12k. It is an '09 Toyota Matrix XRS.

I'm probably not going to use spray paint on it since I still owe on the thing, and it still looks fantastic even though it does have that rusting spot.

 

[spaceman]

u gotta hit it from the other side to really inhibit it

 

[RLGL]

Ignore it if the car is older than 5 to 7 years

 

[Smoblikat]

If you want it to look perfect, take it to a shop.

If you just want to stop it from spreading and don't care if it's perfect, use some sand paper on the rusted spot and about a square centimeter surrounding it. Buy a touch-up pen for your paint code and touch it up.

What grit of sand paper do you recommend? I am having a similar issue (though smaller) on my car right now, an want to stop it before winter hits.