I have a 98 4Runner 5 speed with some rust and I was told by a shop that it was the worst they’ve ever seen. I personally didn’t think it was too bad so I went to TH-cam to see. Seeing stuff like this makes me think I actually bought a pretty clean one funny enough because mine has a solid frame and only light surface rust on things like the rear diff and some joints. Seeing this video gives me confidence to wire brush the bottom of my car and spray it with fluid film. This makes me feel a lot better about the future for my car!
Nope! Just good ol calcium chloride. Rock salt is bad enough. The calcium chloride is a liquid mixed with sand and rock salt. It finds its way into the frame easier than rock salt and rots the body panels/frame
I got a clean frame 2008 and immediately started treating the frame twice a year, so even if I’m making a winter road trip back east, I won’t have to worry about rust
I live in Atlantic Canada and this is why I undercoat my 2001 4Runner EVERY YEAR!! The frame is STILL in mint condition! Preventive maintenance is key!
i wish my dad would have been able to do that. His tundra rusted just like the one in the video and it's just flakes of rust coming from almost every metal surface under the car. The reaer differential and cooling system ended up breaking and have leaked a lot.
Pathetic that they would even use steel that corrodes this bad. Never had a problem like this with my Honda accord frames that saw just as much road salt!
They do NOT galvanize the frames of 4Runners, which is absurd. However, I do believe that if you start routine (yearly or every other year) oil based undercoatings that this major disadvantage would be mitigated. I think that it’s actually common for truck frames to not be galvanized, but extremely common that car frames are. Yeah I don’t get that at all it makes no friggin sense.
If I were a mechanic and had to see this on a daily basis, I would be hating my life. Either that, or I'd be spending more money on oxy cutters than actual tools.
Send it to Eric O. and he’ll fluid film the s@it out of it and it will be good as new 😂👍👌🔥 Of course he’ll clean it with a case of brake clean first 😜🤘😎
I was looking for a used Toyota 4Runner, everything I looked at up here in Michigan had frame rot. Even the Lexus SUVs I looked at. The bodies were gorgeous, the frame rails, some had holes you could put your fist through. I went down to Southern Ohio and went with a 2013 HONDA PILOT EXL 4WD, rust free, and no frame to worry about. Very Happy!
Agree. My 2005 4 runner have 350 k miles and back in ny power washed it underneath very frequently during the winter months and the undercarriage is in excellent shape, 95 percent rust free
That's a fairly mint 4runner up here in north eastern canada 😂, 80% of mid-late model vehicles look like that up here, theres not a single day that we dont use the torch to heat up hardware before loosening
Thanks. I'll have to look into them. Never heard of them before. I'm in Chicago and since I tend to keep my vehicles "forever", this is worth looking into.
@@tommys2979 I'm aware of the construction differences. The rocker panels and subframes of Camrys provide much of the longitudinal structural rigidity of the body unit, and most of the hard points for attaching the engine, transmission, front steering and suspension components, so corrosion of these portions of the vehicle is at least as problematic as the ladder frame of this gentleman's 4Runner. My '95 Dakota pickup has also been "Krowned", and its frame, as well as the body panels and body cavities (rear quarters/cargo box, tailgate, passenger box, etc.) remain similarly rust-free after 26 years of Wisconsin and Michigan winters. If a vehicle is going to be a long-term "keeper" in the Salt Belt, and not a 5yr trade-in, my anecdotal experiences have convinced me that supplemental rust-proofing treatment can be well worth the relatively minor cost.
Looks similar to my '06 SR5 V8 which I bought online from a nasty character in North Carolina - went to a local shop which replaced the entire exhaust with 3 cat converters, brakes, timing belt and a huge number of other repairs. I paid 10,000 for the truck and have spent another 15,000 in repairs. My new mechanic recently told me that there is little chance of getting it through another state inspection because the frame and every component underneath are totally rotted out. As with the vehicle in this video, the body, interior and engine look great. A warning to anyone shopping for an older 4Runner in the north east: run the other way.
Yep, my experience too... I passed on purchasing a Toyota body on frame vehicle and went with a HONDA PILOT, EXL, 4WD... I'm not off roading, but wanted, and need a 4WD vehicle.
This is an excellent video, thank you! Years ago in my shop some new clients brought in their newly purchased dream VW Vanagon Syncro-Westie for an inspection. It too was beautiful on the surface, but the underneath was full of cancerous rust and petrified parts. It would have taken 10X's the labor hours to do any job on it. They asked me what they should do about it, I told them to sell it ASAP (if they could!) They left in a huff, never to be seen again. I'd never have worked on it anyway, too dangerous! Buyer beware, have cars inspected BEFORE you buy them!
My cousin lives in Utica NY, I remember he drove his 2005 4R to visit me in PA years ago, I also had a 2005 Sport 4R, his was orange with rust everywhere just like the one you have. My 4R still looked great.His 4R turned into a total rust bucket in only five years from excessive exposure to road salt. Utica gets lake effect snow and has really bad winters.
Wow I'm from NJ with a 23 year old, 300k mile Lexus and it's still in great shape even though it's stored outside. That rust is incredible, not just for somebody from California. It looks like it sat in deep snow or in deep water for a very long time!
Man I bought my 2005 4runner v8 with 163k miles a few months ago and just recently noticed a couple big wholes of rust on both sides of my frame... I was naive and glanced over the carfax not considering the original owner of it was owned in NY for 10+ years.. I dunno if anywhere can repair it or I just gotta part ways with it early next year. Damn shame to see.
@@Penkills75 nice. I recently bought an 05 too and I'm planning to do the same at some point soon. How much did it end up costing? And was it hard to find a shop to do the work?
Welcome to north homie, canadian here, every job i do i spend 85% of time getting old part out battling rust on 10+ year old vechicles. Installation is easy part but they allways come out in the end 🖒
If you are used to working on Northern vehicles, you won't round the bolts off that much. If possible, hit it with penetrating oil every day for at least 2 days before working on in. Forget about using 12pt sockets. If you find a 6pt socket that fits the bolt, but it is slightly loose, that means you have the wrong size socket. You will find you can hammer on the next size smaller, because it will fit, once the rust is knocked off.
@@andrewforte The quality of 6 point socket matters too. Some have rounded corners that are terrible. I've found that impact sockets tend to be more precise and less likely to yaw off the bolt when torque is applied.
