Our Bighorn is almost 4 years old and shows no sign of rust. I have to add that it has never been exposed to any salty road conditions either. We have spent 3 winters in Corpus Christi though and the air there is full of salt. Have you had to clean off the legs using anything abrasive that may have removed the coating? I agree, 6 months is very premature to be showing signs of rust. How about some pictures?