Purpose This paper aims to prepare highly hydrophobic films on aluminum AA3003 using myristic acid (MA) and evaluate its corrosion protection efficiency in a low-chloride solution. Design/methodology/approach The aluminum surface was initially treated with boiling water to develop a porous nanostructure, and then surface modification was carried out in ethanolic solutions with different concentrations of MA. The surface morphology, wetting behavior and film composition were first characterized, and then, the corrosion behavior was evaluated with electrochemical techniques. Findings The best hydrophobicity and corrosion resistance were obtained with 50 mM of MA. For such concentration, a water contact angle of 140° and protective efficiency of 96% were achieved. A multilayer structure was revealed by scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Originality/value The results of this work shed light on the anticorrosion performance of fatty acid self-assembled multilayers on the surface of Al–Mn alloys.