Advice: Yaris MK3 2017 (1.5L Auto Petrol)/Approved Used?

[PO_KING]

Hello,

I am looking for my first car in the UK. I narrowed down a few Japanese cars and decided to go for Toyota Yaris 3rd Gen (2017 model) with updated engine 1.5L Petrol AUTO. I want a reliable and trouble free car 🤣.

I have been to several Toyota main dealership and seen a few approved-used cars, I am quite puzzled why does in most cases the suspension/spring/lower arms of the cars to some extend has rust at that domain (looking at the wheel arches area and beyond the alloy rim). Is there a high possibility of finding a rust free car in the UK? That brought me to the following questions: 

• Does the rust on the suspension/spring/lower arm acceptable? If I were to drive it say for another 5 years/50000 miles (are they going to cause me massive issue?)
• I believe it is generally safe to buy from an approved used-Toyota? 

I am being very careful with my selection as I noticed an 'official' dealership has a unit in which the car was serviced by independent garage by previous owner (the maintenance stamp showing interval of 15000+ miles! - SHARP EYE), he was convincing me that he verified that they are using official Toyota recommended parts when doing servicing therefore warranty is rolling. Definitely this unit isn't the one I am going to go for since servicing beyond 10000 miles will cause the engine oil to degrade terribly and erode the engine/metal parts. 

However, I believe by doing a proper due diligence, I ought to find a unit that give me peace of mind.

Does anyone has experience dealing with main dealer? What is your general experience? 

Thanks.
PO_KING

[Bper]

Hi PO_KING,

An element of rust, whilst not desirable can be found on many cars in wheel areas due to salt from the roads which play a big part. Regular car washing and maintenance obviously helps to remove many of the contaminants that can lead to rust.

Would driving the car for another 5 years cause a major issue? that is difficult to answer as it isn't just rust that can lead to any shock or spring failures. If it's surface rust it can be wire brushed off and protective coated that can last for many years.

You have mentioned your due diligence which is evident by your observation of the wheels along with the higher recommended mileage service intervals. Regarding experience with Toyota main dealers, this will vary according to each individual and their reasons for complaint or praise. This has been discussed many times in posts on this forum.

My own experience so far has been positive and the car sales process and condition when purchased was very much in line with what I expected. However, this was based on the way we had been treated and any questions were answered and backed up with paperwork etc.,

MOT's and service histories along with receipts and warranty are key elements in the buying process but it's the look and feel of the car you get from a test drive that influences the final decision. There always has to be a realistic expectation when buying a 6 or 7 year old car, it is not brand new and will by its age not be perfect.

Individual budget will play a key part in the process but so will the knowledge that additional money will be needed to add any enhancement if wanted and for future maintenance.

Of course it is possible to buy a rust free car in the UK but it depends on how it's been looked after.

Buying a used vehicle from a Toyota main dealer should generally be a positive experience. But personally, I would check a dealer's reviews before viewing.

 

[TonyHSD]

Hi and welcome. 
Dealing with main dealers is hit and miss. Some are good , some are terrible, worse than buying a salvage car from car auction. Never trust them or their cars. Do thoroughly check the car yourself. 
For the rust on black metal parts there is nothing to worry unless excessive, in the picture there is typical corrosion and not an issue. Look for corrosion on body panels and chassis, these are the one who cause most trouble. Rust free cars in uk are rarely available and these are cars that never been used on motorways during winter and registered away from sea towns. They usually have clean engine bays and undercarriage. 
For the warranty as long as you service the car in the main dealer you will get another year or 10k miles relax warranty. 
Regards 

[Cyker]

As above - The Toyota branding doesn't mean anything, you have to judge each dealer individually. Check the car as you would if buying from a backstreet garage - The whole Used Approved thing is not a guarantee of quality or that the car has been checked for faults, it just means the car's been serviced in the Toyota network.

Rust-free is tricky on a Yaris - Even my Mk4 has got rust on bits of it and I've only had it 3 years! The important thing is to check if it's surface rust or structural; I like to poke things with a screwdriver, but most car salesman won't let you do that  

 

[MikeSh]

15 hours ago, PO_KING said:

Does the rust on the suspension/spring/lower arm acceptable? If I were to drive it say for another 5 years/50000 miles (are they going to cause me massive issue?)

As others have said, that's hard to answer. You don't say what mileage this car has, so if it's high you might be replacing that strut anyway before the rust kills it. Either way it isn't a massive problem as it's basically a bolted in part.

What would be more difficult is where the body rusts at the mounting points, like at the top. (I don't know if the Yaris is prone - it was a common problem with quite a few cars in the past.) That can be quite a job to fix properly. (My Carina failed an MOT at about 15yo and 250k because this happened at the top of the back wheel-arches where the springs attached. The cost of fixing it would have far exceeded the value of the car, so sadly that was the end of it.)

I've just had a look at my 2018's struts and there is no sign of any rust in the location of your photo, but it only has about 23,000 miles on it, so may not be typical.

[Max_Headroom]

Quote

Does the rust on the suspension/spring/lower arm acceptable? If I were to drive it say for another 5 years/50000 miles (are they going to cause me massive issue?)

Its not going to cause an issue as it'll fail its MOT long before it can become an issue, the rest of the car looks rock solid which is good news.

[PO_KING]

Dear all,

I am so sorry for replying to you all late. I have been fairly busy with work, travel + etc. 

