Rust Concern on Used Purchase

With that much damage in one place, something tells me there must be similar rust damage in other places that is not as obvious. I think the guy is dreaming if he thinks he's going to get $3,200 for that rust bucket. I'm guessing if you are considering that car, there is not much to choose from in your neck of the woods, and certainly traveling outside your area is difficult these days, but I think you would be better served by coming down to Boston or NYC and seeing what is available there.

 

Run; don't walk away!

 

That would clearly be my concern. Rust damage to that extent I don't think would be limited to just that spot.
If buying something with that much rust damage was optional, I think the option I would take would be to NOT buy it.

 

Ugh.

 

Like Dave said there is prehistoric rust underneath that's probably why the guy is selling it. I can see in the wheel well how rusted out that suspension part is. That and it probably needs a new hybrid battery like all of them.

The front suspension is probably wiped out underneath front and back. Run from that car Run.

A used G2 is probably not a good fit car for your son. Get a regular old gas engine car.

Unless you will enjoy every week end sorting out every weird little nickle and dime issue old G2's have. The big one being it will soon need a new hybrid battery.

 

davecook89t is right .....NH salt strikes again....This is typical of the area. NH has tough long winters, they use alot of salt and the rust gets to all cars. They usually get eaten from the underside up and there is nothing you can do about it. What you see is the tip of the iceberg.

 

Not so easy to do now, in the middle of this pandemic, but if you can get to New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, or California it would not be difficult to find a car that has lived its whole life in the area and is completely free of rust. (Ok, ok, cars that live right next to the coast or at high enough elevations to see significant snow may have a little rust.) Usually if you see a car that someone claims to have lived in this charmed area its whole life, and it has any rust at all, then it was actually in a flood or there is some other fraud going on.

On the other hand, the heat is hard on interior plastic and 12V batteries. The traction batteries still last a surprising long time though. The one in our 2007 is just starting to go, and the service records indicate that it is the original.

 

Pretty much all of the gen 2s in my area have this rust problem at the rear of the rocker panel. They put salt on the roads here and I live beside the ocean. It is not a structural part. You a can see the inner fender through the hole and it looks like it is still solid. This often does not mean the whole car is a rust bucket. If the car is otherwise in good shape I would have no hesitation buying this car. Repairing this is way cheaper than replacing the battery on a high mileage southern car. I would try to talk the price down though.

We had this exact same rust problem on both sides patched to pass safety inspection on our 2006 for about 200 dollars. The rest of the body is still sound, it does not burn oil, and it has a healthy battery. So for 200 bucks we have a pretty good car. They put a metal patch over the area and sprayed rust undercoating inside the rocker (and over the rest of the chassis). Its not a perfect fix but will not be the reason this car is taken off the road.

 

If it's your car, of course you will do whatever you can to mitigate any rust problems. If the price is right, I guess even I would buy a car with some minor rust. I just happen to think there were better choices for the OP than that car for $3,200 (firm).