Recently bought a 2017 RDX. Wanted to install a hitch to carry my bikes and the hitch installer shop told me the bolts at the bottom of the car are too rusted and they can't install the hitch. The guys there made it seem like it was a simple matter of taking it to an auto body shop and they'll just rethread it. But I have called 2 autobody shops and taken it in to another to review and none of them are capable or willing to fix it. Can this be fixed? Am I just not talking to the right autobody shops?

 

Here's a video from CURT to deal with this issue:

 

My God, if autobody shops don't know about thread taps, then we need to urgently stop this planet and get out.

 

It may be less about knowing how to fix it and more about potential liability if something happens after they do it. Based on the pictures, if I were a shop, I probably wouldn't do it either for risk of failure on whatever the OP wanted to mount with them (hitch in this case). The threads look like they have a lot of corrosion beyond simple surface rust.

 

This is easily checked, tighten the bolt 50% more than in the technical bulletin torque, if the thread does not break, then everything is in order and you can loosen it to the correct torque.

 

You won't know what shape the threads are in until you clean the rust off. This is a common issue esp if you are in area that uses salt in the winter.

Try an independent mecahnic that can re-thread the hole. They do this when working on the engine. Why not this?

 

Shops may be concerned about integrity of remaining, not rusted out, thread. If the rust is severe and welded nut body has enough “meat”/wall thikness, you can try using helicoil:

 

They have been around forever but as time went on, Time-Serts are a far better solution. A more expensive solution though.

Of course the original installer could avoided all of this. I greased the threads in the vehicle and my bolts and lowered the applied torque accordingly. Then I spray my RDX with Krown T40 every year and into the channels. A bit of time back then saves huge headaches later on.

 

I just ran into this issue. 8 years of New England winters has rendered my frame bolts fairly rusted out. Not quite as bad as the pics above, but the M12 bolts are not going in. I bought an M12 tap and die set but I can't even get the tap to start threading. This process is questioning my sanity. Maybe I just bought a cheap ass Amazon tap and die set, but I just cannot get them to start cutting.
I almost feel like drilling the threads right out and drilling clearance holes to use another set of the 1/2" bolt and flange nuts.

 

@Skidpalace So I just installed a Curt hitch on my 2016 RDX. Frame bolts were somewhat rusted out, nothing crazy but also not enough for the hitch bolts to thread on their own. I bought a random thread tap on Amazon, along with a good thread tap handle making it easy to turn it, and it worked really well. Make sure you are spraying the area with penetrating fluid (ideally letting it soak for at least a day to help break up the rust) and not attempting to turn the thread tap dry (without the pen. fluid).

 

Hi - I actually had the same issue on my 2016 RDX. I used a ton of wd-40. Then I hand tightened and used a wrench to slow tightening and untightening many many times. This requires a lot of patience. Eventually it cleared the rust and tightened all the way. Do not try to put too much force on the screw. The wielded bolt can snap off. I've seen Uhual use a torch to expend the hole, but that's way beyond my skill level.