2021 Tundra rust expert opinions needed

Hi everyone. I’m looking at a 2021 Tundra. Had the dealership send me pics and video of the undercarriage. Would like to know if you guys see any concerns with any of the rust or other wear and tear underneath? Truck has 60k miles and has been in Alabama its whole life. I tried to upload the videos but pics will have to do as the site didn’t like the file extension. Thanks in advance. If things work out with my work schedule I’m gonna head over to dealership tomorrow afternoon.

 

Forgot to mention that if you see any concerns, is any of it treatable after the fact? What do most folks normal do to coat/treat underneath? Thanks again

 

I can't see much of those lines, and that photo of the bolt under the rocker panel is too blurry for me to see if it is bubbling paint around it, but if all the aluminum or galvanized bolts aren't corroded, then at 60k, I'd say that's in pretty reasonable shape. Might be worth taking it to a rust preventative shop to get their opinion since you'd probably want to get that treated, regardless. Simple way to find someone is to look up NHOU and find their dealers. Same applies for whatever vendor/product you choose.

I'm saying this without any proof, but it's almost as if it was undercarriage was treated with some sort of chemical that didn't like untreated metals, or it was near salt water? Part of me thinks it is clay and dirt in some parts, but then the lines and a few of the bolts make me second guess myself. Better photos would be helpful.

Regardless, for 60k and having a low bar since I'm in the Northeast, that still appears in pretty good shape. Find a shop, have it independently inspected.

 

Frame looks great. Rusted exhaust pipes is expected. Most of the hardware appears to be low rust as well. Wouldn't blink on that one. If you live in the rust belt, you must treat!!!

 

im working on getting better pics of that line and bolt running along the frame. If it is rust, is that normal for those lines to get corroded? I have a 2015 with 238k and I looked at my lines this morning and doesn’t have near that corrosion/wear. Not something I expected like in other areas. I’ll post better pics when I get them but how bad is it to replace those lines if I had to down the road? Not sure if they’re brake lines or fuel lines? Thanks for yalls input. Really appreciate it

 

Looks like the E brake cable. Probably dirty, not rusty

 

The CV boots are also brown and they don't rust, so it's probably just clay/dirt, which clearly likes to stick to things. Better pictures will be helpful, but of all of it, I'd just be looking at that bolt on the rocker and if there is bubbling paint, then I'd ask more questions. The rest of it looks pretty darn good and even the bolts appear to be silver under the brown and don't appear to be corroded. If you're going there on lunch, ask them to have it on a lift for you. You'll know immediately if it is dirt or rust.

 

Clean up and treat the important components wirh Woolwax, Fluid Film, CRC Rust Prevention spray or even axle grease with a brush. Just do something and keep it done.

 

Looks great! And that man is laying down in the dust for you to get those shots

Go grab that sucker after work if the price is right. Or someone else will.

 

Might have scuffed his loafers

 

I would say more dirt than rust. The front differential is aluminum, and it has a tan color to it, the same tan that is over a fair amount of other things, should not be rust. overall it looks good, I would go for it.
I have not done any type of coating on the under body of my 2020 in Eastern Pennsylvania, I do run it through a car wash several times a week over the winter, it is as clean or cleaner than that one. Kind of impressive for this part of the country

 

Thanks to everyone for your responses so far. I really wish I could post a video, but am having difficulty with the extension. (Trying to do this from my iphone). However, the last video he sent he seemed to think it was just dirt or clay as a few of yall have mentioned. He was wiping it off with his finger, and it was crumbling off. I am going to go see it tomorrow and look at it with my own eyes. Just never saw that line look like that so didnt know what I was looking at. Apologies for the bad pictures. Dude is ADHD I think and he doesnt hold the camera still for enough time for me to pause the video and get a good screenshot of the line/bolts for yall.

 

Here are the best screen captures I could get from his last video. I agree, the frame looks fantastic. Just thought it was weird there would be so much dirt (or rust) on the line, and none whatsoever on the frame.

 

Go buy that thing!

 

Check for cam tower leaks, valley plate leaks, missing seal on radiator cap(gets trapped in loop), warped brake rotors, excessive paint wear on hitch safety chain loops(excessive towing), water in rear diff oil or other signs of flood damage. Be careful, don't rush!

 

Corrosion all looks like minor surface rust to me. Probably a good undercarriage wash to distinguish between rust and dirt and hit it with this stuff.

