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How bad is my Rust?

32K views 67 replies 38 participants last post by  ZmanII 
#1 ·
2007 FJ Cruiser. Just bought at a great price, I think, $10,000. Looks good on the inside and outside. However there is quiet a bit of rust on the frame. I was going to replace the hitch but thought that it looked unsafe. What do you think? I know some is just surface rust but some is pretty bad. Some of the inside and outside pictures would indicate that the person who had it before me took pretty good care of it.
 

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#3 · (Edited)
id say hell no unless you replace the frame, that looks pretty bad even for 10K your getting into safety concerns territory not to mention if its straight or not having that much metal gone or useless in the bad cross member

edit: you can buy frame section on aftermarket sites... cut out the rusted out cross member in the back and weld in the new one :)
 
#4 ·
That's pretty rough. That rear member is rusted through right where it connects to the side rails which could be a big issue if you hit too large of a bump. I'd have someone fix at least that portion that very soon by cutting away the rust and welding in new steel. You could take a wire brush and a can or two of black spray paint down there and head off some of the surface rust, which will also help reveal where it is worse than it looks.
 
#7 · (Edited)
''It's dead Jim.''

5 minutes with a hammer and that frame would be holed 10X more then it is now. Unsafe to drive and unfortunately you got ripped off. 5 minutes on a lift inspecting it would have saved you 10K of pain. Seller knew the frame was toast which is why he sold it. It'll cost you more then the cost of the vehicle to repair it right if you don't have a background of doing frame work and can do it yourself.

If a vehicle is dirt cheap, there is almost always a good reason why it is under valued. [yes, I have learned this the hard way] While you can find a deal, one needs to take extra cautions in checking it out.

I looked at a lot of used FJ's before I bought new, it is sad how poorly people take care of the undersides of their vehicles and even the ones at Yota dealers [along with Taco's, Tundra's ect] had horrible rust issues, they just blasted over the undersides with goo so it was covered and black and not rust brown. I saw exactly zero FJ's I was willing to buy used [and the prices were close to new anyways] once I glanced under them.

Always have one cheaper vehicle that is my winter sacrificial ride, all else sits in the garage and waits til all the salt is washed off the roads.
 
#10 ·
What he said, I can tell you with ANY reputable shop would take a step back before turning a wrench on this thing and tell you the frame is destroyed. I agree with everyone above but I'll point out a couple other things.
The best analogy for describing rust like this is an iceberg, what you can see is unfortunately only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. I wouldn't bother cleaning or changing frame members, this is a safety issue and as such can be litigated, the dealership needs to make this right pronto.

I can also tell you that the early FJ's have a notorious weak spot at the motor mount frame tie in area so you add this kind of weakness and you have yet another liability. Also you need to wary of the brake lines as well.

The primary frame members are severely weakened and will be subject to failure in an accident also and this thing may never give out but chances are it will when you least expect it.
 
#11 ·
I have scheduled a documented rust inspection with my local Toyota dealer. I also have a local mechanic that will look everything over including the rust damage. Once I have all of the documentation and photos I plan to file a formal complaint with NHTSA and Toyota. Since there are several FJ Cruisers out there with severe rust damage I think that it needs to be investigated just like the Tacoma problem.
If you have severe / abnormal rust damage I think you should file a complaint. It is the only thing Toyota understands evidently.
I will keep you posted as to how things go.
 
#12 ·
:worried:

Sorry you're dealing with this and I hope it gets resolved. When I purchased my 08 I told myself I wouldn't buy unless the frame had reasonable to little or no rust underneath, since I've heard all about the rust issues with some toyotas.

Let us know what comes of your efforts!
 
#16 ·
All the places I've seen was the other way around, the Lemon Laws were more geared towards private sale as you're more likely to get screwed by Joe Schmoe than a dealer that has a business reputation to keep up.

I know here in MA it's by mileage. As the overall miles on a vehicle increase the time to file lemon law claims decreases, and at a certain point (120K I believe) you're not covered by lemon laws at all.
 
#17 ·
That is some serious rust... Where there is a will there is a way, and it can all technically be fixed, it just depends on how much you are willing to spend... The steering and suspension components in that sad of shape is what rally concerns me. Means that all of your grease zerks and suspension bushings are probably ceased and rusted pretty bad as well...

