Buying used from a snow state (Nebraska)

I'm looking at the perfect Taco online, it's in NE, I'm in CA.

Ready to pull the trigger - last question remaining is whether the weather (snow) there may be a concern?

It's a 2017 with only 10,000 miles, looks perfect and is Toyota CPO from a dealership.

Thoughts?

 

17 you should be fine. If it was older I’d be more concerned about rust.

that new and with 10k on it, it probably hasn’t even hardly seen snow.

 

Yeah, you should be good. It's probably been on the road for only one winter but it hasn't gone very far on that road.

If you're worried ask for pics of the underside.

 

when/if you get it I would get the truck up in the air and take care of any surface rust. shit gets nasty up north.

 

Should be OK.
My 2017 has 25000 and been thru 3 Ohio winters and no issues.

 

I’m sure there will be rust in places you can’t see.

 

Yep, then get it rustproofed ASAP!

 

If it’s a good deal go for it. It’s not acid on the roads. 10k miles, couldn’t have that many on the salt.

 

Either way, you should be covered under their frame replacement settlement.

 

I'm actually qualified to help answer this one, based on first hand experience.

The short answer is, as others have stated above, you should be ok but do a visual check from beneath and all body panels.

My story: I too am in CA and this spring I bought a cheap 20 yr old Jeep to restore and make a dedicated off-road rig. You can find my build in the non-taco threads.

The bad: it was from the hard-core north east (Philly and Jersey) and was used primarily as a winter vehicle with salty roads. A recipe for disaster.

The good: the two owners couldn't have done a better job protecting the parts they could. The entire underbody was shot with protection from day one. Couple of hidden panels were completely destroyed. In trade off, the entire drive-train is in immaculate condition and the interior looks a couple years old.

I got lucky and it was obvious they did their best to maintain.

So it really depends on how it is/was treated. Don't be afraid to snatch a deal.

 

Oh man! With mileage of only 10k after 2-3 years the truck has probably hardly ever been driven in harsh weather. Snag it.

 

With what your spending to get it back to CA, surely you could find a local one with no rust.

 

If you're really worried ask the dealer to put in on a lift so you can see the underside. Pretty sure the 17s have the extended frame warranty. Make sure the dealer puts the coating on it so it's eligible

 

I lived in Omaha, NE for over 3 years. Winter time in NE is a million times worse than winters in the north east. That truck would have been coated in salt for many months over the course of a winter. My brother still lives in Omaha and trades his truck in every 5 years for a new one. Why? Because “ it’s not acid” stated from someone above ............... Well, salt is pretty much like driving in acid. Salt on steel is a acid bath.

 

Thanks all for the fantastic, thoughtful answers. I'm getting video of the underside from the dealer now. That said, it's Toyota CPO so I'll probably just buy it sight unseen regardless. Photos I've seen thus far look flawless.

I could def. find the right one in CA if I kept hunting and save the insane shipping $$. However, I'm looking for a really specific year, trim, interior and within a price range, with low miles. For so much $ I feel entitled to be pick. It's been a tough hunt. This one is right. Pulling the trigger today fam.

 

I went into that dealership for that very truck, but it was sold. Great package and price. I guess they were having a special for that Limited. I ended up getting a sport. Tacoma World/small world.

 

My '16 has rust on every weld. Some bolts are looking like they will be sketchy to remove already. MI salt and snow combo turns cars to rust fast - even with twice-per-week car wash with undercarriage flush.

 

check car fax report to see where the truck is from it might be a auction unit the dealer bought from another state

 

I'd be more worried that a Corn Husker fan sat in it personally, not rust.

 

So, how'd it go? What part of Nebraska did you get it from? I'm in Western, NE.