 

It really just looks like the underside got caked in dirt/clay at some point when someone went off roading and despite clear efforts, just didn’t get it all off. There’s “rust” looking spots on several items under there that are plastic (cable protectors, sway bar bushings, CV boots, etc).

The frame, the weld seams, the control arms, etc don’t show corrosion in the places you usually see it, which further supports this theory.

The exhaust is a bit ugly, but that’s normal enough for the mileage.

My vote is to send it and buy it, and I’m a Corrosion Engineer, so my opinion is valid here…right?

 

Look at the bed bolts and surrounding iron in the bed. It's the 1st thing that fails on 2nd Gen Tundras. Especially if you in the rust belt...like I am.

 

Looks at this and remembers what a 2023 tundra looked like w 50k up here in the north east...

To me I see 0 rust on that truck op

 

Where’s the rust? None of what has minor surface rust is anything structurally significant. Looks like any normal 4 year old truck.

 

Blast that undercarriage and frame with a few gallons of Fluidfilm once you buy it and you’ll have a truck for life.

That’s what I did after I drove my brand new ‘21 Tundra off the lot back in Oct 2021 and no rust anywhere to be seen besides the exhaust pipes which is unavoidable. And I live in the middle of the rust belt in NE Ohio.

 

This, but avoid applying it to rubber components and you might need to park outside for a day or two while it cures cuz the fumes are quite stout.

 

Thanks. I am familiar with checking for camtower leaks, but how would one check for valley plate leaks or water in the rear diff without taking stuff apart?

 

Look for signs of coolant leaking down around bell housing, it often ends up down there as it trickles downward. .You can also probe around with an imspection mirror and flashlight from inside the bay and underneath to look for pink crusty residue. There's a slight design issue on them which limits the sealing surface to a minimum generally in one particular area about halfway back on the passenger side. Not a huge problem, but these aren't totally guaranteed problem free for a half million miles either. If you buy it, just watch during oil changes and check the reservoir level occasionally for indications of a small leak. Probably won't leave puddles in parking spaces or anything significant before you find it, and it likely won't even leak dor a long time. Just a known concern, that's all.

There is a breather on the rear diff that sits low enough to take on water during boat launches and deep water crossings. Many owners add a piece of fuel line and a fitting to relocate the breather up behind a taillight. Look for the mod first. If not done, do it if you buy it. Then, drain and fill twice over 10k to get it cleaned out good just in case it has been polluted. You can search this site for rear diff breather mod and find the part number for the barbed fitting and more info on the subject. Good luck!

 

That's just plain ole Alabama clay. It sticks to everything.

Had a well used GMC 1500 that had lived in Alabama all its life. The frame, fittings, lines, etc. were all orange. Alabama clay is like a preservative...you can get it off, but it will take some effort.

 

Sad update friends…was on my way to see the truck and was 2 hrs into the drive (only an hour left to go) and the salesman called to tell me they had sold the truck (ugh!). I actually thought he was joking. But he wasn’t. He then proceeded to get kind of snickety with me that he had crawled all around the truck sending me pics only for me to not buy it. I was like dude I told you all week the earliest I could make it down was Thursday afternoon around 2:30pm. We had talked numbers and were basically in agreement with the purchase price and trade in value. But I needed to see it and drive it before I committed to it. They wanted to basically sign the paperwork remotely and arrange for the truck to be shipped to me and they would drive my trade back. I needed to see it and drive it first. I thought we had an understanding as I told him and his sales manager I was very confident we could make a deal. I texted him at 8:00 this morning to let him know I was still coming. Texted him at 1:30pm when we were part way there. I thought he would hide the keys for me. I think what happened was another salesman sold it out from under him since it was end of month and they all needed to hit their numbers. Probably sold it for more than I had offered. And besides it was his birthday and suppose to be his day off. He came in just to meet me. So I guess I understand why he is pissed. I understand there’s no guarantee unless I sign on the line. But he didn’t have to get pissed at me. Anyway lesson learned for me to be clearer in my intentions and directly ask them what it would have taken to hold the car for me. They never asked me. But in a way this might actually work out for us. Wasn’t a need but a want. Just feel like I wasted an afternoon and a 1/2 day vacation.
thanks to all who responded. I learned a lot on this thread for next time. I appreciate the collective knowledge on this board. Peace everyone ✌

 

https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/5TFAY5F19MX958593

Posting the listing now. Didn’t want to before in case anyone of you lived down there and had any ideas