[FMedOH]

I'm in the process of buying a 2012 Yukon XL 2500. It's lived it's life in upstate NY. The inspector noted some rust on the underside of the hood, a corroded alternator, and a broken ground strap. Pictures are attached. Do these seem normal for this age vehicle? Or should I be wary?

 

[RayVoy]

White paint in a rust belt is not a good combo.
Black/dark paint get warm from the winter sun and dries the inner body panels

 

[blackburb]

I would be wary, but I'd also be more concerned with what it looks like underneath. And bottoms of doors (inside on the seams). This looks like a truck that wasn't washed much in winter. Or was close to saltwater.

 

[kennythewelder]

Normal is a relative term. Since it is a truck from up state NY, and it has seen salted roads, then this may be normal to see the rust you have. The issue is how much rust does it have that you can not see. All of this can be treated with a rust inhibitor. When I worked offshore, we used a product called ospho. This stuff works grate, but it is a mild acid. It can be applied with a brush, or even a hand pump spray bottle with proper safety gear. As for the ground strap, it just needs to be replaced.

 

[JackE]

I would be wary because it is rust, but I live in the dry desert. I grew up in Wisconsin, high humidity and lots of salty roads. I don't think that much rust is a problem. I would be way more concerned with the look of that oil. Hopefully it's just the light reflecting weird, but it looks like there is some coolant starting to mix with that oil.

 

[Zak99b5]

I have similar rust on the hood of my 2010 upstate ny suburban.

I'm not worried about it, really. I do know that eventually it will rust through to the exterior. When it gets bad enough, I can buy a replacement hood for under $200 and have it painted.