Found a good looking 99 that I'm interested in getting for my son as his first vehicle. I've read the buyers guide on this forum and I asked all those questions to the owner who has owned the vehicle as 3rd owner for the last 3 years.

• Stated that it's driving fine
• Does not know when the timing belt was last changed
• Does not know if the radiator has ever been changes (pink milkshake}
• Claims it's in great shape and it appears to be
• Has kept up the maintenance as far as oil changes go

I'm concerned with the mileage. What would you guys do? Buy or pass?

It only takes one “bad” Mike to make it a risky purchase.

Any vehicle with 250,000 miles has the potential for mechanical issues. Considering that a lot of people get 300,000 miles out of these trucks without any problems, I’d say that it could be worth it...especially if your son has any interest in turning a wrench.

I’d just plan on replacing the radiator and doing a timing belt service if you get it. Those items are relatively cheap and could be knocked out at the same time.

Let me start by tellin ya the story of my trusty red pearl, a rig me eyes had quite the fancy for back in the the days the sand shone gold and the sea was blue as the sky...

I found me-self a rig on the ol' Craiggy, which was described to me very similar as yours to you.
Except one thing- the ad stated the '00 SR5 was tipping the clock at aboot 178k.
I get there, look it over, in great shape, he gave me the key... "Go take it for a spin", he clammered.
I turn the key, look at the trusty dash- turns out she had 278k on the clock instead!
He claimed he made a mistake on the ad, he knew it was almost 300.
But I drove it around anyways, she ran like a champ- fluids were clean, everything was tight (except me rear shocks).
So we made a deal almost 1k under his plunderin price for the mileage difference, and for a bit of rust.
I drove that beaut for almost three years, up to almost 320k, by just changing the oil and feeding her gas (20mpg) and only upgraded to the Iceberg because the rust had taken her to the depths of the black sea, beyond my level of repair.

All I be tryin to say, I personally wouldn't look past a higher mileage 3rd gen - they can sometimes be the most trouble-free, broken-in ships that have a place on the sea to serve their captains.
And, a side bonus, by starting out with the mighty 4Plunder, your son will hopefully find the forums here and be welcomed by the awesome community that surrounds these rigs

Whoofta, not sure what pirate ghost climbed inside of me there, but, there ya have it! As long as the frame is in good shape, it drives smooth, and the previous owner has decent records of it's life, and it's in your price range off course, I'd say go for it!

I currently have that vehicle, owned past 12yrs..290k...whats been said is correct. My 1st concern would be rust, if not a major issue..replace timing belt, water pump and radiator. Great vehicle to learn on and is dependable. The other day a guy one for sale, needed tires, but nice for 3 grand. It was too close to what I drive to have bought the car.

if the price is right and you trust it was taken care of in its prior lives, it's not a problem at all. i imagine the three POs will make it a little harder to verify the later though.

I would say check the vehicle history as best you can and check fluids and look for some of the usual BS that the owner might try to pull. Such as; spray paint covering rust or other damage, mismatching parts or part colors that might have been due to damage, etc.

I bought my 98 last year with 275k on the clock, and while I knew to some extent what to expect with a truck that old, the seller was not totally honest and deserves to be shot in the foot. So do your homework and just be careful.

I just bought a '02 with 200k miles, so I feel your concern. As others have said, the miles aren't as important on these vehicles as the condition. People regularly get 400k+ miles on a 3rd gen T4R, if they're taken care of. You're doing the right thing by reading the buyers guide and learning how to spot the common issues. Have a mechanic check it out if you can.

Mine had a couple of known issues, namely the brakes and tires need to be replaced. I ended up paying $4700 Canadian ($3500 USD) for it, which left me some room in my budget for the repairs, getting all the fluids, filters and belts checked or replaced, and I'll probably run Sea Foam through it. I expect to be all in at around $7k CAD (5200USD) with a solid vehicle that'll last another couple hundred k miles.

What's the price? If you don't mind me asking. 250k mile, 20 year old truck with a gasoline motor is going to be a tired rig despite that mythical Toyota badge.

The suspension, frame and steering will need attention before the engine does. Check those first, engines are simple enough to repair.

$8000 is the price.

I have a customer who bought a 2000 Avalon with 349k on it last year off a guy who came in looking to sell it because after 18 years and almost 350k he had to replace the alternator and didn't trust it anymore. She paid $600 for it and recently told me it has 363k on it now and she loves it, one of the best cars she's ever owned. I have so many Toyota owning customer's with 200k to 400k on their vehicles that I lost count. I can think of no other vehicle as long lived other that Chevy Silverados and Dodge Cummins. (if you don't count all the ball joints and wheel bearings, etc) If the price is right and the rust is minimal I say don't worry about the mileage.

So what does true end of life look like for a 4runner? What finally breaks to the point that you scrap it?

Yikes! That's about 3,000 too much for that mileage. Guy must think he owns a unicorn.

4Runners usually die by vehicle accidents or frame rust.

$8k?????? That's steep for the midwest- not sure exactly how they are down by you, but to put it in perspective, both of my 4runners were less than $2500 a piece. Even if it was in pristine condition, I would drop more than $5k on the runner with that kind of mileage. I've seen ones go for $7-8k when they are under or around 100k on the clock in great condition...

$8,000 is way too much for that mileage unless it was immaculate with a 1.5" thick folder of every maintenance record and even then its probably too much.

As others have said, these trucks can last a very, VERY long time if they are taken care of. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a high mileage (200k+ miles) Toyota if it was taken care of and had good maintenance records.

In the end, buying ANY used vehicle there is always some degree of risk.