Miedziany

Hello guys, it's my first post so sorry if not in the right section.

I'm looking to buy a JK. Please help me with this one:



Is this rust a big problem and I should reject it for this reason? It's 2017 3.6 Rubicon.

Also: another thing that worrying me are oil changes - first one was performed 1,5 year after registration, at 11,300 miles. Can this affect the life of the engine?

Thank you!

resharp001

A single picture will never be enough to base a loose opinion on IMO. If you look at the underside and more around suspension components (main frame rails, springs, shocks, brackets/mounts) you're going to get a lot better idea of the rust condition of the vehicle vs. minor surface rust in areas. My advice would typically be that with as many JKs as are out there, look for something from the south or the desert......that hasn't lived any of its life in the rust belt.

Miedziany

Very good advice, however, unfortunately I am not the lucky one who can see the car in person. I'm living on the other side of big water, so 5800 miles from the car is a slight handicap.

I was more concerned with whether rust in this area is a high probability of rust on the rest of the chassis. This Jeep is from Dallas and only on that one photo I can see rusted element.

Sixty4x4

There are treatments that stop that from getting worse and as Resharp states that you should check the other parts of the Jeep for rust. I don't think there could be too much damage done from the oil change when it was new. Could be the owner had it done away from a dealer so it is not recorded on the maintenance records. But it does tell you some things about the owner. PL? Which part of the world are you in?

resharp001

Do you have a link to it? I'm in the DFW area myself. If it's not too far away I'd take a glance at it. Probably a slim shot since I'm on the west side of fort worth, but you never know.

That's a strange place to see as rusty. That is just a subframe support as you can see in this picture from a video here -



Not sure if the vehicle has always lived here or not, but this is definitely an area I'd feel good about buying from if it has. We just don't deal with wintery conditions. Maybe the only thing would be if it was from the coast in Texas and spent time around the gulf and saltwater.

Alanymarce

As others note, you need more insight than can be obtained from this photo. Having said that, our 2015 JK had light corrosion on the same cross-member (I believe it's what we're seeing). A bit of paint fixed the appearance; there was no structural deterioration, just light surface rust. Ours had no other corrosion anywhere.

copb8

If you're considering buying it sight unseen and you have very few pictures, I'd seriously reconsider. I'd want dozens of quality pictures of the vehicle from all angles including engine bay, underneath, suspension components, etc. I mean, Jeeps by there nature, are often abused. Many I looked at online before buying mine, looked great in the pics but were total trash when I got up close.

Regarding the oil changes, are you going by carfax report as to when it was done? There is the possibility that the owner(s) did them himself in a timely manner. I do several of my cars myself but I keep receipts with the owners manual. I'd expect the same from the seller.

DanB13JKU

Another possibility to consider, especially if no rust is noticed elsewhere on the Jeep, is that the component has been replaced as a result of a collision. Some poor quality aftermarket parts Iack proper corrosion protection and wouldn’t take long to develop surface rust.

I would be very hesitant to buy without having the ability to inspect it myself, or at the very least arrange for an inspection company to perform a thorough condition report. There are companies that will complete one - for a fee of course - that can give you a better idea of what you’re getting. If that isn’t an option, maybe someone on the forum who lives close by can put eyes on it for you.

Personally, rust is one of the deal-killers for me, just like any significant collision damage (structural damage for sure), or previous rental history. It took a while to find my current JKU, but in the end it was worth it.

Miedziany

Thank you from all the answers. To better describe my situation, I will say that I am from Europe and can only rely on the photos I received. Hence, I am looking for every disturbing detail.

In addition: the car was bought in El Paso, then used in Odessa and the second owner was from Dallas, where the car was serviced the rest of the time - so in theory there should be no problem with rust. The car is Accident Free according to CARFAX. To sum up: the rust on this bar and one missing oil change record is not a deal-breaker for me, but it raised my suspicion.

As you said - maybe the first owner may have changed the oil personally, which is why it is not recorded in the system. But who knows... The second owner changed the oil regularly, so "only" the first change (the most important in my opinion) may have been delayed.

I will send you DM

DanB13JKU

Unfortunately, CarFax and AutoCheck are not completely reliable, either to indicate something did or didn’t happen. The “missing” oil change could have been done but was not reported, and the “no accident” history could be clean for the same reason…not reported. They are simply one tool you can use to make a decision, but shouldn’t be considered a complete and accurate history because a lot of shops don’t report the maintenance or repairs that were completed. Accident reports to police agencies can make it into the histories, but with so many understaffed departments not responding to collisions unless there are serious injuries, that can’t even be relied on.

Personally, the only things I trust on CarFax or AutoCheck are the number of owners (even that can be off sometimes), the type of owner (rental, private, lease, etc.), and where it has been registered (I avoid anything from rust-prone areas). Having worked at an auto auction for over nine years, most of that time doing inspections, I saw a large number of vehicles with previous accident damage - some severe/structural - that had “clean” histories, so a lack of any information there means nothing to me.