The under body footage reminds me of those videos from when they first found the Titanic “Oh there’s the grand staircase! ..oh wait that’s the front diff, my bad.”
That's Very Common Here in New York I've Been A Mechanic For 48 Years. My Tundra Is Not That Bad But Close. The Roads Are Very Bad Also All Because Of All The Salt They Put On The Roads In The Winter. Being A Mechanic In The North East A Torch Is Your Best Friend
@llOOII llOOII Just basically educating your buttocks on what brine is. You can dazzle us with your secret knowledge of the complete catalogue of snow melting chemicals. There are many salts besides sodium chloride..... there's potassium chloride, etc., you know, a molecule made of anions and cations. Go avail yourself of some basic chemistry knowledge before you spout off.
I live in Wisconsin where this condition is quite typical. We work on such vehicles by applying heat to nuts and bolts that are almost unrecognizable. Repairs can be made until the rust gets so bad that the vehicle becomes unsafe. The vehicle in your video is just about to that point but I have seen far worse. When I watch videos of people working on cars in the SouthWest and I see them easily loosen a bleeder valve or slip a nut off of a control arm, I think, "Man, you people have it made!"
There are all kinds of rust proofing available for new cars. Some work better than others, many actually make it worse. The winters and salt are relentless here. No matter what one does the rust will eventually destroy the car. The cars that get it worse are those whos owners have no choice but driving in the worst conditions, which would be slushy salty mess.
Oh sorry. To answer your question, no, Krown is not in Wisconsin. There is another option called Corrosion Free, which is supposed to be 90% effective.
Thanks for that info! That's good to know. Does Canada use a lot of salt on the roads? In the U.S. some states do and some do not. Wisconsin throws tons of it. Whereas, Montana uses almost none but they allow studded tires. At least that's how it was a few years ago.
From Pennsylvania here. That’s really quite normal around here if you don’t take care of your vehicles. It’s imperative to spray off the undersides here or this is the result. Previous owner of that truck must have never sprayed that off. My best friend has the same year 4Runner and his definitely doesn’t look like that!
I'm not surprised, I'm from Nova Scotia and I was told by a Norwegian fellow that Nova Scotia is where wold industry brings their remote heavy equipment to corrosion test it, making NS the most corrosive place on earth for anything metal. I've seen cars 2 or 3 years old with the fender wells rusted out almost completely.
I have a 4runner that had more structural rust but zero rust anywhere else. The entire underbody, engine bay, axle, bumpers, etc. were clean as a whistle and all original. Zero rust. The B pillar forward was also 100% rust free, but the spot by the rear control arm bracket on the frame was rusted out for about two feet on both sides. Never seen anything like it. Just did a frame swap and now she's completely rust free.
I buy cars to flip as a hobby here in the Boston area ,its almost impossible to find a clean frame up here even trucks in the 2012 and up have had the frame recalls and installed but everything that attaches to it rot away just like this truck in video..So you have great drivetrains that people love yet the money to fix frames is expensive ..
I grew up in upstate NY, it wasn't uncommon to see car doors open then fall because the hinge or hings support rusted out when I was a kid. Great video! Great shop!
This happened to me. Bought a 2004 SE with 170k miles from a private seller without checking out the undercarriage (was a n00b, first truck). long story short, I paid 6k for the frame to be renewed and rustproofed
I live in the northwest but in our global economy I have seen some real dangerous cars. They won't pass inspection but look good, they roll across the auction block and end up in a state without annual safety inspections. Kind of how flood cars are sometimes sneakily handled.
I just bought a seemingly pristine 2003 Sequoia Limited 4x4, black, 133k. One owner with all service and maintenance done by the Toyota dealership. Up to date with all milestone repairs. Clean Carfax History with all maintenance. Interior leather looking excellent. Quiet, smooth, everything works. But spent its first 100k in Toledo, Ohio. Fortunately it doesn't have horrible rust issues, mainly behind the rear axle shows some frame rust. I'm 66 and not able to easily drop to the ground to look underneath. I just bought a couple different types of rust treatment products and a new wire brush. Face mask and latex gloves to get underneath and deal with some of the rust. Being a Texan... I admit I lost some sleep over this rust after shelling out $8,000 for this vehicle. But my oil change place got underneath and tapped around with a hammer for a couple minutes, saying it's not that bad! Now..."why am I selling my rust free 2002 Ford Excursion again?" I knew better, but I've been looking for a sweet sequoia for so long...I was blinded.
With a 5th Gen 2010 Trail in Massachusetts I try to get under, wire brush and paint where I can its frame and exposed components every few years. Road salt is brutal. Though my truck has high mileage (228k), keeping it well maintained has it running fantastic. I love your videos, thank you.
When I was searching for a 4runner to buy, I looked at a 2006 that had spent most of its life in New York. Knew about the frame rust issues and immediately inspected it. It was flaking off in chunks in my hand on all parts of the frame. Toyota needs to take some responsibility for this like they did for the Tacoma’s with the same issue.
Makes me feel much better about the rear frame and brake lines/ engine clamps on my 2003 Toyota 😄 its pretty incredible how quick it can start taking over, it was left parked outside for 3 years after a winter driving season and no power washing afterwards. Fixing it up now! I'm gonna POR-15 the frame/axle/suspension 👍 the rust did help to bring the purchase price down so I'm not complaining yet!
I have a 2004 Toyota 4runner SR5 4x4 same color and it looks just like this, just no where near as rusted as I live in Texas, and only 120,000 miles on it. I love this truck.
Fluid Film is the key, reapplied every fall before the snow hits. 100% a must if you plan on your car lasting here in the northeast. That salt brine they use up here eats our vehicles alive....
I've lived in Buffalo for a few years and I've seen a street that borders a neighboring town get that treatment. Only half of this BUSY four lane street gets the saline solution while the other half gets dry salt, the Buffalo half. You'd think a friggin city would be on the ball regarding snowy streets, NOPE. I was shocked when I found this out because this region gets dumped on so hard with snow. But at the same time, it's no surprise why this area of New York is underdeveloped. Slow, backwards thinking. You would think it was another state, not New York.
My tacoma is pretty close to looking like this - less holes but similar amount of rot. Just replaced all suspension - control arms - leaf springs - painted the whole frame and welded a few holes that poked through. Toyota frames just do this if you live anywhere even a slight amount of salt hits the roads. Its the achilles heel of a vehicle that would otherwise last forever.
