Body rust

[Woofer]

Hi folks,

Has anyone else had any body rust on their 4Runner? My 2012 is forming rust on the very bottom of the passenger front door panel, inside and outside. It's the only place on the truck where there is rust (other than underneath, which is expected).

They do not use salt on the roads where I live, so that is not a factor. My best guess is that something did not go right when the door was originally painted and that is why there is rust forming now. The truck only has 90,000 km on it, so I am planning to keep it for quite a bit longer.

The one estimate I have to have it repaired is not appealing--$3200 CDN. That was from the body shop that the local Toyota dealer is connected with, and they actually told me I should go to another shop that specializes in rust to hopefully get a cheaper estimate.

I don't expect I would get anywhere with Toyota with the claim that it is a defect--which I am pretty sure it is--given the age of the vehicle.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Mutant138]

Hi folks,

Has anyone else had any body rust on their 4Runner? My 2012 is forming rust on the very bottom of the passenger front door panel, inside and outside. It's the only place on the truck where there is rust (other than underneath, which is expected).

They do not use salt on the roads where I live, so that is not a factor. My best guess is that something did not go right when the door was originally painted and that is why there is rust forming now. The truck only has 90,000 km on it, so I am planning to keep it for quite a bit longer.

The one estimate I have to have it repaired is not appealing--$3200 CDN. That was from the body shop that the local Toyota dealer is connected with, and they actually told me I should go to another shop that specializes in rust to hopefully get a cheaper estimate.

I don't expect I would get anywhere with Toyota with the claim that it is a defect--which I am pretty sure it is--given the age of the vehicle.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Get a used one off ebay and swap it over yourself.

 

[LandCruiser]

Second vote for just buying a used door and swapping it out.

 

[badattitude]

i have a little bubble above the rear license plate bezel/Toyota emblem and just noticed some forming at the bottom of the rear door on the inside. I was surprised. It very slight and I can manage it with waxing and fluid film....for awhile. I actually just put corrosion x on it. a thin wipe.

 

[Mutant138]

i have a little bubble above the rear license plate bezel/Toyota emblem and just noticed some forming at the bottom of the rear door on the inside. I was surprised. It very slight and I can manage it with waxing and fluid film....for awhile. I actually just put corrosion x on it. a thin wipe.

I would just take a cheek poker, rust stabilizer, and a paint pen to it. Get the rust out now while it's mild.

Waxing and fluid film is just going to trap the cancer and help it fester.

 

[fkheath]

Many late model cars have a 10 year rust through warranty from the manufacturer, so check your warranty to see if you are covered. Corrosion protection has vastly increased on the last few years with zinc (galvanizes) and non-rusting materials such as plastic or aluminum

Other wise get a used one as others have suggested.

 

[Jeremy556]

Does it still have the strip of clear bra on the bottom edge of the door? Does the driver's side? If one has it and the other doesn't, your 4runner may have had body work done.

I had a little accident with mine when it was brand new that ripped off the driver's side front wheel that I filed an insurance claim on. Unfortunately, I didn't catch it on the estimate that they were going to refinish my driver's door. They sanded/painted it and of course did a shit job and ruined the factory rust proofing, so I have been forever fighting chipping paint and rust on that door only.

Another vote for grab a junk yard door and swap it

 

[Numb78]

I would just take a cheek poker, rust stabilizer, and a paint pen to it. Get the rust out now while it's mild.

Waxing and fluid film is just going to trap the cancer and help it fester.

I’m in southern Ontario where the salt is thrown like crazy in the winter... I have a little spot forming on the bottom of my drivers door on my 2013. I would like to try and fix before swapping out that door...

What is a “cheek poker”? I haven’t heard that term before...

 

[jhguth]

not sure if it's what they're referring to, but fiberglass pens are often used - if you google "prep pens" you should find them

 

[Mutant138]

I’m in southern Ontario where the salt is thrown like crazy in the winter... I have a little spot forming on the bottom of my drivers door on my 2013. I would like to try and fix before swapping out that door...

What is a “cheek poker”? I haven’t heard that term before...

Wire brush/wheel

 

[Woofer]

Thank you everyone for your quick replies and good ideas. I unfortunately got swamped with work and was not able to follow up until this morning...

Yeah, I agree that finding a replacement door is the best solution. The rust is barely noticeable now, so I have time to do a proper search--a year or two at least I figure. There are few decent wreckers in the area so I may have to go further afield--if anyone has any good suggestions in Western Canada, let me know!

When I received the detailed estimate from the Toyota body shop (technically, it's not Toyota as they serve all the dealer brands that are linked to the local Toyota dealer) was to replace the door shell with a refurbed shell, paint it, and replace some of the seals, etc., and reuse other stuff. Other than painting, I probably could do that myself. They were actually quite decent about it and said I should talk to another body shop who do good work and could likely do it for cheaper.

One thing that puzzles me is that they want to take off the front bumper and fender to do the work. I wonder if this is to better blend the paint? I guess if I want a good match on a used door I need one that's been on a vehicle that was parked outside continuously since purchase in hot summers and cold winters

Thanks again, folks. Very helpful information.

 

[85GT-79FJ40]

The bumper has to come off to remove the fender and the fender has to come off to remove the door. I haven't done this on a 5th gen but I have on a lot of other vehicles. It's pretty normal. And they will likely blend the new door into the fender and the rear door and clear all of these panels.

 

[sandcrawler]

Waxing and fluid film is just going to trap the cancer and help it fester.

waxing will, but Fluid Film won’t