2018 engine looks sketchy

Considering buying this 2018 Tacoma SR it is coming from Houma, LA (I'm in Texas). Even though it has fairly low mileage, 58K, I'm see some issues with rust and discoloration and even some mud wasps nest. I'm not a mechanic but my gut tells me this is too new of an engine to look like this. Looks like the original owner let it set for 8 months then needed to get rid of it.

To anyone, does looking at this raise any flags?

 

Looks fine to me.

Note that any vehicle from the rust belt (NE through the mid-west to Gulf coast) is going to age a bit faster than the rest of the country. The more important areas are on the underside. Fasteners, unpainted machined metal surfaces, and peeled frame paint near the welds are a larger consideration.

 

You sort of answered your own question. Deff looks like it sat for a while. Looks like there is a ton of oxidation too. It almost looks like it sat with the hood open.

 

Nope.

Pay up to get a full detail inside, outside, under the hood, and drive it.

 

Who cares how it "looks" ? Do you have a maintenance history ? And how does it run?

That engine runs on hopes and dreams in Afghanistan 20 years after Americans are "done" with it.

 

go with your gut, move on. If it is super good deal, that you feel like you have to act quick on, that should be even more of a red flag. If nothing else, at least get it to a tech and pay them to actually go over the whole vehicle.

 

Make sure that is not a flood/hurricane truck, especially from that area.

 

There are a ton of SR tacomas for sale. Why pick one that looks like it sat for months with the hood open and has wasp nests.

 

I don't see any rust, just a normal looking dirty engine. Maybe I am blind. I am assuming if it was worthy of a post here it is clearly still in the running.

 

I would be more concerned with how oxidized all the aluminum stuff is.

 

that^

 

Thanks guys. I like simple reliability and believe Tacoma has that. I believe I will let this one go. I did check the car history on this it was okay until April 2021, but I saw that hurricane Ida came through that town in August.

 

Well that's a hard pass then. Is it salvaged ?

 

That would explain the excessive oxidation.

 

Yeah pretty hard to tell anything from that picture. My 2016 TRD OR spends most of it's time off road. Every day it is far dirtier under the hood than that Taco, and I could care less. All of my past 4x4's the same and all with high mileage and no issues. I just cannot be bothered to clean under the hood, but I do all of my maintenance well before the recommended specs.

My Taco was used. As with all of the used trucks I buy, I put my overalls on and crawled under the truck and did a full inspection of every visible component. Then make an offer.

Without seeing that Taco in person, who knows?

 

A clean engine bay makes maintenace much easier. You really can't be bothered to spend 30 seconds and rinse the engine bay lol?

 

I mean it looks like a vehicle that has seen some salt.

 

South Louisiana here, checking in.

Mud wasps will make a nest in absolutely anything that sits for 36 hours. So, that's not necessarily an indication that it sat for months.

We aren't in the rust belt, but houma is surrounded by brackish water, so it is a rusty area, but it shouldn't have a rusty frame unless the owner was fording in the marsh/bayou. But fording isn't really an option as any attempt would just sink th truck really quickly in the muck.

We don't put salt on the roads like up north, so it really shouldn't have any deep rust.

Does the interior show any signs of being flooded? Houma has been flooded a few times in the last few years. I was down there helping out in my boat after ida. Two feet of water everywhere and lots of cars with water up to the windows. Boating through neighborhoods is interesting...

It could have sat for a long time, but i would need to inspect the truck in pers to look for more clues.

 

Are mud wasps the same thing we used to call dirt dobblers in Alabama? Because they would make a nest anywhere.

 

Maybe?

We have several species that make mud nests and several that make paper nests. The fkers get into everything in no time