05 Undercarriage Rust

[Teqeeler]

I would say I have just as much rust, if not more on my 4runner. A few spots have me a little concerned. I bought mine from a guy from vermont who lived on a dirt road.
I have a friend who just had is entire framed replaced on his 99 tacoma, or a similar year to that do to rust. Maybe toyota will do a recall down the line on 4runners.

I heard the por15 is quite a pita to use and is very messy.

 

[Cubslover]

Don't feel too bad about the warranty expiring, they are for rust-thoughs anyway.

It's definitely more rusty than my 03 and I'm in NC Indiana.

 

[wolfgang]

In VA and while replacing fluids in differentials (great instructions here by the way) I noticed mine had some rust where ever welds were on suspention/frame pieces. I removed front skip plate and the front one actually has rusted thru once I removed the flaking rust. I did wire brush on drill and some sandpaper and used rusty metal primer and spray satin black Rustoeleum paint after treating areas with 3M metal prep (its phosphoric acid like stuff). They sure were frugal with the paint on the frame!

 

[matthewy03]

I'm trying to product this winter called fluid film. I just got my ride in March, and its a 09, but i already noticed a few spots of rust in the undercarriage, thanks to the Iowa winters. I will just spray it on in November, and might try to reapply during the winter if I can get a nice day.

www.fluid-film.com

 

[Sporin]

That's even worse then my 72k mile '06 (I've only had it a year). I'm having it oil undercoated soon for winter. Spent it's life in Mass/NH/VT.

I think it's only a matter of time before Toyota extends the frame-rust warranties on the 4Runners as well. They certainly do get orange fast.

 

[olsen_karl]

I heard the por15 is quite a pita to use and is very messy.

If you can paint with a brush, you can apply POR-15. Just as easy to apply.

Definitely wear old clothes and use gloves though. It does not come off skin easily.

 

[swise]

Do people that live out west even have rust on their undercarriage?

 

[olsen_karl]

Do people that live out west even have rust on their undercarriage?

I bought the 4Runner for winter use (I ski a lot), so yes, even out west in the desert near Tahoe, there's rust.

The durability of the paint/coating on the frame isn't very impressive.

 

[810moto]

Do people that live out west even have rust on their undercarriage?

i am in SoCal and not one spot of rust on my 04. I have however, started to spray new rubber undercoating on it when i get bored. Looks better and makes my time go by with a little added protection. I have never seen a vehicle with as much rust as this guy has. I had a 78 chevy truck back in the mid 90's with not a spot on it and that was back in Oklahoma where it snows and the roads are salted.

 

[markeike]

Do people that live out west even have rust on their undercarriage?

My '98 4Runner spent the first 2 years of it's life in SoCal, and the last 10 years in Washington State, and not a spec of rust on the undercarriage. (I do have one or two stone chips on the topside that need some attention, though).

 

[wolfgang]

You'd think after the 1995.5-2004 Tacoma truck buy back for frame rust (some call it a recall but it was not formally) Yota would put a thicker coat of paint on the frame components - even a self healing galvanize coating or some kind of electronic protection. 2001-2004 Tacos often got a frame replacement (cost to Yota over $11k!) and all got a 15 year frame rust warranty. Scares me to think of the rust inside the frame components. I plan to clean up visual rust and spray that plastic oily rust protector in access holes in the frame. Wish there had been a "recall" on my '85 PU!

Yota has gone down hill in my opinion - sludge in Camry engines, rusted taco frames, sudden acceleration in Avalon, 4Rnr freezing brake calipers/sticking sun roofs/jbl amp crap out in cold weather (no free fix here), Corolla MAF replacement. Those Hyundai/KIA 100k warranties and their vehicles are looking more appealing to me.

 

[4runnah005]

thanks for the input everyone!

 

[tedcool]

I've got two 06's...

I've had my 4runner since nearly new, and only the last two years in Maine. It's about half as bad as yours.

My Sequoia lived all its life in New England, and it's worse, but not quite as bad as yours.

We are in the habit of spraying down the undercarriages once a week at the bay wash in the winter.

This summer, I jacked them up, took off the wheels and spare, and went to town with Krylon Rust Tough in semi flat black. It looks awesome!

I only washed it first - I didn't brush or sand. The rust was pretty solid.

I figure I'll see what flaked off by next summer, and do it again.

That's gotta slow down the cancer...

 

[Front Range 4x4]

POR-15 is a good product, I used it on my '41 Plymouth years ago with very good results and suggest look check it out. Those of us not in the rust belt cringe at the sight of this kind of rust but some time and effort can take care of it. Short bristle wire brushes on a drill will clean it up but requires persistence.

 

[Front Range 4x4]

Those Hyundai/KIA 100k warranties and their vehicles are looking more appealing to me.

Buy one and report back, I'll wager you're back to Toyota long before reaching 100k. [/hijack]

 

[M1911]

Buy one and report back, I'll wager you're back to Toyota long before reaching 100k. [/hijack]

You might be surprised. I drove a previous generation Sonata for a week as a rental car, and I was pretty damn impressed. Yes, it was a plain jane, vanilla product, but it was pretty darn competitive with a Camry. And the new Sonata is even better. They don't have anything competitive with a 4Runner, of course, but for your mainstream car they are doing some great work.

 

[Sporin]

You might be surprised. I drove a previous generation Sonata for a week as a rental car, and I was pretty damn impressed. Yes, it was a plain jane, vanilla product, but it was pretty darn competitive with a Camry. And the new Sonata is even better. They don't have anything competitive with a 4Runner, of course, but for your mainstream car they are doing some great work.

The Japanese should not be so foolish as to ignore the Koreans like the Americans ignored the Japanese 30 years ago... or they could suffer the same fate.

 

[bigdp55]

I feel ya I'm from vermont and I've had to have the frame worked on a couple times. The road salt up here will eat a vehicle in around 10 years.

 

[CookieRoe]

We need this machine and a member who has access to one (give us a rate, LOL).

 

[geology john]

doesn't look terribly bad from your pic. My 03 4 runner was probably as bad. What i did was put it in the air......spent ~six hours w a stiff wire brush on a drill removing the flaky rust......then I sprayed all those rusted areas w a product called "UDERCOATING" BY Rust-Oleum....after emptying four 15 oz spray cans I was done. Note that rust is a form of oxidation......that oxidation is a slow burning.......that burning requires oxygen......so cut off the oxygen and you stop (or slow down) further rusting. Two years later it still looks pretty damn good. I believe "Undercoating" worked well.....further, it's rubberized ......a good sealer.