@Mallard4468 posted:Is there a point at which one can assume that zinc pest will no longer be an issue? IOW, if it hasn't shown up for X number of years, is an item safe?
I would suggest at least 10. The hinges for the glass on the liftgate of my 2009 Ford Escape didn't start to crumble until 2019 or 2020. I just replaced them two weeks ago when the glass threatened to fall off because it finally got bad enough to compromise their functionality.
Mike
BTW -- This example was very easy for me to analyze by looking for Escapes of the same style and vintage as my 2009 while driving around doing normal everyday things. My rough estimate is that maybe 5% max of the Escapes of this vintage I've seen on the road exhibit zinc pest, and they're all of model years 2008-2013. None on the older model (2005-2007); none on the newer ones (2014-present). I think that this problem arose when production of the hinges was shifted by Ford to a new supplier, or by the existing supplier to a new plant.
