If you're concerned about your car rusting, then you have a very valid concern. Rust can make a vehicle appear unsightly as well as older than it really is. Furthermore, rust can impact the functioning of a vehicle, including the engine. How can you minimize rust? There are a number of things that you can do, and here are some tips for preventing your car from rusting:

Salt: the rust promoter

Salt has a tendency to promote rust, and therefore, corrosion in vehicles. This means that if you live where winters are harsh and full of snow, then your car will be exposed to high amounts of salt. Although you can't completely prevent the salt from corroding your vehicle, you can decrease the amount of damage that results. One way to reduce the amount of rust that your car develops is to wash the car on a regular basis. Every time it snows and the roads are salted, you need to head to the car wash as soon as possible, because the longer the salt remains on your vehicle, the more damage it does.

The same is true if you live near the ocean, except you must deal with excess salt year-round. You might even want to consider moving so you're not directly exposed to the salt from the sea. You won't necessarily have to move out of state, but relocating someplace else might enable you to decrease the frequency in which your vehicle is exposed to salt.

Rust inhibitors 

If moving is out of the question and you are searching for another way to prevent your car from rusting, then you might want to consider purchasing and applying a rust sealant. A rust sealant works by creating a protective barrier wherever the product is applied. This protective barrier decreases the likelihood that rust will develop on your vehicle. Rust protection can be purchased from the store and placed on the vehicle, or you can opt to allow a professional to apply the product. 

If you opt to have a rust inhibitor applied to your vehicle for protection, you may still want to ensure that you wash it on a regular basis whenever the vehicle is exposed to large amounts of salt. Rust protection can work wonders, but keeping the vehicle clean can provide further protection.

While there is no way to completely prevent rust from developing on vehicles, there are ways of keeping it to a minimum. As long as you're willing to take the necessary action to minimize the chances that your car will begin to rust, then you increase the amount of time that your vehicle can be rust-free.