Rust on pre-owned vehicle
 

I understand very little about vehicles or other things with a motor. I found a good pre-owned vehicle from 2013 for the right price and it checks every necessary box. However, an acquaintance of mine holds the opinion that I should pass on the vehicle because of some rust on the inside lower frame of the driver's door. It's unnoticeable from the outside. But the acquaintance says that in a year from now, the rust will spread and the vehicle will look like trash.

The rust is not a tiny spot on the frame, but rather kind of spread out on that door.

I don't care about the rust as it is, so if I can do some work to maintain it rather than fix it, I'm good with that.

Should this be a deal-breaker?

Yes, it’s like an iceberg you can only see 10%.

If I am appraising a vehicle, and there is any visible rust whatsoever, it is instantly a wholesale vehicle, no matter how nice. Can not retail it. Huge value deduction.

Rust can only be truly fixed by cutting the vehicle apart and welding new sheet metal in, and even then you better hope they did a good job because if a speck is left behind it will soon be a spot, then a bubble, then full blown cancer.


Shit I just bought a new truck and ended up with an aluminum truck partly because so many even pretty new trucks had rust.

For me both in my business, and in my personal life, rust is an absolute deal breaker for any vehicle.

See Burt for a used car.

8 year old vehicle with rust?

Hell no. That car has seen some shit.

Think of it as a little bit of cancer.

Think of it this way - Would you rather have vaginal sex with Jennifer Lawrence or get a blow job from Billay?

Rust is just like cancer. You do not want a vehicle that has rust as it will spread fast and destroy everything in its path.

Well shucks - I was hoping the acquaintance was being a bit dramatic. Sounds like I better keep looking.

Oh ****. You live in Iowa?

Run.

BTW. Good to see you around Jenson.

I'd echo what Hometeam said. That little bit of rust may be the only visible sign of something amiss, but not the whole story. True enough it could be just a small ding that got salt into it, but it could also indicate the car has been in water. You don't want any part of that.

My man Jenson is back. Nice to hear from you bud.

Is it a Chevy?

It's a Chevy isn't it?

Yeah, take a hard pass and keep hunting.

We had a 5 year old truck on the lot, that was perfect and beautiful. Guy stopped to look at it, then he got on his back and inspected the under carriage. I thought he was a bit over zealous. WRONG!! It looked like someone put a new truck on the chassis of a 30 year old junk yard truck!! I was shocked that it made it's way to my lot. Guy gave it a hard pass, and I didn't blame him in the least. I refused to sell that truck.

Sounds to me like it may have been in a flood.

Good luck finding anything worth a shit for a reasonable price in the current market.

The only vehicle I drive that is rust free is my wife's car. Of course everything is also dirt cheap stuff. But they do what I need them to do and that's all I care about.

Not in the used car market so was somewhat surprised when reading an inflation article which noted a 30% price increase on used vehicles. That's hefty.

I was in the market for a used SUV a month ago, wanted a 10-12 yr old Grand Cherokee but anything nice was 2-3k over book...**** that. Ended up with a Chevy Trailblazer with minor body damage but at least the price was within reason. And it's only gotten worse since then.

If the only rust is the door then doors are easily replaceable.

Any decent repair person can fix most rust issues unless it is waaay gone.

It’s a unicorn with rust. Buy immediately.

Patina adds character.

You can drive a rust bucket.

Salesman offered to take off $1k from asking price and said the shop could fix it...

It would be mighty tempting if they took off another $1,500.

Chrysler

really depends on what kind of price were talking about, is this a 25000.00 car or a 5000.00 car ? how far below nada book is it? all this makes a difference, rust happens, depends on if you can put up with it or not. might be a perfectly good mechanical car just cosmetically a little bad. gotta weigh all this out for YOU

Well, since the used car inventory was reduced by 685,000 vehicles 12 years ago, high cost and low availability isn't really a shocker.

$15996, which is actually above the Nada "clean retail" by about over $2k.

Vehicles are tools. Like a hammer. Who gives a shit what it looks like.

Well, you did buy a Chevy, what did you expect?






Oh, you probably meant the used car market...

Give them your price or you’ll walk. Then walk if they don’t give it to you.

HEY Calm your tits in the Chevy hate. They have some not bad vehicles on the roads. I’d put the reliability of the pickups I’ve owned against anything. Very few people abuse them to the degree I have.

In reality, Bugs bought the Trail. boxer after I sung their praises. I’m just hoping it holds together for him so he doesn’t murder my family. ROFL

LMAO

I'm not one to have issues a time or two and apply it to all things that company makes ever.... but, my Monte Carlo needing a new transmission at 80k miles was pretty bad (and had another Chevy prior with issues, but it was older).

I haven't sworn them off, but they're in timeout.

Wife's '03 Denali has just started showing rust. Of course she's been driving it for 18 years so it does not owe us anything.

How old was it? They’re better. My work wagon has 100K drivetrain warranty.

It was a 2006 SS... think I had it ~6 years at that point.

Pack some shoes for all the walking you will be doing.

"Rust never sleeps" circa 1979 Neil Young :hmmm:

I have a 2017 Pacifica limited, its going into the shop for a galvanic corrosion problem (under warranty). Hood and sliding drivers door. Body guy said if they tried to fix the aluminum panels, they just have to fill the repair and it wouldn't last. Probably $5000 repair for Chrysler, said they have done a bunch of hoods

Daily driver. "Ol' Betty". No rust. It's a '92. And the back glass decal! Note the flames..makes her faster...https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7bb12388bc.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2ac4b1bd08.jpg

Sent from my LM-X410(FG) using Tapatalk

I'm diggin' it.

Per Stevie Ray's request, she now has tinted windows!

The blue flame is quite intimidating. And where did you get that Mahomes sticker?

It looks like it's tearing ass and it ain't even moving.

Now THAT’S what I call a unicorn.

That’s what she said.

Love me some Duramax!

This will be at the CP gathering... Right!

I had issues with them. Then, I had a 98 Transport van that turned out the coolant, Dexcool, was a big issue. Had to have that motor rebuilt. Later, there was a class action lawsuit about that. At that point, I wrote off GM.

SO made it on her Cricut. She is fairly creative.

I seriously doubt there is an large automotive manufacturer that HASN'T had a class action lawsuit filed against them.

I know Ford, CDJ, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia and Honda all have. So....what do you drive?

This could be surface rust or it has penetrated too far into the metal. If its a 2013 Chrysler, (need more info for a good price, like model and mileage), but I am guessing you are not paying top dollar for it.

As you aren't too confident in your own skills, it's best to ask the dealership (man I hate going to dealerships) if they are willing to let you take the vehicle to a mechanic of your choice to inspect. A good independent shop will charge like 50-100$ to do this service and it is well worth the price.

Lots of cars north of KC that get snow and salt on the roads are going to have some rust on the undercarriage its just a fact of life. This sounds dumb, but I would want to get under there with a metal hammer and beat on it a bit to see if anything gives or flakes off. Maybe a file or pick too. If it is surface only and you get $1500 knocked off, might be a decent deal, would have to know more. With surface rust, you can take a metal wire wheel/brush and scrape off as much as you can. Then hit it with a rust reformer product. Then paint to seal. there could be some residual, but it will likely slow any spread enough that you get your $ worth out of the car.

I have two of them now. Broke my streak of Chrysler products at 9.

https://i.imgur.com/xERw9l8.jpg