Has anyone found a good list of states that use road salt in winter? I know it's primarily the northeastern states, but an accurate listing would be helpful if there is one.

I've found 3 candidate T4Rs I was interested in until I learned each came from PA, NJ, and MN... all of which use road salt. On a used truck that I don't know how well that's been watched, that's not a risk I'm eager to take.

I think almost all states use road salt. Are you saying that Colorado does not? Because I do remember reading something about salt use in Colorado, but I'm not sure if it was old info.

Either way, why wouldn't you consider buying a 4Runner from a state that uses road salt? If the owner takes care of the vehicle, salt should have very little effect on the vehicle. And the underside does rust from salt, but it's usually just surface rust and nothing that would cause any serious problems.

Try looking at this Subaru forum posting:

Map: States that use road salt - Subaru Forester Owners Forum

Thanks Jed. CO uses sand. There may be some salt mixed with it though. I know there was discussion several years ago about MgCl but I thought it had ceased and they'd gone back to straight sand/pea gravel.

I wouldn't mind a vehicle that came from a salt state if I knew it had been well taken care of underneath. I'm just not sure if there's a way to know that for certain until it's too late. Just because it's "clean" at the time of inspection doesn't mean there's not some pockets of rust lurking and with the recent Tundra frame rust recall, I'm a little more attenuated to this than I have been with other (non-Toyota) vehicles I've owned here.

The frame warranty extension due to excessive rust on 1st gen Tacoma and Tundra is causing a lot of undue panic. I know the Tacomas that had problems had totally nasty rust-through - the metal was eaten though and missing. The rust problem was very visible and not hiding to bite you one day. The 4th gen 4Runners seem to exhibit more surface rust than we'd like to see for such an expensive vehicle, but it's nowhere near rusting to the point of failure like the other trucks that had a real problem. Also, keep in mind that not all frames had the problem. Even a small amount of care must go a long way toward preventing rust-through. One theory Toyota had was that salty air near the ocean coastline also contributed to the problem, which was most prevelant in the Northeast and New England. Road salt coupled with sea salt was a double whammy.

If you're inspecting a vehicle you'd like to buy, hit the frame with a hammer if you like to see how solid it is. (Just be sure to hit the frame and not another metal part you might damage!) On the Tacomas that got bought back by Toyota, the hammer went right through.

Yeah, I think a really good inspection of the frame & chassis should be all someone would need to feel okay with purchasing a snowbelt 4Runner. I realize it's not practical to slide under every 4Runner to inspect it, but I'd make sure I took a good look if I were buying a used one from a state like NY or NJ.

I'm a little disappointed with the amount of surface rust on my 4Runner's frame, but there is nothing even close to what would be considered serious rust or damage from rust. The majority of rust seems to be on the rear axle brackets, mostly where they were welded to the axle tubes. I also have a tiny bit of rust starting to show on the front skid plate. Overall though, it's still solid as a rock under there, with no signs of any actual perforation from rust.

guilty, I admit it - my secondary purpose for this thread was to get a reality check as to whether I was over-reacting by discarding those vehicles from further consideration.

Just wanted to comment on the Jersey candidates specifically. North and South Jersey have considerable variations in climate and I would expect a South Jersey, or even Central, to have a much cleaner undercarriage than a North Jersey vehicle.

Yeah, but not this year! South and Central NJ have been absolutely pounded by snow compared to their normal winter weather. And North NJ has experienced very little snowfall in comparison.

True. But overall I would still prefer a South Jersey vehicle over one anywhere in PA, NY, CT, and northern NJ.

My DC based 06 used to be pretty sharp looking undercarriage wise, though I reckon snowmagedon is going to put an end to that. There is SO MUCH salt on the roads it's ridiculous. Saw the first spot of rust on the hitch the other day. Grrrrrr. Can't wait to move back west!

No, Colorado doesnt use salt persay, they use a mag-chloride mix, and sometimes sand with that...

the mag-chloride actually eats away at clear coat finishes like on alloy wheels. so its important to have your wheels powder coated to protect from that.

Magnesium Chloride is still a salt, although I think it is supposed to be a bit less corrosive than Sodium Chloride (rock salt). In my area, they use the Magnesium Chloride before a snow storm hits, and then they use the rock salt during/after the snow had accumulated.

Anywhere in the mid-Atlantic they dump so much salt the highway officials must be getting kick-back from the salt companies.

Both my 4Runners are from PA, both have freakishly solid frames for 80's Toyotas.
That's the reason I bought them. Each time I went over every sq in of the frame before buying. Both times nothing but surface rust. Maybe I was lucky, but after replacing the frame on my 83 that was the key factor.

Oregon uses liquid Magnesium chloride mix.
Not as bad as straight salt but..."magnesium chloride product contains a corrosion inhibitor, it still can cause corrosion."

TripCheck - Road Cams, Road & Weather Conditions in Oregon - ODOT