That plastic panel warps and does that. I think there's a clip right under the spot where it's up too high, so that might be broken.

Actually, I think it was somewhat warped on my 2000 back when I bought it new. Mine looked just like that - Imperial Jade Mica Limited with the locker. That might be it

Fender bender? Maybe he took it off and couldn't align it?

Give it a good look through in that area and look for any other crushed or bent parts of the support or frame

Carfax?

I know I finally have enough money saved to buy one. I have a 2nd gen but it really has a hard time pulling my boat 3.slow. Figured the 3rd gen would be a lot better on gas and do better pulling the boat. E-locker would be a plus.

IF you PM me the VIN and an email address I can run the carfax for you

Ill try and get it from him. Thanks

don't think carfax will show the bumper with this one if it had been in a bit of a bump up, carfax only shows things if reported to insurance or the police, if reported to insurance it would have been fixed...presumably....that said, i'd check the backside of bumper for damage and if it's good knock him down a few hundred more and go out and buy and arb or addicted off road bumper or the likes to replace it.

i apply all the same rules to buying a used car regardless of brand,
all of the usual stuff, everything works, no noises, drives and handles well.

beyond that check teh spot where it's parked make sure it's dry, check for seepage at any drive or power train joint, check for signs of rust, check insides of doors,fenders ect ect for over spray and alignment, find all of the vin numbers and make sure they match, check tires for dates and condition, look for uneven paint across the entire car.

mechanically speaking, leak down test and compression test, get someone to drop the trans pan and check for condition, and check fluids in all systems.

so those are the extra things i do not usually listed in most used car buyer guides.

this guide covers most the basics and you can print it out incase you forget a few things, i usually bring it with me as it makes it harder for the salesman to distract me and provides a pretty good visual reference for them when you start beating them up on price as you can show them all of the issues..just know when to stop when haggling and going down the list...
Checklist and Worksheet for Inspecting Used Cars Before You Buy at DMV.org: The DMV Made Simple

A clean carfax history does not PROVE anything ...

My 4Runner has been in 2 -minor- accidents with > $3000 in damages (new front hoot, fenders, bumpers, lights) and it has a 100% clean carfax.

The hood is probably faded because 5 years ago the vehicle was in a (maybe minor) accident and reconstructive paint jobs don't last as long as the original paint job.

My hood is slightly faded as well. It was repainted black about 5 years ago.

Clean Carfax doesn't do much , but when it does pick something up it sure does help. Not saying you should or shouldn't buy solely based of carfax but it has its benefits.

Well guys im a proud owner of a 3rd gen. Thank you sooo much for your help. I pulled the trigger on the Green one. It has minimal rust for being a northern vehicle mainly the spare tire is rusted. All fluids looked good. I test drove and dogged the crap out of it. It shifted fine. 4x4 works tested it on some gravel.

Pros.
Interior is immaculate
1. Under the hood looks spotless a little leak from the valve covers(Toyota mechanic bolts might need tightening)
2. No leaks from the drivetrain and the fluids looked good.
4x4 works
3. Motor is strong (I am coming from a 2nd gen though lol)

Cons
1. Like I said minimal rust but it is rust.
2. Front Bumper top is a little warped
3. Diff lock wont lock (Talked to a 20 year Toyota mechanic he said the solenoids stick because no one uses the diff lock ever and it seizes) My dads Tacoma is the same way.
4. Rim paint is peeling a little bit.
5. Possible con. The truck does have an aftermarket Tranny Cooler so im not sure if pink milkshake happened. It is bypassing the Tranny. So maybe one of the previous owners was smart and did this mod before it happened. (It shifted fine for the 10 mile test drive)

Congrats! The most important thing is that you got the green one ;)

I settled for beige, but her condition and great attitude eventually made me colorblind.

Also considering one, this is helpful. The one i am looking at has 150K, but asking is $8900. SO based on that your price seems fair.

When you say 'check timing belt yourself', how do you do that if there is no service sticker? I'm looking at a '96 tomorrow and plan on taking out the 4 upper cover bolts so I can pull the top of the cover back enough to see the belt and look for cracks...is this what you mean?

Thanks!

After work today, convinced a coworker and his son to tow home my new purchase, my first ever Toyota 4 runner. It is in nice condition, E-locker, Limited model with most of the options. 1997 year, V6 with no compression, thus won't start (timing problem?) - the downside; the upside was the price, $350.00. I am very happy to have it setting next to the barn. Can not wait to tear into it, to see what broke, for the previous owner. He just had new head gaskets and timing replaced a few thousand miles ago. I have owned a Celica convertible previously, and currently have two RAV4s that my wife and I purchased new, and waited a month for them to be delivered from Japan. I just know that I will enjoy this 4Runner, when I get it back on the road.

It's worth noting that this post was from 2013... I think prices have definitely gone up since then.

Your price seems to be in the ballpark for that mileage for today's pricing though. I say that with some confidence because I've been scouring AutoTrader with nationwide search for 99-02 Highlander/Sport trims.

Some on eBay go for considerably more if they've got lower miles or have been 'restored'. (There's a Limited on eBay right now with bids over $22k... it's a really clean example with 23k miles on it.)

I just bought my first 4runner about 2 weeks ago, 2001 SR5 with 216k miles and I only paid $2000 for it. Granted the clear coat on the hood and roof are peeling and the inside was kinda thrashed but I didn’t tell the seller I was a detailer ;)

If this site would allow me to post pics I would maybe because I’m so new?