hi all
i am new to Lexus and so i do not know if this is normal
i do not have a chance to see this car in real life but on the photo under the bonnet on the very top right you can see what looks to me like rust on the round column
is this normal? is this a sign of flood?

 

That is not normal, my 2013 still looks new under the hood. I would suspect flood damage, stay away from it.

 

^^^ What jollick said...

 

Probably depends on location - mine is in New England. Never flooded.

 

That's unpainted steel around the shock tower with light oxidation. My '13 looks the same. The closest it came to a flood is when I wash it with a hose...

 

That was my thought, too.

While I can't really conclude anything about the extent of the rust shown in the photo, if there is bare metal that has not been galvanized or otherwise been protected, it doesn't have to have been in a flood for oxidation to happen. Just being exposed to the humidity in the air will cause rust. I'm confident in guessing that, if the car had been in a flood, there would other and more widespread indications of that being the case.

 

That's completely normal for a 2013 vehicle from Indiana that has been winter driven.

They use so much salt in the midwest during winter, that might happen after one or two winter seasons.

Nothing to worry about but I bet the undercarriage has its fair share of rust as well.

All the southern cars will still look brand new with no rust after 10+ years because of their dry and warm climate.