Rust in recently bought Used Approved car

[Immysl]

Hi everyone,

I finally managed to get hold of a mk3 (2019) Yaris hybrid which is my first Toyota as well. It is a Used Approved car delivered to me today. The whole purchase process happened via online and a few calls. 

So about the car itself - looks great in the inside apart from a bad smell when the aircon is on.

However, when it comes to the exterior I noticed some rust and some white spots at the rear alloy wheels. Also, when I opened the bonnet there was rust all over the place. Surprised to see this much of rust for a 3.5 year old car. Is this something to worry about or just surface rust? (photos attached)

The car had been driven 63k miles. Was serviced last month after missing two scheduled services according to the service history book (slots 4 and 5 empty). Also, when I checked My Toyota it mentioned this last service was only a minor one, followed up with a repair done by the dealer. Shouldn't it have been a major service before handing over the car?

Overall, I'm wondering what I should reasonably expect from a Toyota approved dealership for a car that's not too old. Appreciate your insight on this.

[FROSTYBALLS]

As regards the service, it appears it wasn't done by the supplying dealer in Antrim, but by Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Burnaston. Presumably it may have previously been a Toyota management or fleet car.

Has TMM done earlier services? The service interval stated is also different to the Toyota norm of 12 months/10,000 miles.

[Max_Headroom]

Wow has that been driven on Blackpool seafront evert day, my 2019 is rust free. 

[Paul john]

Looks like its had salt water ingress in the engine bay from the pitting on the right hand unit. 
never seen that much under bonnet corrosion before in any of my hybrids. 

[PCM]

41 minutes ago, Paul john said:

Looks like its had salt water ingress in the engine bay from the pitting on the right hand unit. 
never seen that much under bonnet corrosion before in any of my hybrids. 

+1 

I have a 2014 Toyota - NO rust at all.

Perhaps read again the description provided for the car and see how that reconciles with the general condition? 

[anchorman]

That’s been stood a long time, it’s what happens when a car isn’t used but look, you bought it, presume nobody had you at gunpoint so why didn’t question it before?   As it happens I don’t think much harm will come of it but it’s a good job because you’ve got it now.  

[Davidhee58]

My 2017 Auris is rust free under bonnet, and the brake disk conditions are much better than this 3.5 years car's brake😀

[JCT-DK]

Would it be safe to make a engine compartment wash to try to to wash out dirt and salt and treat the corroded items if possible?

[Rhymes with Paris]

10 hours ago, Immysl said:

The whole purchase process happened via online and a few calls. 

This is a good lesson for anyone looking for a car.

I know most experienced buyers would not dream of buying a car without seeing it and trying it first, but we all have to start somewhere.

Not saying this is the case with the op of course,so is this an inexperienced buyer?

Thinking about the condition, mileage, missing services etc all together paints a picture of a neglected car to me.

Now if the price was substantially less than a lower mileage, better condition car , there may be some sense in it.

If it is not possible to return the car, and get a refund, could a way out be to sell it at best price, and look for something better?

Sorry to sound like a harbinger of doom Immysl, but to me that car looks like it will be a load of trouble at some future point,near future would be my guess.

Even if mechanically ok, once rust starts, and it has,if only on the bits you can see what's lurking where you can't see?

 

[anchorman]

It might not be salt. I’ve got a mate who treats is Mk4 Yaris Excel like a farm truck.  When I say it’s disgusting inside I mean disgusting but it’s the same under the bonnet.  It looks like it’s been stored in a barn for years and there is a lot of rust.   It could be that our car above was the same.  I personally would have checked all that because I’m pedantic about clean engine bays.  Others don’t give a shoot, it’s a tool they say, get over it.  Each to their own.  

[Mojo1010]

The air con smell you need ask them to treat that free of charge, that's how it should come from an approved used.

Wouldn't recommend on rejecting the car base on some rust of non critical metal parts, but that will also be bad for underneath the car. 

2019 is so close to late 2020 for the MK4. 

