Recently bought 2016 Prius Four has rust underneath. Should I return to Carvana?

What is their warranty policy? It couldn't hurt to bring it to their attention, but knowing the policy would be ammunition you will need to negotiate...

 

Don’t they have the 7 days where you can return the car. No questions asked. Car might have come from the east coast

 

That looks exceptionally bad for a 2016. Unless you do not intend to keep it for a long term, there will be future problems. And, anyone you'd want to sell it to will not want to buy it.

 

I wouldn't call that picture anything out of the ordinary for a 2016 anything that was parked in a coastal area.

 

That's why I would never buy a car sight unseen.

 

No it doesn't.
Have you looked at the undercarriage of YOUR car lately ?
ALL vehicles over a year old will show rust like that.......unless maybe they live in Arizona and never go out in the rain.

 

Yes. No rust at all except for one small hose clamp. And, it's 8 plus years old.

 

I'm failing to understand why anyone living in Georgia would ever think about purchasing a vehicle from Illinois. People from up north come South to buy rust-free vehicles. Want a car covered with road salt, corrosion and heavy rust? Buy one from Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, etc. As for 4 year old southern cars being rusty? My 15 year old SC cars look 10x better than those photos.

 

If the car was driven in the snow (salt) belt for 4 winters, then it looks very normal condition to me. Those who have lived in the south, and have never seen the way roads get salted up north would freak out seeing this. Yeah, if you knew the car was coming from Ilinois, you should have asked to see the underbody. And if I was you, I would have used the finding to bargain the price. Do you have recourse for the buyer's remorse where you live? Our state has absolutely no protection for used car purchases. It is buyer beware situation.

 

If it is still within the 7 days, and if you are worried about the rust, then I would go back to Caravana and either return and get money back or demand a discount on the price you have paid. As I said, the underbody rust on cars driven in the snow belt is very normal, and still, those cars last well past 10 years even if continue driven in the snow belt. In your case, the car is not going to see additional snow and salt in the future. You may be fine but may have some reduced life compared to a similar car that has never seen snow and salt.

 

It's not called the "rust belt" for nothing. My '17 Prime came from New Hampshire. It has some rust, but not nearly that much. I'm guessing your car didn't see the car wash very often.

 

Another (sad) example of a rust belt vehicle.

No.

 

I agree. Ours looked like that, about 3~4 years on, and we're not exactly in the rust belt. Don't think it warrants refund, but up to you if you want to try.

What you're looking at is typical Toyota, maybe all the others now too.

What I did was brush it off then apply boiled linseed oil with a foam brush, worked miracles. Also back out any small diameter bolts, especialy those holding plastic shields and "bumpers", soak them in oil and reinstall (before they seize).

 

If you still have the option of a refund, I would get the refund. Especially if you can get a Prius that doesn't have any rust issues.

 

OK, add South Texas to the list.

But honestly, really, they do NOT make all of those underbody components out of stainless steel and don't even paint some things......like the bolt and nut shown. And the major frame members. And the major suspension parts, some of which are near to an inch thick.

It IS normal for unprotected metal that lives out in the open air to RUST. Really it IS.
You can protest all you want but that won't change the truth.

 

They used to use better coatings on the bolts, but they were outlawed, hazardous to health? Galvanizing suspension pieces would make a big difference I think, but dollar corner-cutting rules?

Ours around the 3~4 year mark:





And then several years later, and at least a year after application of boiled linseed oil:

 

Time to remember that there's a difference between a good car and a new car. This is where it shows up in high relief.