LX570 west coast rust?

[mattyokan]

I just bought a 2019 LX570 with 60k miles which was previously owned by someone who lived in Pacifica, CA. My history from the Midwest has led me to see a slight amount of corrosion and I am immediately getting brought back to my painful memories with the challenges I faced owning a rusty 100 series.

I was very reassured when I pulled the spare tire carrier down, this really does seem perfect other than some light surface corrosion on the front suspension components, recovery points, and on the hood latch/rear bumper bolts. To people with more experience than me, does this look like you'd expect for a vehicle that spent a few years directly in coastal fog, or does this seem more like a vehicle that spent winters in the mountains? Anything I should do here, or just enjoy my vehicle and not worry about it? I'm in San Francisco, but not directly on the coast, and my vehicle is parked in a backyard behind a garage that's mostly insulated from fog.

 

[mattyokan]

few more photos

 

[HighRanch]

Pacifica, CA is on the coast, and this truck could have been exposed to sea spray and high-salt moisture.
Just guessing this could be a possibility.

 

[mattyokan]

Pacifica, CA is on the coast, and this truck could have been exposed to sea spray and high-salt moisture.
Just guessing this could be a possibility.

Yeah, it’s interesting because it’s pretty much exclusively these exposed points at the front, and the two bolts underneath the rear bumper. I didn’t put this on a lift but I did lower the spare tire and climb underneath the vehicle, and everything else looks pretty much untouched/zero rust.

I guess what I’m wondering is if I should spray some fluid film on these recovery points/control arms or whether that’s just a waste of time.

 

[stonepa]

My 200 spends most of its time within a mile of the ocean and Arizona. I fluid filmed my truck religiously for the first 3 years and now just touch up in high wash areas like the front tow hooks, skid plates, and rear frame member. My experience is most states now use salt in areas with snow and ice, even states that traditionally did not in the past like Utah and Colorado. Even here in Washington I have seen road salt out east.

 

[dudemancool1904]

Shoot the tow hooks with some rust inhibiting paint,
Maybe the check tow hitch under the plastic cover too. Also I like to use the pressure washer want and stick it in the big frame holes (you can pop the square plastic covers off) and let it rip for a few minutes. You’d be amazed at what comes out.

 

[Zill]

It’s almost like this car was driving behind a salt truck while it was spraying down the brine, and they were driving right through the brine mist before it settled.

Thankfully it’s just the front components and those aren’t really a problem child in the rust department. The AHC suspension is really your biggest concern, and that looks clean.

Fluid film the rusty parts, and be on your way. That should stop the rust in its tracks. This looks like a clean rig otherwise.

 

[mattyokan]

Thanks for the extra opinions guys, going to fluid film the frame and the exposed/starting to rust components out of an abundance of caution just to stop whatever might be anywhere in its tracks. Truck is pretty darn clean other than these few spots at the front, it’s weird how it’s basically just the front while the rear portion of the frame/spare tire carrier area/etc is pristine. The idea in my head is maybe this vehicle was left parked facing the coast.