Rust in absolutely NOT inevitable, this 4Runner has simply had essential preventative maintenance #neglected. If you live in the Rust Belt take your Toyota to Krown Rustproofing or a credible competitor for an annual application. If you live in an area where roads are heavily salted in the winter then a high quality rustproofing program is as ESSENTIAL to the body as high quality lubricants are to the engine/transmission. What a waste, with such low mileage this 4Runner could have had 10 more years of reliable service.
Right Lane Hog Wrong. The first half of the video is rust in the engine bay. Also, many of those coating places do not know what their doing. Cars from the north East that are over 10 years are ALL going to have rust. All of them if they are daily drivers.
Totally neglected and unnecessary. I live in Iowa where we use nuclear road salt and my 2007 GX470 has no rust. In the winter, I wash it weekly, including undercarriage, and undercoat in the fall with fluid film (internal frames and doors) and wool wax (chassis components). If I see rust, I wire brush the spot and hit it with rust converter, then top coat with wool wax. It’s a lot of work one Saturday each year, but worth it to protect my baby!
I live in upstate NY and have seen 4th gens like this one that are spotless. Between doing fluid film/crc treatment and washing it underneath will keep almost all rust from forming.
I'm from Long Island NY, not just the salt in the winter but people drive through salt water flooded streets when there is a flood tide due to full moon, Nor'easter or a hurricane. Another issue is no one washes the undercarriage, they keep the body panels clean and waxed but out of sight out of mind. My tip, run a lawn sprinkler under the vehicle a few times a year, the kind that arches back and forth. It will get fresh water in the cavities and wash away the salt.
@@ChrisVargasrpht2000chris Yup until they no longer pass provincial inspection and that would not pass unless the rusted through parts are fixed and meet the requirements. The bracket that's rotted away would need to be fixed, any holes in the frame or body etc
@@ChrisVargasrpht2000chris 99% of people would of drove it to the local wrecker for a few hundred bucks in scrap to be parted out then crushed. Some would try to fix it but prob cost more then it's worth to fix
@@ChrisVargasrpht2000chrisand I've seen much worse over the years, Jeep Wranglers are really bad for rust along with all Japanese vehicles around those years. Cheap steel and bad winters with lots of road salt and brine, they didn't last that's why the had all the frame recalls.
Here in upstate New York vehicles like this are common, around here most vehicles just disappear into rust long before they have a major mechanical failure. Older Toyotas around here have rust everywhere, often the frames are rotted to the extent that it's no longer possible to lift the vehicle using a floor lift like your shop has, the frames crumple if you try. Brake rotors? Only can be removed with a cutoff wheel or a torch. Here everything rusts out, people buying used cars here really need to buy used cars from states in the south where no salt is ever used on the roads. Someone did a nice job of welding and reinforcing that Toyota's frame, here it's a common repair and often more expensive than the car's is worth. No one in California should own a car like that one, the owner should immediately sell it.
I was surprised it didn’t have a California cancer warning. The pumpkin 🎃 really had the appropriate color. The welding job on the frame was really nice, the way they stacked the new steel.
Earl Withers it’s too bad we can’t find a Krown anywhere in NY unless it’s closer to Canada. A real pain to get it resprayed every year if you are from downstate. Maybe that will change someday, because we can’t rely on the manufacturers to make them any better.
I began my military career in Niagara Falls, NY as a mechanic in the early 90's. I also grew up just down the Road in Rochester. I've seen much worse. Exhaust, parking brake cables and many other components required to pass a state safety inspection routinely would rust out. I've replaced many brake calipers as well and forget a bout a starter. The body used to rust through in a few years, due to a rock chip that was affected by the road salt in the winter. In those days, a car would show signs of rust no later than 3 years...five if you are lucky and kept on top of cleaning it and doing touch ups. I had an 89 S10, granted it wasn't the most quality vehicle, but it had holes in it by the time I gave it to my neighbor in 1996. My Dad had several vehicles (Ford, Chevy, Chrysler) with holes in the floor boards and you could see the road when you drove. My father in law had his transmission cooler and lines rust out in his 10 year old F150. Enough Said.
Agreed. As an Aussie this is pretty crazy to see. I feel sorry for mechanics in the rust belt over there, I'd imagine a simple job could end up being a full weekend of swearing.
I live in San Antonio but occasionally take my Taco for a beach romp at South Padre Island. There's a car wash with an undercarriage wash right after crossing the bridge leaving the island. I never head home without a couple of passes through that washer. I travel to Michigan most summers, and vehicles up there are horribly rusted even when fairly new. I'm glad I don't deal with that 4 or 5 months every year!
Even if you do, there's no way to fully clean the rust from every little book and cranny so it will start to rust anyway. There's no way to avoid it around here unless you garage the vehicle and never drive it during the winter.
I'm a mechanic who lives in the salt belt. Very familiar sights. From all makes and models. Difference being that toyota will most likely issue a recall. I worked at Toyota during the first recalls. Other companies would just let it go. On your own type thing.... i still drive toyota eventho i haven't worked for them in 10 years. Cool video.
My question to the owner would be do you feel comfortable transporting your loved ones in this rustbucket? Personally, I would just say thanks but no thanks..
@@rightlanehog3151 If you can pull it apart. It takes almost half an hour just to remove a spark plug. Send it to the crusher. (unfortunately) No way I would let my family in there. Imagine how it would crush in a crash.
i had a 2005 4Runner Sport with only 145,000 KMS that was almost as bad as this , Im from the East Coast of Canada. I took it to a shop to get some welding done on the back frame and the mechanic said that this vehicle really should have been recalled for the frame, but it wasnt. This vehicle was my 5th 4Runner and it really made me lose my loyalty to them. Im glad to say Im back in a Toyota again now ,a Venza, I love it!
Pete i have never seen one that bad and we use these things on the beach over here in Australia. How did it pass an inspection for rego has not been looked after at all.
Wow, and I thought my 98 had some rust issues in spots. This is just unbelievable. This truck seems incredibly unsafe to even put on the road at this point.
You can take the truck out of central NY..but you can't take out the rust! This is super common here.... usually only a 10 year life span before it visits the crusher 😁. The most common tool here is the smoke wrench!!🔥...lol
Yeah man, no surprise here. Most vehicles over 15 years old look like this in OH/MI/PA/NY. Its why you dont see many early 2000s vehicles on the road there anymore. Im glad you saw it, because now you understand what were dealing with when doing repairs.
