Crap finish on cheepchinesecrap iron. Take that back and get a Kohler if you want cast iron.

I would suspect that iron filings got on the surface and turned to rust. While it could be the cheapchinescrap(TM) rusting, I would think the enamel would prevent it. It could be dust from production, or something metal was cut in the room and the dust got in the tub. It could be as minor as steel wool used to clean copper pipes prior to soldering. Contact the manufacturer to see what they recommend. I would expect bon ami or similar.

Ehhhh..sorry to tell you this. It's definitely iron rust caused by a poor surface finish before enameling . A thin film of enamel was applied then polished smooth. High spots were polished too thin allowing for moisture penetration and entrapment. I would INSIST on Home Depot taking back.

Well, yes, it was made in China, but the reviews were all very positive. Kohler was not in the budget. I do hope we don't have to return it. It's up on the second floor and was a bit challenging to get up the stairs. The warranty specifically says that using abrasive or self-cleaning (spray-on & wipe off)
cleaners will void the warranty. So, I don't want try that just yet. Can't seem to locate the manufacturers contact info anywhere on the web. I will contact Home Depot and see what they have to say.

I have the same small rust spots (10 tiny pin size dots) on my brand new Kohler cast iron tub. So don't say go to Kohler as a solution. Everything is made like crap these days. Kohler rep says to try to clean it off. Not happy!

We just had a brand new Kohler cast iron tub installed 2 months ago. It now has numerous rust spots on the floor of the tub. In contact with the rep to See if they will replace it

Has anyone had any resolution from Koehler on these Pin holes??? Just had Koehler bellwether installed 2weeks ago. after installation noticed tiny pin holes in the finish! no Rust yet but concerned it will rust. D

I haven't heard anything. At HU-, where did you buy this tub?

Ken

@Patrick Weaver, did you have any luck? We bought 2 cast iron Kohler tubs from Wayfair and had them installed months ago and of course after all tile work and everything was done, multiple rust spots appeared on the bottom of the tub and I don't know what to do because it probably means we will have to redo tile, etc. Any advice would be much appreciated!

I got a credit from Kohler for the value of the tub. I bought it through a Kohler authorized showroom, not sure if that helped. Will be going with acrylic when I renovate the next bathroom. Kohler was pushing for a replacement but I said no way! I’ll just deal with the rust spots since I’m not ripping out tile!

I ordered the Bellweather too and when I called Kohler they acted like I was crazy. Then my designer called this special number and they sent out a specialist to my house and it turns out the rust spots are definitely from the finish of the Kohler tub and nothing we did so their options were to have a contractor refinish the brand new tub or send a replacement tub to wayfair (where I purchased it from). But then that required me finding someone to rip out our tile, buy more, get plumber to install and then repair tile and any other damages 🙄. So frustrating because I really thought Kohler was a good brand but apparently not anymore with their cast iron tubs.

I just had the same thing happen to me. We got a Kohler Mendota tub and it looked great. then we installed and after rinsing the tub out with water, rust spots came up all over the bottom of the tub. And I, too, will not be ripping out all the work and paying another $1000 to get another one brought up a flight of stairs, etc. A plumber friend says that Kohler has very poor quality control and do not test for bad finish before selling. He says the rust issues is usually caused from improper/heavy sandblasting for the nonskid and that Kohler should be doing a water test on all tubs but they don't. He says he does this himself before he installs on jobs so that he is not held responsible and has more than a few fail the test. Just disgusted right now but, at least, Kohler has agreed to refund me the full purchase price. And now we need to figure out how to fix it, if even possible. My plumber friend says if below the surface, not possible

We bought a kohler tub from home depot and had it sitting outside with a tarp over it. It is now covered in rust spots. Luckily we had not installed it yet because from these reviews it looks like we got a window into a future problem. Even if I could get the spots off, I don't trust it at all now. I assumed that a bathtub could get wet.....

Feb 20, 2021: I sure wish we had our contractor do a water test on our Kohler tub, before it was installed. The contractor was so diligent, in protecting the tub, during the install of tile and fixtures. Their work was impeccably clean. After the first use of the shower in this tub, I thought I noticed a spec at the bottom of the tub. I intended to take a closer look the next day. Forgot completely until the second shower. And at closer look, those very same pin point rust spots are forming along the 'lines' of the anti-slip texture. After Googling this issue, I am seeing that Kohler has been alerted to this issue, since 2008. Hello, wtf Kohler? We are dealing with a newly renovated bathroom. Throwing a measly few dollars at us, for the replacement cost of this crap tub, is the least of it. We are looking at marble tile, expensive fixtures, etc. Share with whomever you can, if you see a Kohler product, run.

