Frame Rust - Too Much Or Manageable?

Hey all, first time potential Tacoma buyer here. Have my eye on a 2004 Tacoma with 98K on it. CARFAX indicates it a single owner from PA who averaged about 5K a year and had it serviced fairly regularly. Asked the dealer for photos of the frame and while it generally looks good, the rust on the front crossmember
looks a little concerning. Just looking for some advice, is this manageable as long as aggressively cleaned and treated or should I just move on and look for one in better condition.

Thanks!

 

The cross member is delaminating.

I would walk.

 

That’s hard to say because it looks like the rust has been painted over without proper removal/prep

 

It's worse on the inside.

 

If the crossmember is flaking, the real problem area is going to be far worse.

I'd run from that thing.

Don't you guys have annual inspections? Just for giggles, I'd ask for the most recent inspection report.

 

Its probably worse than it looks and at dealership prices very unlikely to be worth it. Good luck searching, took me a while in WI. It's tough to find one that isn't rusted beyond repair.

 

Welcome to the Forum!

It comes down to the price!!

Nothing there scares me off from looking up close and in person.

pictures can be misleading Is it paint and under coating peeling off hard to tell.

Is it being Sold as Is or does it have a current inspection sticker?

These older trucks always take parts to have neglected maintenance caught up.

Sadly we are in a sellers market .

Best of Luck!

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I really appreciate. I think I’m going to pass on this particular vehicle and bide my time until I find one that I’m more comfortable with that’s within my price range.

Looking forward to joining the ranks of Tacoma owners, hopefully, soon. Thanks again.