Just WOW! I don't think I've ever seen rust like that under a vehicle, either. If I was her mechanic, I would show the customer what you're seeing and advise him/her to sell the vehicle for parts as soon as possible. Maintaining it will be one expensive, unexpected, FREQUENT headache after another that will soon exceed the cost of a comparable replacement vehicle. Sad.
Kind of crazy I live in NY and have the same truck mine isn't quite that bad but the frame roted through in the same exact spots and I repaired it the same way but the rest of my frame is solid and she's still running strong ill drive it into the ground b4 I give up on it but up here you see trucks with entire fenders rotted out and cars that are less than 10 years old with rust it's all in how you take care of them it's eventually going to happen but it's just a matter trying to stay on top of it these vehicles should have gotten recalled with the tocos for frame coatings but for some reason they never did
Hey this might sound crazy but thats not bad for a 03 my 07 was worse mins the rear axel because it was replaced when I got it in 2017 with only 60k on the odo and I sanded it down and painted it with rust reformer and looked like new up till the point I sold it about 3 weeks ago
My 03 4 runner looks about the same...I just passed 280k on the original engine. I could have bought a new suv or truck for 80k and been making payments for the rest of my life. I opted to get the 4 runner, a grinder, and some paint with rust inhibitors. A day of work and 5 years later the Toyota still 🏃.
oh, you dry climate states are so spoiled. "how often do you see rust like this"? you ask. it's not uncommon here in iowa. my 98 tacoma is bout half this bad. but it's getting there. you outta know , that taco's of this era were sued because they rust soo bad. I think i missed out on the getting any relief from Toyota corp. so , what do you do? weld and drive it till it falls apart, literally .. by the by, i had 04 corolla . body was ok, but underneath terrible rust. worst i've ever seen . i've had corolla's for 30 yrs. now. my current 98 in comparison as very little rust.
Here in California we have wildfires and earthquakes and a very high cost of living but we don't have snow. So glad to live here where you can buy a car new and literally have it looking like new after 20 years on the road. You will never see any rust on cars here in California.
I took a gamble recently and bought a Gen3 for less than a grand. It's really rusty but has mostly been cleaning up OK. Glad to finally see one in worse shape than mine.
That brake line looks like it has been deep fried!!
I have a 98 4Runner 5 speed with some rust and I was told by a shop that it was the worst they’ve ever seen. I personally didn’t think it was too bad so I went to TH-cam to see. Seeing stuff like this makes me think I actually bought a pretty clean one funny enough because mine has a solid frame and only light surface rust on things like the rear diff and some joints. Seeing this video gives me confidence to wire brush the bottom of my car and spray it with fluid film. This makes me feel a lot better about the future for my car!
This under car footage reminds me of the Titanic.
James Cameron approves
I thought exactly the same think. That 4Runner is ready for catastrophic a failure. No way I would work on it. Too much liability
haha, I was just going to say that until I read your comment. Definitely looks like it's been sitting at the bottom of the ocean for decades.
The Tatanic looks better than this..lol
My thought exactly
Dudes commute must have been to Atlantis and back.
Nope! Just good ol calcium chloride. Rock salt is bad enough. The calcium chloride is a liquid mixed with sand and rock salt. It finds its way into the frame easier than rock salt and rots the body panels/frame
@@AdamB12 just salt does this too, basically every vehicle this old in WI looks exactly this way
Wow the contrast. I live in AZ. My 4runner is 15yrs old. Not a spot of rust. Sad to see a beautiful 4runner get eaten by rust.
Nothing particularly beautiful about a 4Runner, but it wasn't cheap when it was new not too long ago. What a sad picture indeed.
its sad new york said eats a ton of really awesome cars way before there time with rust
I got a clean frame 2008 and immediately started treating the frame twice a year, so even if I’m making a winter road trip back east, I won’t have to worry about rust
I'm in Texas and not a speck of rust on my 02 Tacoma.
@@JustcallmeGnarly22 Tacoma's and 4Runners are good in a desert climate..........not so much in the Northeast and upper Midwest.
I live in Atlantic Canada and this is why I undercoat my 2001 4Runner EVERY YEAR!! The frame is STILL in mint condition! Preventive maintenance is key!
i wish my dad would have been able to do that. His tundra rusted just like the one in the video and it's just flakes of rust coming from almost every metal surface under the car. The reaer differential and cooling system ended up breaking and have leaked a lot.
So great to hear that. I just learned about undercoating.
Pathetic that they would even use steel that corrodes this bad. Never had a problem like this with my Honda accord frames that saw just as much road salt!
@@SpicyMcGeezak someday they make a truck, and we’ll see how well it holds up.
They do NOT galvanize the frames of 4Runners, which is absurd. However, I do believe that if you start routine (yearly or every other year) oil based undercoatings that this major disadvantage would be mitigated. I think that it’s actually common for truck frames to not be galvanized, but extremely common that car frames are. Yeah I don’t get that at all it makes no friggin sense.
Eric O at South Main Auto in New York sees stuff like this everyday. it's a different world up there.
If I were a mechanic and had to see this on a daily basis, I would be hating my life. Either that, or I'd be spending more money on oxy cutters than actual tools.
I love Eric O!!!! Another great channel
@@chrisp7165 from watching south main auto, the most commonly used tool is the oxygen and amphetamine torch as Taryl Dactal calls it.
Even he wouldn’t touch this vehicle and he’s seen some stuff. This vehicle is gonna kill someone.
Send it to Eric O. and he’ll fluid film the s@it out of it and it will be good as new 😂👍👌🔥
Of course he’ll clean it with a case of brake clean first 😜🤘😎
I was looking for a used Toyota 4Runner, everything I looked at up here in Michigan had frame rot. Even the Lexus SUVs I looked at. The bodies were gorgeous, the frame rails, some had holes you could put your fist through. I went down to Southern Ohio and went with a 2013 HONDA PILOT EXL 4WD, rust free, and no frame to worry about. Very Happy!
17 years of salted New York State roads will do that to a vehicle.
