I've been looking at older Silverado 2500s. I've ran into 2 trucks with rusty frames and I don't mean surface rust, I mean scaly rust. The first truck was a 2003. It sat on a local lot for a while and when I came back to look at it, the dealer sprayed the frame with undercoating and it sold soon after. The 2001 I looked at today had moderate rust on the entire frame and it looked worse near the back cross-supports. It looked like that dealer also replace the rear bumper and it appeared to have a new, but undersized 5,000 hitch on it. Are rusty frames common with the early 2000 GMs or could they have just come from northern states that salt their roads more often?

I own 2 2000 trucks, and are pretty clean. Suburban has 200,000 miles, and GMC sierra has 280,000. Im sure there is plenty clean ones and a few rusty ones depending on where parked and if ever cleaned and underbelly washed

Probably depends on road salt use in the area where the truck was driven. I'd guess that it might be used in Mo. A quick check on Google confirms that.BK

Its called lack of proper maintenance.

I've seen trucks rust so bad the welds rot away. These are usualy on trucks that sit outside on dirt/gravel quite a bit! All that moisture just wicks up into everything! The other important thing to check are the brake and fuel lines.

I own a 1998 silverado live on the coast not a speck of rust on any of it. 178000 miles. Everything on the coast rusts even stainless so there you go.

rusty frames common on older Silverados? | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

wintersun
Explorer II
May 17, 2014
The rust on the frame is the rust that you can see and I would be more concerned about the rust that is hidden. There may be raised up areas on the body that indicate rust below the paint or under the door sills and other areas and these are not going to cause any structural problems but are expensive to repair if looks are important.

My trucks from immersion in the ocean with a boat trailer would rust up under the frame but the only area damaged was the emergency brakes and so I would have brake work done every year as a result.
Nomadac
Explorer
May 17, 2014
I have a 2001 Chevy 2500 Suburban with just minor rust on the frame. It sits under a vinyl carport, with a vapor barrier and pea gravel, all year long.
Passin_Thru
Explorer
May 17, 2014
Toyota had a recall of pickups to replace rotted frames. My brother had a Ford pickup and the engine mounts rotted through my 2006 2500HD has rust under each door. It's actually caused by Grease Worms!
fireman41
Explorer
May 17, 2014
If you think the frame looks bad just take a close look at the brake and gas lines.
gbopp
Explorer
May 17, 2014
I live in Pennsylvania and have a 97 Suburban. The roads are salted every winter.

There is surface rust on the frame and other components. But, nothing like you are describing.

I would walk away from the rusty Silverados you are looking at and continue your search.....at a different dealer.
downtheroad
Explorer
May 17, 2014
It's not a GM "thing." It's a local road condition thing...
Where I live they don't salt the roads in the winter.
Majja13
Explorer
May 17, 2014
My 2000 has no rust on the frame either.
Cobra21
Explorer
May 17, 2014
I have a 1993 Suburban in Minn. The frame looks great, the body not so.
diazr2
Explorer
May 17, 2014
I own a 1998 silverado live on the coast not a speck of rust on any of it. 178000 miles. Everything on the coast rusts even stainless so there you go.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
May 17, 2014
I've seen trucks rust so bad the welds rot away. These are usualy on trucks that sit outside on dirt/gravel quite a bit! All that moisture just wicks up into everything! The other important thing to check are the brake and fuel lines.

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rusty frames common on older Silverados?

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