It’s probably a bit hard to be certain just from looking that there’s a fault of that nature with the paint. Sometimes the individual coatings that form what we call paint are hard to see as those individual layers aren’t always obvious and are chemically bonded to each other. But I would say that a paint specialist (such as a panel shop) should be able to judge whether there’s something awry.

If the actual paint is at fault, then the problem becomes a warranty issue with either Toyota (if it’s a genuine tray) or the manufacturer that supplied the tray. That is, of course, if the paint hasn’t been chipped by actually using the vehicle as intended, at which point it would probably be deemed normal wear and tear.

Any time there’s rust on a Toyota LandCruiser from Western Australia, the alarm bells start ringing. And that’s because these vehicles are frequently used by the mining industry and lead very hard – and often very short – working lives. Salt water and acidic conditions in many mines means vehicles can have a very short life expectancy. Toyota works hard to rust-proof its vehicles, but mine work will still often overcome those efforts.

The problem, as you’ve already identified, is that the person you eventually try to sell the vehicle to will be hearing the same alarm bells, and the vehicle may be difficult to on-sell even if the rust is merely superficial. That said, rust around the windows and underneath the car suggests that at the very least, the vehicle needs a close inspection by a specialist, and taking a punt on it doesn’t seem like a great idea to us. Perhaps an independent inspection by the RACWA would be a wise investment. I’d be finding out who the vehicle was previously registered to as a double-check.

Buying from a Toyota dealer should perhaps infer some kind of protection, but bear in mind that in WA, unlike a passenger car less than 10 years old, a commercial vehicle (such as a LandCruiser ute) does not come with any statutory warranty. Ex-mine vehicles are often sold relatively cheaply. Your current experience is why.