Used 2001 Forester S with Rust under Hood?

[Guest]

I'm looking at a used (37 K Corporate Lease vehicle aquired at Manheim)
Forester S. The vehicle seems to
check out except for a curious amount of rust on bolt heads in the engine
compartment, some rust around the fuel pipe at the gas cap, and some white
oxidation around the key ignition in the passanger compartment. These just
struck me as odd. Are these red flags? Anything else I should look for in
this vehicle?

According to Carfax, the car was registered in NJ, so it was subject to road
salt.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[ed]

Living in Canada, I continue to be amazed at the places where I see evidence
of salt in a vehicle. Even the salt you track into the car can get under the
dash when the heater blows the melted snow\salt vapour around. In your case,
bolts usually have a plating or coating, but these often show signs of rust
rather quickly, but this doesn't do any damage. Rust under the hood could be
normal, or it could be a repair that was not painted as well as the
original. Doesn't mean the car is not worth considering, could have been a
small accident with little damage. Since there is also rust on the fuel
pipe, sounds like normal consequences of salt. If you buy it, you can sand
the spots and apply something like Tremclad on these spots, they aren't
readily visible so appearance is not that important.

Ed B.

 

[John Varela]

According to Carfax, the car was registered in NJ, so it was subject to road
salt.

My wife's '99 Forester L is a low mileage car--only 28,000 miles in over 5
years, including one trip from Virginia to Arizona and Utah and back
again--but an underhood inspection shows no signs of rust anywhere. We do get
snow here in the Washington suburbs. The Subaru is the only car we drive when
there's snow on the road (we're retired so have our choice whether or not to
go out when it snows) and it's got salt all over it even as I write.

 

[Skweezieweezie]

My 2002 LLBean has rust on a bolt that holds
the intake air scoop onto the radiator core support.
I thought it was odd that it is only on this bolt, and
not on any other that are lower on the car's body.

The aluminum parts underneath the car have the
characteristic white coating from contact with
road salt.