Agree. My 2005 4 runner have 350 k miles and back in ny power washed it underneath very frequently during the winter months and the undercarriage is in excellent shape, 95 percent rust free
@@Tahara-Aichi That's what it takes to keep them clean.85 percent is pretty good after 15 years
Not really . That Toyota was a LEMON
If you take a clean frame and fluid film it every year before winter it’ll still look great after 17+ years
I have an 02 Land Cruiser. It spent 18 years in Minnesota but pressure washed the undercarriage everytime it was driven in the winter. Minimal rust 🙌
That's a fairly mint 4runner up here in north eastern canada 😂, 80% of mid-late model vehicles look like that up here, theres not a single day that we dont use the torch to heat up hardware before loosening
As others have said: Krown Rustproofing. My ‘02 Camry has made it through 18 salty Michigan winters and 300k miles, and it’s essentially rust-free.
Thanks. I'll have to look into them. Never heard of them before. I'm in Chicago and since I tend to keep my vehicles "forever", this is worth looking into.
Your camry is a unibody vehicle not body on frame like this 4runner or a truck. The only place really prone to rust is rocker panels and subframes
@@tommys2979 I'm aware of the construction differences. The rocker panels and subframes of Camrys provide much of the longitudinal structural rigidity of the body unit, and most of the hard points for attaching the engine, transmission, front steering and suspension components, so corrosion of these portions of the vehicle is at least as problematic as the ladder frame of this gentleman's 4Runner. My '95 Dakota pickup has also been "Krowned", and its frame, as well as the body panels and body cavities (rear quarters/cargo box, tailgate, passenger box, etc.) remain similarly rust-free after 26 years of Wisconsin and Michigan winters. If a vehicle is going to be a long-term "keeper" in the Salt Belt, and not a 5yr trade-in, my anecdotal experiences have convinced me that supplemental rust-proofing treatment can be well worth the relatively minor cost.
Looks similar to my '06 SR5 V8 which I bought online from a nasty character in North Carolina - went to a local shop which replaced the entire exhaust with 3 cat converters, brakes, timing belt and a huge number of other repairs. I paid 10,000 for the truck and have spent another 15,000 in repairs. My new mechanic recently told me that there is little chance of getting it through another state inspection because the frame and every component underneath are totally rotted out. As with the vehicle in this video, the body, interior and engine look great. A warning to anyone shopping for an older 4Runner in the north east: run the other way.
Yep, my experience too... I passed on purchasing a Toyota body on frame vehicle and went with a HONDA PILOT, EXL, 4WD... I'm not off roading, but wanted, and need a 4WD vehicle.
This is an excellent video, thank you! Years ago in my shop some new clients brought in their newly purchased dream VW Vanagon Syncro-Westie for an inspection. It too was beautiful on the surface, but the underneath was full of cancerous rust and petrified parts. It would have taken 10X's the labor hours to do any job on it. They asked me what they should do about it, I told them to sell it ASAP (if they could!) They left in a huff, never to be seen again. I'd never have worked on it anyway, too dangerous! Buyer beware, have cars inspected BEFORE you buy them!
The amount of Toyota on this rust is unbelievable.
My cousin lives in Utica NY, I remember he drove his 2005 4R to visit me in PA years ago, I also had a 2005 Sport 4R, his was orange with
rust everywhere just like the one you
have. My 4R still looked great.His 4R turned into a total rust bucket in only five years from excessive exposure to road salt. Utica gets lake effect snow and has really bad winters.
Wow I'm from NJ with a 23 year old, 300k mile Lexus and it's still in great shape even though it's stored outside. That rust is incredible, not just for somebody from California. It looks like it sat in deep snow or in deep water for a very long time!
I love how this channel is growing
Agreed, and grow it should as good, honest mechanics who are such great teachers are difficult to find.
It hurts my soul to see a rare low miles V8 4runner rusted out like that 😢
Man I bought my 2005 4runner v8 with 163k miles a few months ago and just recently noticed a couple big wholes of rust on both sides of my frame... I was naive and glanced over the carfax not considering the original owner of it was owned in NY for 10+ years.. I dunno if anywhere can repair it or I just gotta part ways with it early next year. Damn shame to see.
@@Penkills75 They make frame repair kits for the 4th Gens. Very common issue in places with winters.
@@Penkills75
Should have done some research first. It's a Toyota, they're rust buckets. It's not a "shame", it's just a disposable vehicle.
@@wildman1137 Since posting, I got my frame repaired by a professional rust repair shop. Good as new now 🙏
@@Penkills75 nice. I recently bought an 05 too and I'm planning to do the same at some point soon. How much did it end up costing? And was it hard to find a shop to do the work?
Imagine doing timing belt job on this vehicle and have to deal with every rounded bolt head.
Welcome to north homie, canadian here, every job i do i spend 85% of time getting old part out battling rust on 10+ year old vechicles. Installation is easy part but they allways come out in the end 🖒
If you are used to working on Northern vehicles, you won't round the bolts off that much.
If possible, hit it with penetrating oil every day for at least 2 days before working on in.
Forget about using 12pt sockets.
If you find a 6pt socket that fits the bolt, but it is slightly loose, that means you have the wrong size socket. You will find you can hammer on the next size smaller, because it will fit, once the rust is knocked off.
@@andrewforte The quality of 6 point socket matters too. Some have rounded corners that are terrible. I've found that impact sockets tend to be more precise and less likely to yaw off the bolt when torque is applied.
I wouldn’t even waist money on an oil change for this rust runner. It’s done.
I'm from Ohio and I just picked up a 2006 V8 4Runner from down South. It's very clean from rust. I will be building it up & doing proper undercoating.
The under body footage reminds me of those videos from when they first found the Titanic “Oh there’s the grand staircase! ..oh wait that’s the front diff, my bad.”
That's Very Common Here in New York I've Been A Mechanic For 48 Years. My Tundra Is Not That Bad But Close. The Roads Are Very Bad Also All Because Of All The Salt They Put On The Roads In The Winter. Being A Mechanic In The North East A Torch Is Your Best Friend
And the lazy/cheap people that cannot spend $10 dollars and 5 minutes to put the car through a car wash once/twice a month during the winter.
Do most all Vehicles rust like that up there? Or is there some brands that are better at rust proofing?
pepeshopping you’re wrong about the washing
@llOOII llOOII News flash: Brine = salt dissolved in water.
@llOOII llOOII Just basically educating your buttocks on what brine is. You can dazzle us with your secret knowledge of the complete catalogue of snow melting chemicals. There are many salts besides sodium chloride..... there's potassium chloride, etc., you know, a molecule made of anions and cations. Go avail yourself of some basic chemistry knowledge before you spout off.
I'd say that the 4Runner is mechanically totaled at this point, too cost prohibitive to make it roadworthy again.