[flash22]

Is up in the miles a tad, and it's not been loved, possibly a lease or loaner car, as above it's lived near the sea as the looks like salt corrosion (poss on the Belfast coast)

i would get it inspected and make sure it's not rotten underneath

As you have purchased it online, you are covered under the distance selling act, Know your rights !!

https://www.themotorombudsman.org/distance-sales-faqs

if you paid £10-15K for it, i would reject it, i know the market is very strong

As above, i foresee a new exhaust and brakes in your future and even suspension components

[Rhymes with Paris]

Also,is this car from a Toyota main dealer?

The op also mentions used approved car, approved by whom?

Whoever inspected it to approve it,did not do their job IMO.

[PCM]

1 hour ago, Mojo1010 said:

The air con smell you need ask them to treat that free of charge, that's how it should come from an approved used.

Wouldn't recommend on rejecting the car base on some rust of non critical metal parts, but that will also be bad for underneath the car. 

2019 is so close to late 2020 for the MK4. 

I'd be having a good luck underneath, checking for significant rust. Sooner than later...

[TonyHSD]

Rust like this on cars that are fairly  new only can happen if they had been driven on motorways mostly during winter and never been looked after as they should. This car has definitely being used in a very salty conditions and not washed properly and on time., or has been flooded in salt water.
Fresh water and moisture in the air will not cause rust to modern cars unless salt has its tool. The brake pad that is shown on the picture says it all, the white stuff forms after salt attacked the metal . 
Just another example how poor dealer sales and service can be. 
Sorry, but if it’s me I will return the car for a full refund. 
 

[Yugguy1970]

Yeah I would return that, how that can be an Approved Used I do not know.

I bought a 3 year old Rav with 23k on it and the engine bay looked practically new.  

If you can, for your next one go and actually see it.

[Immysl]

Thanks a lot for the replies and appreciate all the feedback. I'm stuck at work but will do my best to reply to everyone.

12 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

As regards the service, it appears it wasn't done by the supplying dealer in Antrim, but by Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Burnaston. Presumably it may have previously been a Toyota management or fleet car.

Has TMM done earlier services? The service interval stated is also different to the Toyota norm of 12 months/10,000 miles.

I don't see any other service done with TMM, just with other Toyota dealers.

4 hours ago, PCM said:

+1 

I have a 2014 Toyota - NO rust at all.

Perhaps read again the description provided for the car and see how that reconciles with the general condition? 

It said in good condition and no mention of rust. It was the same during my phone calls too.

4 hours ago, anchorman said:

That’s been stood a long time, it’s what happens when a car isn’t used but look, you bought it, presume nobody had you at gunpoint so why didn’t question it before?   As it happens I don’t think much harm will come of it but it’s a good job because you’ve got it now.  

No, and I am kicking myself for it. Have come to regret buying online without properly viewing the car first.

4 hours ago, JCT-DK said:

Would it be safe to make a engine compartment wash to try to to wash out dirt and salt and treat the corroded items if possible?

Will this be just a temporary solution though?

2 hours ago, Rhymes with Paris said:

Also,is this car from a Toyota main dealer?

The op also mentions used approved car, approved by whom?

Whoever inspected it to approve it,did not do their job IMO.

Yes it is from the Donnelly Toyota dealer based in Eglinton, Londonderry. It said Toyota Used Approved and was in the Toyota site for sale mentioning that. 

Sorry that I couldn't reply to everyone. Will try to do properly after I get back from work.

Also in the meantime will try to talk to the dealer again and mention these issues to them.

[CruxisCore]

If you just recently bought it, I would probably serious consider canceling the deal. Not sure how it works in the land of Brexit nowadays, but at least here in the EU you would probably be within rights for a few weeks or so to take the car back and get your money back, if you havnt racked a crazy amount of miles on it etc.

[Rhymes with Paris]

Aye you can't do much while at work.

Come back later if you can when you have finished.🙂

If possible, some pictures of underneath the car would be useful, to us aswell as you if you can get under it somehow,or on ramp at a fast fit maybe on your way home, for free or a small charge.

