Southern boy buying Michigan used truck (salt concern?)

I have a 2008 Nissan Titan and it's worn out and I want another one because I like the size (smaller than modern trucks but not too small) and I, you know, 'know it.' Can work on it somewhat. Recent vintage, more complicated. I am looking at buying a 2015 because that it is the last year that Titans are that size. I found one in Michigan and I have no clue about the salt issue. Is it an issue? How does one assess that? I would be looking online and shopping dealer ads. If I make a deal, I'd have the dealer ship it to me. Hope for the best, I guess! My gf does this for a living and doesn't have any problem buying online from dealers. Hope it works out.

EDIT: The truck I found so far spent its life in Pennsylvania.
EDIT: Hmmm... an AI search provided this about salt... does concern me.

Why It's a Concern:

1. Rust and Corrosion:
   • Road salt accelerates rust, especially on the undercarriage, brake lines, suspension components, and wheel wells.
     
     
   • Rust can spread and compromise structural integrity or key components.
2. Hidden Damage:
   • Some rust may not be visible during a casual inspection. Corrosion can affect things like brake lines, fuel tanks, and frame rails.

What to Look For When Buying:
✅ Inspection Tips:

• Undercarriage Check: Look underneath the car for flaky, bubbling, or excessive surface rust.
  
  
• Wheel Wells & Seams: Check areas where body panels meet, as rust can form here first.
  
  
• Brake & Fuel Lines: These are common failure points in salty environments.
  
  
• Interior Signs: Damp carpets or musty smells may suggest water leaks that can accelerate corrosion.

✅ Vehicle History Report:

• Use tools like Carfax or AutoCheck to see where the vehicle has been registered.
  
  
• Be cautious with vehicles from states with heavy winter road salting like Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, etc.

✅ Professional Inspection:

• Have a trusted mechanic or shop perform a pre-purchase inspection with a focus on rust and corrosion damage.

 

I live in a region that gets heavy salt/brine on the roads. It eats metal pretty quick. When I bought my Tundra, I took a creeper and rolled under it for a full inspection on the spot. That’s the only way I’d buy truck from the salt belt. Lotta things can be hidden in photos.

 

A word of wisdom...don't buy anything that's spent any amount of time north of the Ohio river! You'll quickly learn why us northern boys buy used vehicles from down south!!
I'd buy a car with mechanical/electrical issues way before a rust bucket, it's almost impossible to truly stop rust once it gets started!

 

I will 2nd and 3rd do not buy it.

 

Most likely you can bet on some rust issues. There are services that can be hired to physically inspect for you. I have never used one but I looked into it once so I know they are out there.

 

Last time I was searching I found that some of the rust free stuff was coming out of Oregon vicinity. I got lucky with my 13 that I bought a couple years ago. It spent it's first 8 years only racking up 25k so I guessed it was owned and garage kept.

 

No offense but she ain't buying them for herself.

There's a reason for salvage yards down south shipping used parts back north. I dream of buying a used southern/rust free vehicle, someday.

 

Lawsuit going on here new cars are sold with a 5 year rust through guarantee AND are not making it. Your looking at 10 years old.

 

Good advice above. Don't buy one from close to the coast either

 

Yes!

 

See if the dealer can get you a full set of pictures of the undercarriage. Specially the wheel wells. Those tend to be the first thing to rust

 

Brake components/lines.

 

I don't live near the coast, so, it is never an issue about salt on roads or salty coastal air, all this is new to me. Some good advice in this thread. I like that part where somebody said see if the dealer would provide pics of the undercarriage and wheel wells.

I could wait to find one more local but it is hard to find one of these with low mileage, which is what I want. My gf did find one in Dallas a month ago and, heck, I countered the guy's asking price and he would not budge and I sure thought he would, it seems they always do, lol. But he didn't and I just waited for him to call me back but he didn't, lol. And he sold it. Don't know how much he got, I countered knocking off 10%.

I've had bad luck. Since my Titan is old and I sometimes make trips of 8 hours one-way, I wanted something more reliable for long trips and I didn't want to buy new until I spend plenty of time researching new trucks. Found a 2018 King Ranch that looked brand dang new with 125k miles. The dealer asked $33k and I countered at $30k and he took it. Everything was great. Until I heard the clunk. It would do it maybe once every two months. If I was stopped and put it in reverse, or even shifted from neutral to Drive, it would sometimes sound like the transmission or universal joint just fell out of the trunk, heckuva clunk. But that would be it and it would drive normally. I actually found the former owner and he said he had replaced the transmission cuz he hit a stump. I took it to the shop and they said the warranty did not transfer. Later on, the check engine light came on and I took it to a guy and he said he thinks the turbocharger is going out. Said $6k to $7 for that. And then we have the clunk. I decided to just sell it to Carmax because I didn't want to sell it to an individual but they only offered me $16k and I have only had it 1.5 years. Has 135k miles now. Looking back, even at buying it at $30k, I probably paid too much even if it had zero issues like I thought, it might've been 'worth' about $27k.

Longer story... the King Ranch... I happened to look at the back of the title and I saw that the former owner was an old classmate of mine! I looked him up and soon as he saw the truck, he said, "You bought my truck! The one that fell off the rack!" I asked him what the heck is he talking about. He proceeds to tell me that he was having the truck serviced at the dealer and they came and got him from the waiting room and said 'we need to talk.' And he said, "Okay, talk." The guy said, "No, sir, we need to go outside." LOL. The guy then proceeds to tell him that the truck fell off the rack. And was smashed up. So... when I bought this truck, I asked the dealer about a wind noise that I heard coming from behind and above my left ear. He said he'd check it out and came back and said everything is normal. I am hard of hearing but I could swear I heard wind noise. The truck looked perfect. But I think when they fixed the smashed truck, they did not match up the roof or window perfectly cuz I still hear it.

So, my gf (and also another friend of mine) told me that the smashed truck should have been disclosed to me at purchase. I didn't see a thing in the paperwork about it and the dealer never mentioned anything. I was talking to a friend yesterday about it and I told him that maybe they didn't have to report it because it was not a wreck on a highway but the truck fell off the rack inside the dealership.

Sorry for the long story but it's kind of interesting. I sure wish I had recourse about this King Ranch! I would love to get rid of it.

 

I'm the souther edge of the salt line. It's very rare to see a 10 year old truck not showing some form of rust.

My '09 F150 has almost a 100% rocker panel delete and the right rear fend isn't far behind.

 

My 2000 F350 has zero rust. Not much salt up here in WA! But the old truck is getting old and as I approach retirement I am considering something like a gas tundra.

Do these aluminum body fords do better with regards to rust? I know the frames are still steel and that can go.

 

If your truck is a 25 year old Ford with zero rust, I would buy whatever vehicle you want. Any vehicle should last you a long time!

 

Me too!

I wouldn’t even consider buying a used truck from the rust belt.

 

Well..... it's kinda hard for aluminum to rust..... I'd even venture to say.... IMPOSSIBLE.

 

Horkn didn’t your Ford have aluminum? Any rust issues?