I live in Wisconsin where this condition is quite typical. We work on such vehicles by applying heat to nuts and bolts that are almost unrecognizable. Repairs can be made until the rust gets so bad that the vehicle becomes unsafe.
The vehicle in your video is just about to that point but I have seen far worse.
When I watch videos of people working on cars in the SouthWest and I see them easily loosen a bleeder valve or slip a nut off of a control arm, I think, "Man, you people have it made!"
Do they have Krown Rustproofing in Wisconsin?
There are all kinds of rust proofing available for new cars. Some work better than others, many actually make it worse. The winters and salt are relentless here. No matter what one does the rust will eventually destroy the car. The cars that get it worse are those whos owners have no choice but driving in the worst conditions, which would be slushy salty mess.
Oh sorry. To answer your question, no, Krown is not in Wisconsin. There is another option called Corrosion Free, which is supposed to be 90% effective.
@@Taldish My car is rust free after 15 Canadian winters and it just had its 16th Krown application.
Thanks for that info! That's good to know. Does Canada use a lot of salt on the roads? In the U.S. some states do and some do not. Wisconsin throws tons of it. Whereas, Montana uses almost none but they allow studded tires. At least that's how it was a few years ago.
looks normal for my neck of the woods. Whats the problem?
Thanks for salting the hell out of the roads now a days in the North East. I'm used to this sight living in Pa.
From Pennsylvania here. That’s really quite normal around here if you don’t take care of your vehicles. It’s imperative to spray off the undersides here or this is the result. Previous owner of that truck must have never sprayed that off. My best friend has the same year 4Runner and his definitely doesn’t look like that!
I'm not surprised, I'm from Nova Scotia and I was told by a Norwegian fellow that Nova Scotia is where wold industry brings their remote heavy equipment to corrosion test it, making NS the most corrosive place on earth for anything metal. I've seen cars 2 or 3 years old with the fender wells rusted out almost completely.
I have a 4runner that had more structural rust but zero rust anywhere else. The entire underbody, engine bay, axle, bumpers, etc. were clean as a whistle and all original. Zero rust. The B pillar forward was also 100% rust free, but the spot by the rear control arm bracket on the frame was rusted out for about two feet on both sides. Never seen anything like it. Just did a frame swap and now she's completely rust free.
I buy cars to flip as a hobby here in the Boston area ,its almost impossible to find a clean frame up here even trucks in the 2012 and up have had the frame recalls and installed but everything that attaches to it rot away just like this truck in video..So you have great drivetrains that people love yet the money to fix frames is expensive ..
Looks like if the car hit a large pothole, it may fall apart.
I grew up in upstate NY, it wasn't uncommon to see car doors open then fall because the hinge or hings support rusted out when I was a kid. Great video! Great shop!
I just love this channel. Almost as much fun as the Goonzquad boys.
This happened to me. Bought a 2004 SE with 170k miles from a private seller without checking out the undercarriage (was a n00b, first truck). long story short, I paid 6k for the frame to be renewed and rustproofed
I got a 2003 two days ago and same shit happened.
Used Toyota prices have gone thru the roof. In Wisconsin, I've seen dealers list 4 year old 4Runners with 100k miles for over $30k.
I have the exact same 2003 4Runner Limited in silver. And I assure you, it does not look like that. So glad I live in the Southwest.
I live in the northwest but in our global economy I have seen some real dangerous cars. They won't pass inspection but look good, they roll across the auction block and end up in a state without annual safety inspections. Kind of how flood cars are sometimes sneakily handled.
I just bought a seemingly pristine 2003 Sequoia Limited 4x4, black, 133k. One owner with all service and maintenance done by the Toyota dealership. Up to date with all milestone repairs. Clean Carfax
History with all maintenance. Interior leather looking excellent. Quiet, smooth, everything works.
But spent its first 100k in Toledo, Ohio.
Fortunately it doesn't have horrible rust issues, mainly behind the rear axle shows some frame rust. I'm 66 and not able to easily drop to the ground to look underneath.
I just bought a couple different types of rust treatment products and a new wire brush. Face mask and latex gloves to get underneath and deal with some of the rust.
Being a Texan... I admit I lost some sleep over this rust after shelling out $8,000 for this vehicle. But my oil change place got underneath and tapped around with a hammer for a couple minutes, saying it's not that bad!
Now..."why am I selling my rust free 2002 Ford Excursion again?"
I knew better, but I've been looking for a sweet sequoia for so long...I was blinded.
Ticking time bomb is all I can say.
With a 5th Gen 2010 Trail in Massachusetts I try to get under, wire brush and paint where I can its frame and exposed components every few years. Road salt is brutal. Though my truck has high mileage (228k), keeping it well maintained has it running fantastic. I love your videos, thank you.
KBS coat it exterior (they sell a kit) and KBS cavity coat the interior or similar long 360 degree wand with fluid film .
That's why I fluid film my truck since the very first day I bought it.
Holy shit! If you think this is not serviceable, You have never been to Canada.
Someone didn't cut corners on that initial frame repair...looked to be exceptionally well done.
When I was searching for a 4runner to buy, I looked at a 2006 that had spent most of its life in New York. Knew about the frame rust issues and immediately inspected it. It was flaking off in chunks in my hand on all parts of the frame. Toyota needs to take some responsibility for this like they did for the Tacoma’s with the same issue.
i like what a pleasant guy you are. everyone is fighting today and there is just so much hostility and aggression . i am VERY guilty of this myself.
Are you a bot?
This is a car video, not a soap opera. 😂
@@elijahrebello1 all your bases are ours
@@jabbahursty so yes, definitely a bot. No surprise, you tube is littered with then now.
That's incredible. I can't believe it runs or that it has any fluids left in it. Just goes to show Toyota makes crazy reliable cars.
Makes me feel much better about the rear frame and brake lines/ engine clamps on my 2003 Toyota 😄 its pretty incredible how quick it can start taking over, it was left parked outside for 3 years after a winter driving season and no power washing afterwards. Fixing it up now! I'm gonna POR-15 the frame/axle/suspension 👍 the rust did help to bring the purchase price down so I'm not complaining yet!
Still have it?
I have a 2004 Toyota 4runner SR5 4x4 same color and it looks just like this, just no where near as rusted as I live in Texas, and only 120,000 miles on it. I love this truck.