As flash mentions, particularly suspension and steering components, exhaust, and brake parts.

As it was only delivered yesterday, there could be a good chance of rejecting it back to the dealer.

So hope to see you later then, and I am sure you will get some good advice what to do next.

[wildtapholer]

Looks like it lived near or on the coast, we bought a car from a dealer around Bridlington once, on the next MOT the MOT station said he had never seen a car as rusty underneath, we haven't still got it, but NOW one of the first things I do is look under the bonnet to see if it's been used as a submarine. The Yaris I bought the wife is a 65 plate and has no rust whatsoever under the bonnet and very little underneath, so always look if it's a one owner at the number plate to see what part of the country it was registered at, do look under the bonnet, I refuse rusty nuts and bolts, could have been driving through flood water, parked in water anything but you would be surprised how many people never look under the bonnet. A clean engine shows at least someone checked the oil or washed prior to sale, but they can't hide rusty fixings, if it had been a lease car, they don't give a s**t and the bonnet only comes up on the service if it's lucky. I've just bought a 14 plate Lexus for myself, a posh Toyota as I call them, 9yrs old and check the photo of under that bonnet.

[Hybrid21]

Hi Imran, if at all possible I would reject the car as it's obviously not been looked after, probably even abused as a fleet car or suchlike.

Not a good long term purchase in my opinion ☹️

[Stevie J]

My mother has got a 19 plate Yaris, the same age as yours, and the engine bay was spotless when she bought it in February this year, no rust at all, as I had a good look in the engine bay when she first got it. It was a Toyota Used Approved car from WR Davies Toyota in Telford, and they delivered it to her in an almost new condition. 

My car is her old one, and thats a December 2014 Yaris, and it has an immaculate engine bay, no rust at all.

Most Toyotas do get rust when they get older, Japanese cars always have had a reputation of running for ever, but rust is their usual demise long before the engine dies. But to see a 2019 plater with that much rust in the engine bay is quite honestly shocking. That dealer in Northern Ireland is located right on the north coast, so I would imagine that the car has been used, as said by others here, in very hostile, salty, poor weather and road conditions, in a grim area of Ireland. It was probably never garaged, and used extensively over harsh seaside winters with salted roads. Nothing ruins a car's metalwork more than road salt and damp conditions, so buying a car from a coastal area, especially one in a Northerly location like Northern Ireland, Scotland and Northeast England is something that should be done with extreme caution and never done without looking at the underside areas first. In General, If the car has a registration starting with S, then it was first registered in Scotland. If it starts with N then thats from the North East, but Northern Ireland uses a different type of registration and if your car was from there, then it probably still has the Northern Ireland plate, and was imported to Cambridgeshire where you live from Ireland. 

The moral of the story is that if you are spending a lot of money on a car, and a 19 Plate Yaris Hybrid with 60K on it would have probably cost in excess of £14,000 especially from a Toyota dealer, then you should really go and inspect it in person first, or ask the dealer to send photos of the underside and engine bay - if they wont then walk away from the deal as they are probably trying to hide something by not sending you the photos you want. Buy a car locally if possible so if there is a problem you dont have far to go to take it back to the dealer. 

[donkeychomp]

There was a time when being an approved dealer meant you had integrity. Sadly those days are long gone. That car is appalling. My MK1 Yaris is cleaner under the bonnet. Take it back ASAP for a full refund I say. And it would be a better bet to go and look at your next car rather than relying on 'dealers'. Don't let it put you off a Yaris, they are brilliant little cars!

Alex

[Cyker]

Huh, all my cars started getting surface rust on components under the bonnet; The driver-side engine mount on my Mk1s was super rusty-looking, but still solid.

Even in my Mk4, the metal compression ring on the air intake hose is coated in surface rust just like in the OP's photo, and you can tell which bits are steel and which bits are aluminium in the engine bay!

 

[wildtapholer]

I new I had a photo of under the bonnet on the wife's 65plate car somewhere , just found it and it was taken 3yrs ago what the dealer sent us and is something I would expect from an approved car.