I appreciate your suggestions/views/comments. They are very valuable to me.

I have gotten a 2006 Toyota Yaris MMT Auto 😂 Gen 2 (2006-2011). 87200 miles approx (from a car seller in a village close to Leicestershire England. This Yaris has been my transporter for going to Waitrose (since it has free parking) to get my groceries 😂. 

• Dealing with main dealers is hit and miss. Some are good , some are terrible, worse than buying a salvage car from car auction. Never trust them or their cars.
  
  I TOTALLY agree with this point, especially "Never trust them or their cars" 😂 🤨. I have been doing a lot of 'home-work: ANALYSIS' on getting an Approved Used,  I gave up in the end  😂.
  
  I have probably spent 150 quids travelling around the UK  (bonus: seeing some nice English towns 😎) to seek the right cars from dealers  😂 but also gained a lot of experience, especially dealing with those Salesmen NARRATIVE. 
   
• Rust-free is tricky on a Yaris - Even my Mk4 has got rust on bits of it and I've only had it 3 years! The important thing is to check if it's surface rust or structural; I like to poke things with a screwdriver, but most car salesman won't let you do that 
  
  Haha, what I did was I took a few pieces of cardboard and visited an Approved-Toyota in South Yorkshire and viewed the car bodies from underneath like a mechanic 😂. It was a great experience for me. 
   
• You don't say what mileage this car has, so if it's high you might be replacing that strut anyway before the rust kills it. 
  
  YARIS Attempt A: 
  My bad! It is 47214 miles! 1.5L Gen 3 Yaris. Long story short: I didn't go for this one although it has a fairly updated engine 2017 model (also has a better gearbox and hill-assist), the salesmen told me that this car is going to be GONE SOON! A lady from LONDON is interested but until early January 2024, the car was still there 😒 .
  Summary of Issue: Unusual amount of rust, and cosmetic issues at the rear. 
   
• I've just had a look at my 2018's struts and there is no sign of any rust in the location of your photo, but it only has about 23,000 miles on it, so may not be typical.
  
  Thanks, I agree! I made surveys of the Yaris from approved used dealers, looking at a range of Yaris. The amount of rust is too much for the first 2017 model. 
  
  So basically how I ended up with the 2006 Yaris was: 
  
  Yaris Attempt B (Approved, North West)
  
  The Yaris is somewhere in Liverpool location. So I contacted the Toyota main dealer to get the photos and asked him to supply me with photos near the wheel arches overlooking the struts. I found out that there was something very bad with the wheels. The front and rear left wheels have UNEVEN wearing signs compared to the right side. And I raised this concern before planning to make my trip. I was told that if the in-house mechanics found nothing wrong with the suspension/struts etc, nothing would be replaced. But they are happy to replace the car with new tyres (if it is less than I believe 1.5 mm? I couldn't remember). Upon looking at the MOT history of the car, I found something sinister, the car although has 5 TOYOTA stamps has a 'MOT flag red' saying it has some issue with the side suspension during one of the inspections. That raised concern for me as to why this wasn't rectified during all 5 Toyota services. I believe this is the MAJOR factor for the tyres to wear out unevenly. As such I steered away from this DEALER. 
  
  YARIS Attempt C (Approved, North West) 
  
  - The salesman told me, he would send me the photos if the deal is off with another customer 
  - After 1 week, he asked if I was still interested in Yaris and he has something equivalent 😂
  
  YARIS Attempt D (Approved, the dealer somewhere near Cambridge/Oxford I can't remember)
• Radical sales tactics 
• The dealer called me 3/4 times in a month to sell me a YARIS! 
• Same narrative, the car is going to be gone soon! Act fast! 
• At first, he promised to send me a video/photos but did it after the car was sold and removed from the Toyota website. 
• He phoned me if I was looking for a specific colour or feature with the Yaris 🤨
• Why am I interested in this specific 2017 Yaris, what is my expected price range 🤨
• The whole conversations were almost like market research in understanding my purchasing habit 🤨
  
  YARIS Attempt E (Wales)
  I am also very close to purchasing a 2012/2013/2014 Yaris Trend automatic with the Multi-SDrive Gearbox but the car was sold before I made any visit. 
  
  YARIS Attempt F (Leeds)
  Another Used Yaris located in Leeds was sold by an independent dealer, the car was stored in the backyard and just arrived. OMG a big dent on the bumper, I left the place afterwards. But I was told a new bumper will be replaced. He gave me all the time in this world to inspect it myself, apparently, the front bonnet can't be opened after I pull the LEVER. I left Leeds. 
  
  Overall, I am quite happy with my 2006 YARIS, the only challenge is it doesn't come with hill-assist. So driving in Sheffield will be a bit more challenging and I have to get used to it. It tends to roll back more regularly unless you control the accelerator better or apply hand brakes. I hope it won't give me any issues anytime soon 🤣. 
  
  I hope to get a newer model in the future when I begin to drive more often and live further away from my workplace. Apparently, the infotainment for YARIS in 2024 (refresh) looks great. 
  
  What is great about the Yaris: 
  - Side parking is easy 
  - Can go through tight spaces
  
  What is a not-so-great about the 2006-Yaris:
  - The MMT robotic gearbox, feels a bit jerky sometimes when trying to get out of roundabouts. But I hope I get used to it. 
  
  Regards,
  PO