What exactly is rusting, and will it affect trade in?

I have a 2014 4Runner with 150k miles on it in the northeast. I have rusting on the plate behind the tow hooks. What exactly is it that’s rusting, and will it affect trade in? The vehicle is flawless mechanically and I plan to trade it in for a new one in the coming months. Should I be worried about the rest of the frame, and is it worth having replaced? Thank you!

 

A better picture will show the extent of rust but by the looks of it your skid plate is pretty much gone due to rust.
Rust will completely kill the reseal value of your car no matter how good it drives mechanically.
If it's surface rust, it can be salvaged if proactive steps are taken but if your frame rust is as bad as the one you have on your skid plate, it's going to be a hard sell unless a dealer gives you bottom price and covers it with black paint and sells to another unsuspecting buyer.

 

Yes you should be worried about the frame. The crossmember under the radiator is usually the first to fail because the foam around the radiator traps water and salt.

You can find used front skids on FB marketplace for ~$50 or so. I suggest replacing it so the dealer doesn't have an overtly visible talking point to devalue your trade-in.

 

You're probably not going to find a new 5th gen. But if it's a 6th gen that you desire, then by all means, go for it. The jury is still out on those and whether or not the reliability is there. If I were in your shoes, I would keep the "mechanically flawless" 5th gen, do some rust mitigation, and go on about my merry way not having to absorb the depreciation of a new vehicle. Wait a year or two to see how the 6th gens do, and decide then if getting rid of the tried and true 5th gen is worth it. But that's just me.

 

Dealers build in enough cushion into their trade-in valuations to probably not care anyway. If you really want to try to get more money you'll have to be prepared to deal with the public.

 

^ dis a smart mother effer right here

Edit, referring to catbrown's post... Icebear snuck one in before I got mine posted ...

 

No takebacksies!

 

There are no pictures to substantiate the following, so it is pure speculation.

Surface rust is not a big deal, but this is not what is happening with your truck. There is a visible rust hole in a skid plate, this likely the frame looks the same. If there are rust holes in the frame your truck is only good for parts regardless of the overall mechanical condition. The trade-in value will reflect that.

My suggestion - get this inspected by a mechanic outside the dealership. Then you can determine the approach. If the frame is rusted through, then you take any trade-in offer. If the rust is not yet through, then replace the skid plate with used (so it doesn't look out of place!) and ask for KBB trade-in (https://www.kbb.com/) for year/trim/mileage.

For your next car or truck - get oil-based rustproofing done (Krown, Fluid Film). Don't do Ziebart or electronic module - they are worse than useless.

 

Some photos of the frame rails on each side of the vehicle will go a long way towards getting a detailed answer.

 

If the skid got dragged and compromised it could be that the damage rusted.

The tow tools and bolts dont look like they have advanced rust

Not a lot of info from that one pic though

 

1. Lay down under the truck, flashlight in hand
2. Check everywhere you can see for any sign of rust
3. Take some pics
4. IF that skid plate is the only thing rusting badly, take it off and throw it away. The dealership likely won't see that it's missing, but they will see that it's rusting. If they do notice its absence - "Huh. I don't know. Could the previous owner have taken it off?"

But... a decade in the rustbelt is hard on cars. You're going to see some rust. Show us what you find and cross your fingers.

 

Just joined this group in hopes of finding an answer to my stereo woos, when I saw this post. I have a 2013 SR5. Same piece, skid plate, I noticed was rusted on mine. I replaced it for around $150

 

Being from the northeast and I’m assuming it’s never been fluid filmed or similar the frame is probably rusted to hell but so are 99 percent of all other vehicles in that area being traded in so I wouldn’t sweat it that much granted don’t expect top dollar. On your next rig take care of the frame or you’ll have another rust bucket

 

Thank you everyone for you assistance! I crawled around underneath it and took some photos. Doesn’t look to be as severe as the rust on my skid plate, thoughts?

I am trying to locally sourced a new (used) skid plate and then install it.

 

Looks like normal surface rust for a 2014.

Change the skid and should be good to go. If you are selling it now I wouldn't bother trying to touch the rust.

 

Guys in the South and Southwest: "RUN!"
Guys in the Northeast: "Wow. That's clean."

Seriously though, that doesn't look too bad (I'm in Deep South too).

 

I don’t think OP can do anything that will improve trade-in more than it’s cost.

 

other than remove/discard that skidplate

 

Would hitting it with a wire wheel be worth the effort? That would at least remove any loose rust.

 

I suspect, because the rust is pretty typical for the age/geography, it'd be best to be transparent. Any attempts to clean it up might raise the red flag. Let the buyer think "It just needs a wire wheel, some paint... "

 

The rust does not look excessive to my eyes either, for it’s age. Trade it with a clear conscience. But the next guy that overpays the dealer for it will need to get on that rust if he’s gonna get his money’s worth.

 

The skid plate is toast, but the other photos you show don't look too bad, actually pretty good for 2014 in the Northeast. Most of them are going to look like this, so I really don't think it's going to make that big of a deal in trade-in. Like others said, just toss the skid plate, The dealer probably isn't going to care much.

When I bought mine used, that skid plate was missing. I mentioned it to the dealer, and they basically shrugged and said that since it wasn't a safety item they didn't need to do anything about it.

 

Like others have said the pictures look really good for a 10 year old truck. I would not touch it.

But if anyone else reads this post, that lives in the sand and salt......in addition to the interior and exterior frame always treat the following areas.

1. Cross member under the radiator where the tie down points are.....this is notorious for rust due to it being hidden and the piece of foam attached traps moisture.
2. Drop the fuel tank skid and spray the straps
3. KDSS unit under the small protective cover.....if you have it.
4. Spare tire chain and mechanism
5. Top of frame rail in engine compartment where AC condenser drain exits

 

Nothing in the second set of pictures looks catastrophic. Replace the skid plate and ask for full KBB trade in value.

 

Can you take and post a picture of this spot?

 

Sand it down and apply the new BLACK Fluid Film before trade-in. Problem solved.

 

Open up your hood, passenger side and you will see rubber hose exiting the fire wall that dumps onto the frame rail. Some add an extension, which I have found not to be necessary if you treat the frame.

 

I'll add that if you happen to remove the rear bumper, spray the rear beam. Inside and out and the hitch as well. I had the bumper off to replace the rear valance and hosed everything down with a healthy dose of fluid film.