MajorCommonBody & Rust

Toyota Probox: Underbody, wheel-arch and tailgate corrosion on hard-worked coastal examples

Underbody, wheel-arch and tailgate corrosion on hard-worked coastal examples is a common body & rust fault on the Toyota Probox on the 2002 onward cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs ≈A$280 to ≈A$2,300 at independent workshop rates, shown as an approximate guide in Australian dollars. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 6 documented faults on the Toyota Probox.

Vehicle: Toyota Probox
Years: 2002 onward
System: Body & Rust

This page covers the Toyota Probox as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Probox faults6 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Body corrosion yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The Probox/Succeed is a bare-bones commercial vehicle with basic underbody protection, so on high-mileage examples that have lived a working life in Australia's damp, coastal, salt-air conditions, rust is a real inspection item rather than a cosmetic afterthought. Owner and buyer guides flag paint peeling and rust forming in the wheel arches, along the sills and across the undercarriage, worsening quickly where there is no undercoating and in coastal areas. On a van used for deliveries or rural work the load floor, tailgate and rear arches take the most abuse. There is no rust-related recall for this model; severity ranges from surface bubbling to structural rot that can fail a roadworthy, so inspect thoroughly.

What you would notice

Paint bubbling or blistering along wheel arches, sills and lower doors
Flaking surface rust or scaling on the undercarriage and subframe areas
Rust around the tailgate, load-floor edges and rear arches on vans
Brown staining or holes visible when the underbody is inspected on a hoist

How to check it

Where to look. Wheel arches, sills, lower doors, tailgate, load floor and underbody

Inspect the wheel arches, sills, floor edges, tailgate and the full underbody, ideally on a hoist, pressing suspect areas to check whether rust is surface-only or has gone structural.
Pay extra attention to coastal-region cars and any without evidence of underbody protection.
Check that the car will pass a roadworthy, as structural corrosion in load-bearing areas is a roadworthy failure.

Parts involved: Body corrosion.

What it costs to put right

≈A$280 to ≈A$2,300 at independent workshop rates, shown as an approximate guide in Australian dollars. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, converted to Australian dollars, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the car spent its life near the coast or on rural/gravel work?”
“Has any rust repair or underbody protection been done?”
“When did it last pass a roadworthy, and were any corrosion advisories noted?”
“Can I put it on a hoist to inspect the underbody?”

Now check the Toyota Probox you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car still has money owing on it, has been written off or reported stolen, what kms it showed in past sale ads, whether it has had accident repair claims and what it is worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate and its state for the A$17.90 Vehicle Check, or the full history from A$24.99.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

carinterior.alibaba.com Toyota Probox reliability buying guide: rust appears quickly without undercoating, inspect rust in wheel arches and undercarriage especially in coastal areas
xinshangmetal.com 'What are the common problems with Toyota Probox': paint peeling and rust formation noted as body issues
moneysense.ca / grangerwarranty.com coverage of Toyota underbody corrosion susceptibility in salt/wet conditions

Toyota Probox buyer questions

Is underbody, wheel-arch and tailgate corrosion on hard-worked coastal examples serious on a Toyota Probox?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Probox. The Probox/Succeed is a bare-bones commercial vehicle with basic underbody protection, so on high-mileage examples that have lived a working life in Australia's damp, coastal, salt-air conditions, rust is a real inspection item rather than a cosmetic afterthought. Owner and buyer guides flag paint peeling and rust forming in the wheel arches, along the sills and across the undercarriage, worsening quickly where there is no undercoating and in coastal areas. On a van used for deliveries or rural work the load floor, tailgate and rear arches take the most abuse. There is no rust-related recall for this model; severity ranges from surface bubbling to structural rot that can fail a roadworthy, so inspect thoroughly.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Probox?

≈A$280 to ≈A$2,300 at independent workshop rates, shown as an approximate guide in Australian dollars. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Toyota Probox years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2002 onward Toyota Probox. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Inspect the wheel arches, sills, floor edges, tailgate and the full underbody, ideally on a hoist, pressing suspect areas to check whether rust is surface-only or has gone structural. Pay extra attention to coastal-region cars and any without evidence of underbody protection. Check that the car will pass a roadworthy, as structural corrosion in load-bearing areas is a roadworthy failure. Look here: Wheel arches, sills, lower doors, tailgate, load floor and underbody