2018 Tacoma Off Road. Rusted Hood

I've towed through upstate ny in the winter many times to quebec. Lots of snow in some regions with plenty of black ice to make one pucker. You gotta rust proof these trucks best as possible. Washing can be worse than none at all if you go to a car wash in winter. They use recycled salty water that have washed vehicles before you.

 

Well if not covered you can upgrade to a Sport hood if you don't have one. Going to be expensive though.

 

I live in the rust belt (literally) and have seen so many of these rust threads lately I fluid filmed the heck out of my 2020. Not only sprayed the frame, but into just about every crack and crevice possible, including the hood! then again, maybe it’s a conspiracy and the fluid film folks are posting these threads !!

 

oh hell nah. i will definitely be waxing that area from now on though.

 

Welcome to TW
Sorry about the rust

 

That ain’t right
Was it ever wrecked or repaired? Looks like the paint failed or wasn’t reapplied correctly.

 

Since OP has not responded, betting it is this.

 

I worked on old muscle cars years ago. If you can see that much damage it is worse underneath. If it has been damage repaired moisture is getting in and under the filler. Think bondo bubbling.

 

Someone was selling a fiberglass hood in the marketplace, might be a good option.
Sorry though, now I can’t find it!

 

Waxing won't cut it. You gotta do like said above, either ff it really good, or use some other good rust inhibiter like cosmoline. I didn't go as far as under my trucks hood,but after seeing this, i think its time for another fresh can of cosmoline.

 

It blows my mind people try and justify this on a 4 year old vehicle. I live in the rusty northeast and have never see a vehicle that new have that issue. Yes frames will get crusty if you don't stay on top of it but body panels should not rust is 4 years period.

 

Your third picture there. It looks like the rust was painted over?

 

My prior vehicle, which was a 2004 Ford, sat outside five days a week about 3 miles from the Atlantic ocean for over 17 years and not a speck of rust. Is this the new Toyota quality that I purchased?

 

Tell that to some of the owners of rams years back. I've seen enough bubbling rusty rear quarter panels on rams back not long ago that were 5 years old, and thats in connecticut where salt, and brine are king. If you want to get into frames, i've seen one entire side of a frame missing, or holes big enough to put a hand through on trucks of all makes. Living in the northeast is hell on vehicles.

 

You were either very very lucky with the ford, or you need glass's. My brother lives 300 yard from the atlantic ocean, and its just the opposite for his 2 vehicles. His 2005 chevy astro van is pretty nasty underneath from doing nothing. He's had his rave4 hybrid rustproofed when it was new, so far it still looks great. Both vehicles are garaged. Only my opinion, but if you plan to keep the toyota several years or more, best to do some kind of rust protection.

 

you can put ff or cosmoline over paint? i guess you would need to sand it down to bare metal for it to work

 

I've seen ff over heavy surface rust to encapsulate it from getting worse if thats what your looking for. Idk fully about cosmoline on a rusted surface....i guess you could. Imo, paint doesn't factor in, rust or not.

 

Thank you to everyone who answered with so much info
The dealership is. Going to replace the hood.

 

Seems like a batch of 2018s have this issue. You're not the only one. Neither am I. My 2018 rusted at the same exact spot right above the driver side headlight. My paint flaked off and I ended up sanding down to bare metal, primer and air brushing with color matched paint. It was extremely easy due to it being right on a body line - no need to blend. No issues since. I throughly inspected the area and the only thing I can come up with is there was moisture stuck between the seam sealer from the factory and eventually ate it's way out. My good side(passenger) doesn't have this issue. Seeing how they painted right over the seam sealer, there is absolutely no way salt can get inside.
I brought it back to the dealer to try to warranty and they told me to kick rocks because there isn't any perforation. So instead of dealing with the bs back n forth with corporate and whatever I spent an hour of my time to remedy it better than any Toyota dealer ever could.