Rust hole in body near rear axle mount

[grilled cheeseus]

I was talking to someone who had a Yaris ("was a great car!") but he had to get rid of it because rust ate a hole through the body near the rear torsion axle mount, and it wouldn't pass NY state inspection anymore.

Some days later I look under mine ('07 3-door) and it's got the same cancer. Click through for the full-size image. You'll see it's not just the hole, but also a crack going down toward that bolt and up toward that weld.



Had anyone else had an issue like this? If so, how did you deal with it?

Mine has had lots of salt exposure. Probably 10 salty winters, though we've been snowbirding to Arizona the last few. I don't know if the previous owner did any rust-proofing, but I haven't.

I am very fond of this car and I don't want to get rid of it. Maybe I can find a welder who can reinforce this area of the body.

[Desircustoms]

I just discovered that I have the same issue last week, and on both sides... Been doing research on here, and no one seems to have repaired it yet. It is structural, but it should be repairable, as it looks reinforced where the bolt mounts, its the surrounding metal thats weak. Im guessing water pooled at the low points and rotted the metal, probably due to leaks in door/trunk rubber seal, or just poor design...

I haven't taken the carpet out yet, but it seems that that bolt is not accessible from the inside, because there's a bracket covering it.
I'm thinking of cutting the same section from another yaris at the scrapyard, weld around the bolt tap, weld reinforcement plates and most likely add a tubing brace from the driver to the passenger side under the car... What annoys me is I'll have to work from under all along...

Either way i'm not scrapping it soon, i'll just keep it as parts car or a gutted interior project car.

[IndestructibleYaris]

16 gauge sheet metal and an experienced welder or body r guy