Hi all - there was an old thread from 2014 which I replied to - but being so old might need to start a new one.

I'm noticing the screws holding in my rear license plate are getting very rusty and rather not tempt fate and lose a plate. I bought new screws but when I removed the plate I just saw this (not mine but taken from another post). The U clips on the top that I have are beyond rusted. Any recommendations on what I can do to get U clips for all four screw holes?

 

Take the old clips off and take it with you to AutoZone or like it and match it up with what they have.
You can always go to the dealership or parts website and order it from them.

 

When I got my car 6 years ago, which came off a 3 year lease, there were no bottom screws for the rear plate. The 2 top screws hold the plate on just fine. A couple years later I got front and rear license plate frames which solved the "missing" screws issue.

 

Jtech is on the money! Bring an old clip to an auto parts store and buy something similar. In Canada Canadian Tire has a huge section with stuff like this to choose from eh.

 

Thanks for the tip @jtech316. I do like having the idea of having an actual frame, where did you get yours from @dregsfan

 

Amazon. It was actually 2 months after I bought the car, not 2 years. I bought this set but it says currently unavailable. I'm sure Amazon has others.

 

Thanks guys - super helpful here!!

 

I bought a bunch of zinc plated clips from Amazon.

When replacing the screws, use a lot of anti-seize and use zinc plated screws.

Or use plastic screws and you can forget about rust altogether.

Don't use stainless steel screws.

The factory thread pitch is m6x1.0

 

OEM part no: 90675-SA5-003

About $5 each, and 4 are needed to replace all 4.

 

can I ask why stainless steel is a no go? I thought stainless steel doesn’t rust

 

SS will cause corrosion of the zinc substrate in the license plate pretty quickly. In layman's terms, the bolts will eat thru the plating on the plates. Then the plates will rust unmercifully.

I think all license plates are made from galvanized steel. Maybe some states are different?