Drive cycle (DC) tests employ rapid load cycling which will result in rapidly changing local operating conditions and consequently high non-uniform mechanical stress at the electrode perimeter. In order to better investigate the impact of electrode irregularities on the long-term behavior of the cell, it is necessary to exclude the edge effects of the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) as a failure mode. Therefore, an effective electrode edge protection technique using thin protective gaskets and a hot-pressing procedure was developed which dramatically prolonged lifetime. Open circuit voltage (OCV), air polarization curve, and hydrogen crossover limiting current density were monitored during the DC tests. For post-DC ex-situ analysis, an in-house developed pinhole detection apparatus was employed to analyze quantity, size, and location of the failure points of MEAs with and without edge protection. Non-protected MEAs typically developed tears at the electrode perimeter, while the longer-lasting protected MEAs exhibited seemingly random pinhole development.