Hey all, hoping for some car-buying advice.
As the title indicates, I've found a good deal on a 2004 Toyota Tacoma with 140,000 miles on it. I only need it to last about 4 years, and according to my math I should get 4 years out of it before I reach 200,000 miles (which these trucks often surpass easily). Mechanically it is sound. I can buy it in cash and not finance anything -- a major plus. I should add I *need* a small pickup with decent mpg for my job -- this is a 4 cylinder manual regular cab.
The only problem is this: rust on the frame. It's more or less a junker, and I'm okay with that. It's a better value per-year than financing something newer and I don't have a lot of cash. My concern is safety. If this thing is in an accident, or if it simply folds in half, which I've heard of happening before with Tacomas. It is no longer eligible for the famed Toyota frame replacement.
The seller says he'll warranty it, and fix any problems I might have. He's a certified welder and will make sure it's 100%, he says. But again, if the truck breaks in half that's not something he can really do anything about.
I don't know enough about the rust issue on these trucks to know how much rust is too much. Is this too risky? What would YOU do?
I'm leaning towards saying no but maybe some of you have had these rusty trucks for years...I had the thought that maybe it's a liability issue, so that was why no one would say it's probably okay, statistically speaking. The likelihood of the frame actually collapsing might be super small.
I'll attach a picture. The thing that concerns me is the hole visible in the underside of the frame, in this photo.
Thanks for any advice!