Over the past few days I checked my newly-acquired SRT-6 coupe for this problem, and then repaired it.

I relied on the out-of-state Chrysler dealer I bought the car from to check for rust in the door channels. They assured me they pulled the rubber seals in both doors and found everything "clean as a whistle" before I paid for the car. Unfortunately, this representation from a Chrysler dealer turns out not to have been true.

A few days ago I pulled the seals completely out of both doors and found rust developing in both of them. The bottom portions of the door gasket channel were the worst. No rust-through was found anywhere, but it was clear that had I not investigated the problem it would eventually have become a very serious problem. I even found what looked to be very small rust bubbles beneath the door channels where they curve upwards from the bottom at the rear portions of both doors. This indicates rust may have begun to form in those areas beneath the channels, a problem I will deal with later. My sincere thanks go to those on this forum who spotted the problem with rust developing in the door channels.

The background of my car is as follows: 2005 SRT-6 coupe with 6,200 miles on it when I purchased it in Ohio three weeks ago. I spoke with the original owner who told me the car had never been driven in the rain or in the winter since new, and that it had always been stored inside. The fact that rust was found in this car seems consistent with other reports of cars that have been babied and stored inside still having rust in the door channels, irrespective of local climate.

The door channel is narrow. A Dremel tool with a standard rotating wire brush disk will not fit inside it. Nor will a toothbrush. To get at the rust, I used a Dremel tool with a straight wire brush end that was basically the same diameter as the brush shaft. Sandblasting would have been better. I'm sure other techniques would work given enough thought. Getting at the rust in the channel is a major problem because of the channels' small size and the front part of the door affording only limited access.

After removing as much rust as I could with a Dremel tool, I used a 3M scouring pad to remove more rust from the channels, used compressed air to clean out the channels, applied naval jelly for about ten minutes to each channel, and thoroughly rinsed the channels with clean water. Then I applied three coats of clear POR 15 to each channel. I sprayed several coats of clear NAPA rust neutralizer over the POR-15 inside the channels. Because of drying times the process took two days.

Per others' comments here, 3M release agent was found to be extremely helpful when putting the rubber gaskets back in the channels. Attempts to put a gasket back into a channel without release agent were generally unsuccessful. Save yourself a lot of trouble by using release agent when putting the gaskets back in the channels.

I will be placing windshield adhesive/sealant between the bottom edges of the rubber triangles located at the forward top portions of the doors near the glass. It is reputedly from this location that water seeps down inside the doors and winds up migrating to locations between the gaskets and the channels. The fact that rust can occur in the channels is an obvious design defect.

My next project: removing the rear spoiler and checking for rust.

I'm glad this resource is available to find out about the problem, because otherwise I would never have know about it and would eventually have wound up with ruined doors.