Do 2006 and 2007 Gen 4 cars have the rust problem?

I'm thinking about getting my mom a 2006 or 2007 Taurus, but after seeing all the talk about the 'dogleg rust' behind the rear door I am not so sure. Does anyone know if the 2006 and 2007 Taurus's have this problem? Maybe Ford fixed this issue by 2006??

I have a 2007 Montego in Minnesota. No rust so far.

Unless there is something specifically noted, you may not notice anything for several years. My 2000 really only become noticeable around 2007 with some bubbling paint.

That's very unusual for a 2006-07 to be developing rust already. It should still be covered under the corrosion warranty. Although, if the basic warranty is already expired, some dealerships might not be so helpful unless the rust has developed a hole in the metal. That was my experience with a 2000 Windstar. Bought the van brand new. All of the doors were rusting within 6 months (along the seam). Ford sandblasted them twice and resealed. Still rusted.

My suggestion is to keep the car rust proofed. I usually have the oil sprayed inside the panels and the dripless (thicker) sprayed on the underbody.

I was noticing that it would be real easy to get in back of the dogleg area to spray som undercoating material. So, does the rust start from the back side of that dogleg, or does it start from the outside - like from a chip or weak spot on the finish?

That's hard to say. A paint chip could develop into rust and eventually spread, but it would take awhile for it to become real bad. There's also a possibility it started from the back side. It's really hard to know. It's vital to keep these cars rustproofed (especially if you're using it for winter driving). It may not stop rust 100% but it will slow it down.

You could grind down the rust before it gets any worse and fix it up. If it's only surface rust you could just use a wire wheel or sandblaster. But if the metal has weakened from the rust... you may want to avoid using a sandblaster.