License plate bolt rust

[spyne]

I've owned at least 15 and probably closer to 20 cars from a variety of manufacturers over 30 years. Never once in all that time have the stock license plate bolts/screws rusted. Now, after only 3 years, the bolts/screws on my 4R are rusting and staining my plates.

They are personalized plates and I used a nut driver to install them when I bought the car. Since then they've never been touched, so it's not a matter of abuse or repeated installations with an incorrect tool. Is anyone else having this problem?

 

[Baba Booey]

I am not sure that the license plate bolts are OEM equipment. In many cases, I believe the dealer just screws the plate on with whatever bolts they have lying around.

You can purchase stainless steel replacement bolts for a few bucks. If they are OEM equipment, I would complain at the next visit to the stealer, and maybe they will give you some new ones for "free".

 

[TechWrench]

I noticed the same thing on my '03 after about a year and a half. I mentioned it to the dealer during a service visit, and all they did was install a new set of bolts of the same material. I went and replaced them with a set of stainless bolts and haven't had a problem since.

 

[biglatka]

These are dealer installed. One of the first things I did upon getting my new 4Runner home was to install stainless steel bolts. I do that on all my cars (used or new). Never have rust or a problem removing.

 

[rook]

I noticed my rear plate bolts were rusting, so I tried to remove them. One was fused to the sheet metal so strongly that the bolt would not come off with a phillips and the head snapped off when I put the vice gips to it. I had to drill it out and chase the threads. Fortunately, no damage and new stainless screws are there with some anti-seize, just to be safe.

If you have rusted bolts, don't be impatient like me. Hit them first with some penetrating oil like PB or liquid wrench over the course of a few days, then replace 'em with stainless.

 

[Benny123]

Quick note to future readers. If you have nuts holding your license plate on, it means the heads have come off at some point. This may have happened prior to your ownership, or out there in the great Rust belt.
You can either keep using them until they are too short or drill them out.
I opened up the plastic panel inside the rear hatch and cut off the plastic pieces then drilled them out. I then got 2 6mm bolts from Lowes and threaded them back in.
Good as new.