Hi all, what were the outcomes of the rust in the tubs? I just noticed 2 specks in my kohler villager after all the backer board went up. Do they get worse? Any advice is appreciated

• March 2, 2021: We are still working through a few steps, to confirm what to do. In the mean time, The contractor quickly ordered marble from the same lot # that was used, to tile around the bathtub. But the floor surface is tricky - out of production. The fixtures are expensive, but still in stock at the immediate moment. It's going to be annoying, if they are somehow damaged and out of stock, during removal of tub. As the fixtures in the bathrooms are all the same.

• And yes, there is a lot of concern, about removing the tub, without causing more damage/issues. Frankly, I feel bad for our contractor. They did such beautiful work.

• Kohler (and or the local Kohler design center), requested that the tub be cleaned with a specific cleaner. We have seen others go through these steps, with the outcome being the same (removal). But we will continue to work with our contractor (they have been very responsive and 'on it', as soon as we noticed this blem). The install was in February-ish 2021).

• We got the instruction, to clean the 'rust spots', with a soft cloth and Bar Keepers Friend. I noticed on the label, that it has Oxalic acid. Probably not very concentrated. That was done, and it removed the pinpoint spots. We are in 'watch mode' now. The next step is to clean tub with a product recommended by Kohler.

• Hope this info is of come help.

Yep, it seems Kohler is not what it once was, too bad. The notion that you have to "water test" the enameled cast iron prior to installation for rust spots is totally weird.

This didn't happen in the past, as a retired plumbing contractor we installed hundreds/maybe thousands of villager CI tubs for commercial projects and the only worry was protecting the tubs during construction.

This rust issue never came up, considering the premium costs of Kohler products, this is very disappointing to hear that Kohler has not addressed this issue. Apparently, Kohler has been taken over by "bean counters" who simply don't care. In the old days (60s-90s) Kohler would have been on any problem like a bad habit and made it "right" for the client immediately, costs to them be damned.

A quicky search brought this up on a Ridgid plumber's forum from 2009, if this is correct and this problem is caused by robots, you would think Kohler would have dealt with it by now? Also, I wonder if these "carbon flecks" are the source of rust. In any event post from the forum is below, this seems a very old issue, and surprised Kohler has not addressed it.

"Interesting advice on Kohler cast iron tub

06-27-2009, 12:26 PM

I'm putting in a Kohler cast iron tub and had to call the dealer because there were three little black specks in the finish. The guy that came out used to work for Kohler and had some interesting comments that I want to pass on. I'm not a Kohler fan, but the Boss likes the style and look of their porcelain, so I do have some of their stuff. This is what I was told.

First, the porcelain for white and almond (biscuit) colored tubs and sinks are all done by an automated process, because they make so many. The colored tubs are pretty much all done by hand. The ones made by robot tend to get carbon flecks in the coating. Kohler actually has a spec for an acceptable level (!) of these carbon specks. You see fewer or no black specks in the colored tubs because the material is applied by a person that is actually looking at the tub. I personally returned a white cast iron sink that looked like someone had sprinkled pepper in the porcelain... so this does happen. The replacement sink was fine, though - no visible black specks.

Second, especially if you're undermounting your iron tub as I am, I was strongly advised to connect up the drain and run water in the tub (hot and cold) and let it sit overnight or longer before you install the tub deck and surround. It's not uncommon that some Kohler tubs develop hairline cracks that go all the way through the porcelain - which don't show up until after you put water in the tub. The cracks are caused by some condition, possibly occurring in manufacturing, possibly in transport handling, that stresses the tub. It could be the weight of the water or the temperature that encourages the cracks to show up. Apparently Kohler gets a number of complaints from customers that see these cracks show up right after putting the tub into service. They will eventually show rust stains. Kohler will replace the tub.... but not the tub deck or surround! In my case, I'm doing a slab granite deck and shower surround. Replacing the tub would mean replacing the granite, which would cost many thousands.

Just wanted to pass that info on, for whatever it's worth. Hard to believe that Kohler thinks that any black flecks in a white tub would be acceptable. As for the cracking thing -- and I've heard of this hairline crack problem before -- that seems crazy. And Kohler, who isn't shy about charging big money, won't cover the cost of the surround?? Fortunately I think in some states they are by law liable for incidental damages caused by product defects.... I need to look into that a bit more.

For myself, no more Kohler for future projects."

Any updates on this? I have the exact same problem! will call them tomorrow.