Fluid Film is the key, reapplied every fall before the snow hits. 100% a must if you plan on your car lasting here in the northeast. That salt brine they use up here eats our vehicles alive....
In NY they actually spray salt water on the road to prevent icing, and salt and sand during snow storms. You need a beater for the winters here.
I've lived in Buffalo for a few years and I've seen a street that borders a neighboring town get that treatment. Only half of this BUSY four lane street gets the saline solution while the other half gets dry salt, the Buffalo half. You'd think a friggin city would be on the ball regarding snowy streets, NOPE.
I was shocked when I found this out because this region gets dumped on so hard with snow. But at the same time, it's no surprise why this area of New York is underdeveloped. Slow, backwards thinking. You would think it was another state, not New York.
@@Mr.Taylor56 Perhaps you are unaware? Slow, backwards thinking IS New York!
@@OnlyGeneralMotors Could be the country as a whole, I fear.
My tacoma is pretty close to looking like this - less holes but similar amount of rot. Just replaced all suspension - control arms - leaf springs - painted the whole frame and welded a few holes that poked through. Toyota frames just do this if you live anywhere even a slight amount of salt hits the roads. Its the achilles heel of a vehicle that would otherwise last forever.
It’s a write off. No way it can be made roadworthy
Lmao nah there are worse rusted 4runners still roadworthy with stickers
Rust in absolutely NOT inevitable, this 4Runner has simply had essential preventative maintenance #neglected. If you live in the Rust Belt take your Toyota to Krown Rustproofing or a credible competitor for an annual application. If you live in an area where roads are heavily salted in the winter then a high quality rustproofing program is as ESSENTIAL to the body as high quality lubricants are to the engine/transmission. What a waste, with such low mileage this 4Runner could have had 10 more years of reliable service.
poor steel similar to tacomas
You mean 30 more years.
Right Lane Hog Wrong. The first half of the video is rust in the engine bay. Also, many of those coating places do not know what their doing. Cars from the north East that are over 10 years are ALL going to have rust. All of them if they are daily drivers.
Totally neglected and unnecessary. I live in Iowa where we use nuclear road salt and my 2007 GX470 has no rust. In the winter, I wash it weekly, including undercarriage, and undercoat in the fall with fluid film (internal frames and doors) and wool wax (chassis components). If I see rust, I wire brush the spot and hit it with rust converter, then top coat with wool wax. It’s a lot of work one Saturday each year, but worth it to protect my baby!
CP Topher's does the newer Toyota’s have better steel?
I live in upstate NY and have seen 4th gens like this one that are spotless. Between doing fluid film/crc treatment and washing it underneath will keep almost all rust from forming.
I live in Vermont and any car that is over 5 years old is covered in rust. Working on that is the normal here.
I'm from Long Island NY, not just the salt in the winter but people drive through salt water flooded streets when there is a flood tide due to full moon, Nor'easter or a hurricane.
Another issue is no one washes the undercarriage, they keep the body panels clean and waxed but out of sight out of mind.
My tip, run a lawn sprinkler under the vehicle a few times a year, the kind that arches back and forth. It will get fresh water in the cavities and wash away the salt.
Living on the very far East coast of Canada, that's normal lol
so do they keep servicing cars and trucks like that and for how long?
@@ChrisVargasrpht2000chris Yup until they no longer pass provincial inspection and that would not pass unless the rusted through parts are fixed and meet the requirements. The bracket that's rotted away would need to be fixed, any holes in the frame or body etc
@@FusionBoost2.0 from a eastcoast perspective how far gone was that truck.
@@ChrisVargasrpht2000chris 99% of people would of drove it to the local wrecker for a few hundred bucks in scrap to be parted out then crushed. Some would try to fix it but prob cost more then it's worth to fix
@@ChrisVargasrpht2000chrisand I've seen much worse over the years, Jeep Wranglers are really bad for rust along with all Japanese vehicles around those years. Cheap steel and bad winters with lots of road salt and brine, they didn't last that's why the had all the frame recalls.
Here in upstate New York vehicles like this are common, around here most vehicles just disappear into rust long before they have a major mechanical failure.
Older Toyotas around here have rust everywhere, often the frames are rotted to the extent that it's no longer possible to lift the vehicle using a floor lift like your shop has, the frames crumple if you try. Brake rotors? Only can be removed with a cutoff wheel or a torch.
Here everything rusts out, people buying used cars here really need to buy used cars from states in the south where no salt is ever used on the roads. Someone did a nice job of welding and reinforcing that Toyota's frame, here it's a common repair and often more expensive than the car's is worth. No one in California should own a car like that one, the owner should immediately sell it.
Don't sell it to another person and transfer the risk. Sell it to a junk yard.
Conversely, as a resident of Canada I am always surprised on the lack of rust on all those late 90s and early 2000 cars that you work on.
Living on the West Coast of BC Canada we learned decades ago never buy a car from the East Coast rust buckets!
robert fabbro simply not true. Not all East cost like that. Only this rust problem on Northeast not on Southeast.
I have a 07 Toyota 4runner s45 RWD V6 and am really happy with it. It's EXTREMELY clean and thats a +!! 💪🏽
I was surprised it didn’t have a California cancer warning. The pumpkin 🎃 really had the appropriate color. The welding job on the frame was really nice, the way they stacked the new steel.
Eric O is giggling at this one for sure.
I often contrast the state of vehicles in those two shops/TH-cam channels.
It's an unsafe vehicle. Tell owners to save $$$ for new vehicle.
You would never make being a mechanic in the rust belt! Lol. Here in Minnesota we are definitely accustom to this
RIP 🙏 4runner
Mustie1 seems to have a good solution for rust prevention. And also good techniques for rusty bolt removal.
My first though was the same as another, Krown treatments from the beginning would give the body of this vehicle many years of rust protection.
Earl Withers it’s too bad we can’t find a Krown anywhere in NY unless it’s closer to Canada. A real pain to get it resprayed every year if you are from downstate. Maybe that will change someday, because we can’t rely on the manufacturers to make them any better.
I began my military career in Niagara Falls, NY as a mechanic in the early 90's. I also grew up just down the Road in Rochester. I've seen much worse. Exhaust, parking brake cables and many other components required to pass a state safety inspection routinely would rust out. I've replaced many brake calipers as well and forget a bout a starter. The body used to rust through in a few years, due to a rock chip that was affected by the road salt in the winter. In those days, a car would show signs of rust no later than 3 years...five if you are lucky and kept on top of cleaning it and doing touch ups. I had an 89 S10, granted it wasn't the most quality vehicle, but it had holes in it by the time I gave it to my neighbor in 1996. My Dad had several vehicles (Ford, Chevy, Chrysler) with holes in the floor boards and you could see the road when you drove. My father in law had his transmission cooler and lines rust out in his 10 year old F150. Enough Said.
