KS2002 Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Hello, Is it common for the rotors to look rusty and for the interior hinges on the inside of the back lift gate to have some corrosion? Also, the back silver plate that says Journey looks corroded. We are going to pass in this 2013 used model, but we're curious what to expect/look for while car shopping. (I posted similar questions on my welcome thread, but it got a bit buried. So, I thought I would try here.) Thanks for your advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 The rotors might accumulate some light rust, if sitting too long. The interior hinges should NOT have any rust. The JOURNEY is chrome plated plastic, and I have seen some lose their luster. Very easy to replace. Use dental floss to remove the old one and stick on a new one. This would not be a deal breaker for me, but I do not like the idea of rust on the liftgate hinges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfurth Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 (edited) Rotors are (in their most basic form) a 20-ish pound piece of cast iron. They rust pretty quickly. If you've got a vehicle with alloy rims, look at the rotors the night after a good rain - you will see evidence or rust from just one night on the surface of the rotors. It's fine - the brake pads will polish that away after a stop or two. The hinges on any vehicle should be painted. Any metal-on-metal contact point is going to wear the paint away. If the part doesn't move and has no paint on it, then that is a sign of an incomplete repair and it will rust.. The only reason to have the hinges on the lift gate re-installed is damage to the tail end of the vehicle. That (likely) means frame damage. If not frame, then a replaced rear hatch (which is plastic, so it's not like it can bend back into shape). Edited June 25, 2015 by bfurth rolly, jkeaton and dhh3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS2002 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 I'm not sure exactly what to call the hinges. It looks like some fluid may have leaked out or they were over oiled? I'm not sure how to explain it, but it's the part that you see inside the glass on the back lift gate. It had quite a bit of build up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Are you referring to the black struts that hold the liftgate up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfurth Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 You mean the liftgate supports? The metal arm that slides in and out of the piston is showing signs of rust and you see oil on the exterior? Yeah, the seals on those supports can fail. They would look similar to a failed strut, mainly because the internal components are pretty much the same thing. The hinge (there are 2) is part 05074292AB - they are bolted onto the top of the body and the tailgate. They should be painted the same color as the vehicle, and the paint should have no gaps, and you should NEVER see rust on them. If you do, something likely very bad has happened to your vehicle. The lift supports is part 68101213AA - they are the black/silver supports on either side of the liftgate and allow the average human to open and close the door without breaking a sweat, not to mention hold the door open instead of closing on your head. They can fail due to age or poor assembly - it's a moving part, so it will probably wear out eventually. The OEM part is $40/support. They just bolt into place on the edges of door jamb and the outside edge of the liftgate. jkeaton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS2002 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 I believe I'm referring to the lift struts that hold the lift gate up without bashing a person in the head. :-) They looked corroded and rusty in color. There is a lot of build up of something on them. Should this be normal for a 2013 model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfurth Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 I believe I'm referring to the lift struts that hold the lift gate up without bashing a person in the head. :-) They looked corroded and rusty in color. There is a lot of build up of something on them. Should this be normal for a 2013 model? Probably not. Something caused them to fail - extreme temperature (in and of itself, not necessarily a bad thing) could do it, but so could poor construction. When you make a few hundred thousand of something, a few of them are bound to be junk. A 2013, depending on build date and mileage, should still be under its 36,000 mile warranty. Those struts might be covered by that, assuming that warranty is still in effect. I know you're still talking about that used car you were looking at. For your sake, don't buy it. You've got some issues you've noticed with it that would be deal breakers for a lot of people. Take your time and find a good, well taken care of, vehicle. That one wasn't well taken care of. KS2002 and rolly 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS2002 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Bfurth...I agree with you. Something doesn't feel right, but they keep trying to explain it away. They said the rear bumper license plate imprint is because it rolled during transportation and not from an accident. I think I would need some proof of that as the autocheck report says accident, but no damage reported. Something isn't right. We will keep looking. I just wanted some advice about their explanations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtsr Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 I believe I'm referring to the lift struts that hold the lift gate up without bashing a person in the head. :-) They looked corroded and rusty in color. There is a lot of build up of something on them. Should this be normal for a 2013 model? Mine is almost 4 yrs old and absolutely no rust anywhere in Ontario winter road salt environment , as I stated previously sea water flood ravished write offs have filled the market place even ending up here for sale by fly by niters. This sounds as if it was filled to the roofline. Walk away or don't complain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 my 2011 door hinge where the paint had rubbed off a a little rust color on the bare metal but no where else. 11journeybama 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS2002 Posted June 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Thank you for the input. I am walking away from this one. We found a gray one that looks to be in excellent condition. As always, we will have it fully inspected before purchase by an outside mechanic. We never made it off the lot for a test drive this time. There was no need. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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