Hi friends,

I already paid deposit to a dealer to buy a 2012 RX350. But I just noticed there are lots of rust on the subframe and attached components at the the underside of the vehicle. I made a video, but I could not upload it due to the size of the file. I uploaded some pictures for you to see. One rust spot is on the real frame.
Could you please advice how much will it cost to clean up these rust? Or there is no way to clean up the rust because the rust are already there? Finally is it a good idea to buy a car with this rust condition, the price for the vehicle is Cdn$29,000 (the mileage of the vehicle is 81,000 KM)?

Thanks a lot!
Steve

 

43k, 2013 bought Aug 2012. I wouldn't touch anything it should still last another 20 years

 

Thank you very much for your reply. So it looks like the rust condition on "my" car is normal.

 

It seems to me rusty than normal. But maybe that is just me. It seems they don't bother to under coat the RX. Both my LX and Toyota Sienna came with weather protection under coat, kind of necessary for a north east winter.

 

OK! Thank you very much for your additional information. Yes. You are right. I crawled under the vehicle, I did not see any sign of any rust protection that was done. Also, the car is a lease return. Maybe the previous owner did not bother to do any rust protection.

 

Rust protection is not needed, the rust is mostly surface, just get a bit more of it due to the northern climate and large amounts of salt. Save your money.

 

OK! Thanks very much again for your input. I am just wondering how fast the rust can "eat" metal off, e.g., 1 millimeter per year?

 

In my opinion the level of rust is normal for a four year old car that may have been used in the Northern most states due to the use of salt in the winter.

My 2011 RX350 has more rust than i like as well, however my RX350 spent most of it's life in New Jersey until it made it to Georgia and came into my possession.

I would just leave the rust alone, however there are products that you can use to spray and wipe away the surface rust if the appearance bothers you.

FYI, I know my RX history due to having the original owner/window sticker information in my owner manual and Carfax which confirms it.
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/se...2159/C0171.oap

 

OK! Thank you very much for your valuable information and advice.

 

My 2010 looks that bad, but it spend the first 2 years on Long Island, NY. Last fall I sprayed the undercarriage with Fluid Film to slow the rusting and hopefully slow down or prevent additional rust. You can read reviews here at Amazon, the stuff is available at Lowes. I initially got the small bottle with a brush inside and coated many areas, then I got a spray can which is easier but messier. The stuff is still there 7 months later.

http://www.fluid-film.com/applications/automotive/

Vehicle Undercoating
FLUID FILM penetrates to the base metal, providing a lasting, protective barrier from the corrosive effects of salts, calcium and sodium chloride, pesticides and fertilizers. Offering an easy "no drip" application, FLUID FILM offers a cheaper and more effective alternative to the standard hard-underbody coatings. Protecting undercoatings from metal deterioration, FLUID FILM also remains soft and pliable, making it self-healing, non-drying, and impossible to crack. FLUID FILM migrates to inaccessible areas, providing up to a full year of solid protection. A gallon of material should cover approximately three vehicles. Apply using a standard undercoating gun or airless paint sprayer. You could purchase the undercoating gun we tested and recommend HERE.

Fluid Film may soften some vehicle undercoatings. This includes undercoating type paints. Check with dealer/manufacturer for compatibility.


I use FLUID FILM as an undercoating and have been very impressed with the performance. It is so good that it's hard to wash off, even with a pressure washer. It leaves a waxy film that is unaffected by road salt and it works great in hard to reach areas like inside doors and steel brake lines. This is the best stuff I have found for protecting my vehicles.

- Gene L

 

I don't worry about the rust on the non-moving parts as the car probably will be replaced before any frame rust becomes a safety issue, if at all.

The exhaust, steering components will cost quite a bit to replace but again we should budget for these repairs.

One issue I see is when people do DIY repairs as many rusted nuts and bolts will most likely break. So you better have the replacement parts before you try to remove them.

 

Thank you Clutchless and Lex_rx for your good information.

 

Hi,
I recently bought a RX 350 2012 from a Lexus dealer and purchased rust proofing worth CAD 699. Yesterday I had rust bubble on the trunk of the car so i looked underneath the car to check for rust and found there was no rust protection coating. The cars screw and nuts are rusted, the frame is rusted. On which parts do they apply coating? Is this normal?
Attached are the Images.

Thanks for your help.

 

Even if you already have rust, I highly recommend this product......
http://www.shop.corrosionx.com/Max-W...osol-78002.htm

I use this company's product on the undercarriage of all my cars.

 

Nothing more than scale rust. Paint worn off/chipped off exposing the raw steel. Take it to an undercoat shop or get a couple spray cans of undercoat & cover the areas.