Without those metals support added. This car already already in two pieces. 😂
We call that patina up here in Pennsylvania
That rig looks like it lived by the ocean...or maybe in it. Lol😃
Agreed. As an Aussie this is pretty crazy to see. I feel sorry for mechanics in the rust belt over there, I'd imagine a simple job could end up being a full weekend of swearing.
I live in San Antonio but occasionally take my Taco for a beach romp at South Padre Island. There's a car wash with an undercarriage wash right after crossing the bridge leaving the island. I never head home without a couple of passes through that washer.
I travel to Michigan most summers, and vehicles up there are horribly rusted even when fairly new. I'm glad I don't deal with that 4 or 5 months every year!
Quess the owner never rinsed his undercarriage after driving thru the salted roads!
Even if you do, there's no way to fully clean the rust from every little book and cranny so it will start to rust anyway. There's no way to avoid it around here unless you garage the vehicle and never drive it during the winter.
I’ll call her the RMS Toyotanic.
A true museum specimen.
In NH, my tacoma was very bad - had frame replaced - not that bad in other areas, but hate rust!!
I'm a mechanic who lives in the salt belt. Very familiar sights. From all makes and models. Difference being that toyota will most likely issue a recall. I worked at Toyota during the first recalls. Other companies would just let it go. On your own type thing.... i still drive toyota eventho i haven't worked for them in 10 years. Cool video.
My question to the owner would be do you feel comfortable transporting your loved ones in this rustbucket? Personally, I would just say thanks but no thanks..
They should salvage the working components and immediately crush the rest.
I’m guessing that “The rest” will crush by itself....
@@rightlanehog3151 If you can pull it apart. It takes almost half an hour just to remove a spark plug.
Send it to the crusher. (unfortunately)
No way I would let my family in there. Imagine how it would crush in a crash.
i had a 2005 4Runner Sport with only 145,000 KMS that was almost as bad as this , Im from the East Coast of Canada. I took it to a shop to get some welding done on the back frame and the mechanic said that this vehicle really should have been recalled for the frame, but it wasnt. This vehicle was my 5th 4Runner and it really made me lose my loyalty to them. Im glad to say Im back in a Toyota again now ,a Venza, I love it!
looks like an artifact brought to the surface from the Titanic.
Pete i have never seen one that bad and we use these things on the beach over here in Australia. How did it pass an inspection for rego has not been looked after at all.
Wow, and I thought my 98 had some rust issues in spots. This is just unbelievable. This truck seems incredibly unsafe to even put on the road at this point.
It's incredible the body is in such great shape considering the conditions it was subjected to
You can take the truck out of central NY..but you can't take out the rust! This is super common here.... usually only a 10 year life span before it visits the crusher 😁. The most common tool here is the smoke wrench!!🔥...lol
Yeah man, no surprise here. Most vehicles over 15 years old look like this in OH/MI/PA/NY. Its why you dont see many early 2000s vehicles on the road there anymore. Im glad you saw it, because now you understand what were dealing with when doing repairs.
Just WOW! I don't think I've ever seen rust like that under a vehicle, either. If I was her mechanic, I would show the customer what you're seeing and advise him/her to sell the vehicle for parts as soon as possible. Maintaining it will be one expensive, unexpected, FREQUENT headache after another that will soon exceed the cost of a comparable replacement vehicle. Sad.
Kind of crazy I live in NY and have the same truck mine isn't quite that bad but the frame roted through in the same exact spots and I repaired it the same way but the rest of my frame is solid and she's still running strong ill drive it into the ground b4 I give up on it but up here you see trucks with entire fenders rotted out and cars that are less than 10 years old with rust it's all in how you take care of them it's eventually going to happen but it's just a matter trying to stay on top of it these vehicles should have gotten recalled with the tocos for frame coatings but for some reason they never did
This is why I’m treating my new 4Runner with fluid film right now before this happens.
What an awesome channel! I’m so happy I discovered this! Will be helpful with my 2013 limited
That's what a one year car looks like in Buffalo.
Hey this might sound crazy but thats not bad for a 03 my 07 was worse mins the rear axel because it was replaced when I got it in 2017 with only 60k on the odo and I sanded it down and painted it with rust reformer and looked like new up till the point I sold it about 3 weeks ago
The question you might contemplate........Is it worth risking my license and business getting involved with this rust bucket?
You just make them sign a dangerous vehicle waiver upon leaving.
@@barrybambmessagedeletedbyy7467 And if they refuse??
@@gregeconomeier1476 you just write that the customer refused. It's a standard process when customers refuse the severe safety recommendations.
My 2003 Tacoma’s frame makes this truck look mint. In NJ this truck not even that bad😬
Look for rust holes in the main frame rails. Find one larger than 10mm and the vehicle would fail inspection.
My 03 4 runner looks about the same...I just passed 280k on the original engine. I could have bought a new suv or truck for 80k and been making payments for the rest of my life. I opted to get the 4 runner, a grinder, and some paint with rust inhibitors. A day of work and 5 years later the Toyota still 🏃.
oh, you dry climate states are so spoiled. "how often do you see rust like this"? you ask. it's not uncommon here in iowa. my 98 tacoma is bout half this bad. but it's getting there. you outta know , that taco's of this era were sued because they rust soo bad. I think i missed out on the getting any relief from Toyota corp.
so , what do you do? weld and drive it till it falls apart, literally ..
by the by, i had 04 corolla . body was ok, but underneath terrible rust. worst i've ever seen . i've had corolla's for 30 yrs. now. my current 98 in comparison as very little rust.
The under side of that car looks like a scene from the Aliens movie just before a face hugger grabs you.
That’s amazing;, you need to talk to owner about seriously about condition.
Here in California we have wildfires and earthquakes and a very high cost of living but we don't have snow. So glad to live here where you can buy a car new and literally have it looking like new after 20 years on the road. You will never see any rust on cars here in California.
I took a gamble recently and bought a Gen3 for less than a grand. It's really rusty but has mostly been cleaning up OK. Glad to finally see one in worse shape than mine.