Was this FJ in a flood zone somewhere? Looks to me like it sat in standing water for a long period of time in the mud and the crud and contaminated water... Lift up the "rubber" floor covering of the interior to see if there is any mold or rot in the padding underneath... If the padding is wet, stinks or looks really bad this could also indicate that it us in a flooded area... This could also easily start rusting the floor pans out too...

It should have a "salvaged title" if it was in a flood, but I have heard horror stories about shady dealers selling these cars with a "clean title"...
 
#20 ·
Was this FJ in a flood zone somewhere? Looks to me like it sat in standing water for a long period of time in the mud and the crud and contaminated water...
I don't think so. It's only sin was that it was up North. The rest of the car is fantastic as you can see from the photos. Rides good, 4WD works, no engine or transmission problems, the seats look they have hardly been used, even the wheels do not show signs of rusting.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Also, let this be a lesson to all of us FJ owners... Take care of your frames and try to stay ahead of the rust... I have a 2014 and I am already seeing an unusual amount of rust on the frame welds and suspension components... Living in Nevada through almost 2 winters now has seemed to have sped up the oxidation process on my FJ dramatically...

As soon as the one of the wettest winters on record in Northern Nevada passes, I plan on spending a day or two cleaning and pampering the under carriage of my FJ... Eliminating, neutralizing and painting over rust PLUS re-greasing all of suspension components and drive-train zerks...

I will be using some scotch-brite pads to try to scuff up/remove most the surface rust in certain areas, then wipe it down/clean it with with Iso-alcohol and then paint on some POR-15 on the entire frame and suspension components... For those that don't know, POR-15 is a very good rust inhibitor that is going to prevent new rust from forming and can be applied directly onto existing rust, which it will neutralize and will not allow the rust to spread... I prefer to try and clean off surface rust first, for a someone cleaner finished product...

(Note: IF your rust is beyond surface rust and has spread into structural metal, POR-15 CANNOT save you! Much like the example in this thread)

POR-15 can come in aerosol form, but I found brushing it on tends to be less messy and you get more mileage out of your dollar... Foam brushes or rollers won't leave brush streaks, plus having different sized brushes on hand for different "hard to reach" areas... Also, buy cheap brushes because you won't be able to re-use the brush once you are done...

It is a little pricey to buy, but well worth it... Also, make sure to wear gloves! If you get this stuff on your skin, it WILL NOT come off for at least a week; not matter what you use to try to take it off... IF you use the aerosol form, wear a respirator and mind your over-spray, this stuff is more toxic than standard spray paint and is almost impossible to get off of surfaces where it is not wanted/needed...
 
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#24 ·
Not a bad deal IMO (not that I've done a lot of frame shopping) and well worth considering for the OP. Of course, it is no small job to swap everything over.
 
#25 ·
I had a Trooper I bought in Massachusetts that was in very similar condition. God I hated wrenching on that thing, was snapping bolts all the time. I learned my lesson - my next vehicle I purchased in west Texas, to me it was worth the expense to fly 'n drive.

And my FJC was purchased locally but was from Arizona and had not a speck of rust underneath. Again, worth it to me.
 
#29 ·
Yep - Salvage what you can off it and buy that one from Texas with the dead motor...
You'll get one great FJ out of it and you can sell the parts left over to reduce the cost. I'm sure someone with a rolled FJ might be interested in your body...
 
#30 ·
It looks bad primarily in the back and I'd say because of that you definitely won't be able to tow with it. The only other part that looks really bad are the just the brackets holding on the sides steps so I'd just remove those. The rest of it can be wire brushed with an angle grinder and the remaining rust can be kept at bay with some Rust Bullet or similar product. It doesn't look so bad that you couldn't keep driving it if you got a handle on it now.
 
#31 ·
If you can't return it you could check integrity of the main frame and if salvageable you could cut off rear cross member and replace it without too much effort. It's not between the axles so it won't effect tracking of the wheels, alignment, etc.
 
#32 ·
I wouldn't waste money/time trying to fix that frame. The rear crossmember is gone, and as @Thorn661 said, "it's just the tip of the iceberg". There's more rust, you can't see it now, but you will later.

First, I'd try to return it, if possible

If you can't return it, take it to Toyota dealership and try to get it replaced under warranty/recall, (this will take the longest, and be a pita, but it'll also be the cheapest, if they cover it). You've got a good argument since the body underside is no where near as bad.

If Toyota won't cover it, or you don't want to wait, find an entire frame in good condition from a junkyard (they're about $1000 near me), sandblast and powdercoat the frame, and swap them. New frame from dealership would be about $5k+ after shipping
 
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