[10ga]

First time poster here and have a question about a 4runner I'm looking to buy. I live in east Tennessee and I've found a 1997 Limited 4wheel drive, leather, auto tranny, new tires, paint and exterior is in great condition, it has 224,000 miles and the same owner for the last 10 years. Timing belt was changed 40,000 miles ago and no obvious leaks from the underside. He's asking $5,500 and has offered it to me for $5,000. I think I may be able to get it somewhere between $4500 - $4800.......is this a decent deal or is it too high?

I just sold my 1993 Land Cruiser because I was tired of 10 mpg and I hope I'm not going to get back into the same thing but it looks like most people are getting around 16 mpg in town and 18 - 20 on the hwy, does this sound about right?

I was hoping to find a 4runner with factory rear locker but I've had no luck and probably don't really need it since I never used it on my Land Cruiser.

Thanks for any advice and help..........10ga

[10ga]

Here's a couple pics

[the great him]

well i just got a 97 SR5 back in oct. for 5500, but it had some extras on it, and 205xxx miles and the auto tranny is on its last legs. its not a bad deal but not a good one either. i would be gun shy about the auto tranny with 225K they arent cheep to replace.

[10ga]

What would you say would be a good deal? I like the fact the same guy has owned it for 10 years and has all records on it.

Is the tranny giving a problem pretty much a guarantee or is it hit and miss?

Thanks, I appreciate your input.

[the great him]

the guy who owned my runner before me was a heavy duty diesel mechanic and kept up the maintenance on the truck well. but that still doesn't change the fact that the tranny will fail at some point. its an auto tranny they have a life expectancy(all do)... not sure what it is. my father in-law who is the head tech/shop foreman at a toyota dealer says that 200k+ out of one is fair and that he has only seen one last over 250k with out any major work needing to be done. i personally wouldn't pay more than $4500 for one, sure its got leather and its the limited(that doesn't matter to me) so yeah. as for mine, it came with the brush guard and a set of PIAAs and KCs, as well as a full towing package to include air bags for towing and the brake controller with 7pin. it also had all the records from date of sale. so i knew 95% of the history of the truck.

if you do get it, and im not saying don't get it but just don't be afraid to walk away, take it and flush the tranny, don't just drain it and replace the filter, but take it some where and have it flushed, torque converter and all($95 at the dealer, and they will put the right fluid in it). also do a search for "pink milkshake" in the tech section here on the forum, you will probably want to invest in a external tranny cooler, by-passing the radiator all together and put in a new radiator if its never been replaced. thats just my advice.

but other than that, i love the 4runners, this is my second one(first one is RIP) and i plan on buying another

other than that it looks like a nice clean rig

[Baja Runner]

Depends on where you live, but I would say that is the right price. I would be happy with it for $5k.

I don't think that many miles means the tranny is on its last leg. I mean, they are pretty good. I don't hear about many people having to rebuild them, even with that mileage. Just check the trans fluid and make sure it doesn't smell burnt or have silver particles in it ;)

Does the truck have an rear locker? Just curious.. That is good for resale value.

I bought my 97 with 160k on it last December for $5k but the clear coat is chipping on the roof. I don't really care about it, but the guy who was selling it sold it because of this and brought down the price ;)

[10ga]

Thanks Kid!

$4500 is what I was going to throw back at him and tell him that's my top dollar. I don't know what it is about the area I live in but you can't find a 4Runner at a decent price. I'm seeing tons of them with 250,000 miles and they're wanting $6,500 for them.

I sold my 1993 Land Cruiser for $5,800 and I'm thinking I sold it too cheap looking at what everything else is bringing.

What kind of mpg are you getting? I'm hoping I can get at least 15 in town. I've been driving our Honda Element for the last few weeks and love the fuel milage but I'm tired of driving a box on wheels.

[10ga]

Originally Posted by Baja Runner

Depends on where you live, but I would say that is the right price. I would be happy with it for $5k.

I don't think that many miles means the tranny is on its last leg. I mean, they are pretty good. I don't hear about many people having to rebuild them, even with that mileage. Just check the trans fluid and make sure it doesn't smell burnt or have silver particles in it ;)

Does the truck have an rear locker? Just curious.. That is good for resale value.

I bought my 97 with 160k on it last December for $5k but the clear coat is chipping on the roof. I don't really care about it, but the guy who was selling it sold it because of this and brought down the price ;)

No locker, Ive been looking high and low trying to find one with a rear locker but haven't had any luck. Thanks for the tip on checking the tranny fluid.

[kzak]

Looks good to me. I think $4500 is a fair price, but I would try really hard to get him at $4000. The worst he can do is say no, but don't give up easily. Tell him you've read the transmissions are good for 250k miles and you are worried about having to put another $3000 into it in a year. Always start low, you can always come up.

Regarding the vehicle, it looks good. The fact that this guy has all the records is great. I just bought my 4Runner w/ no records 3 months ago. It had 220k on the odometer and it's been solid for me so far. If it needs a transmission down the road, that's life. At least I know I can get another 200k+ out of it if it has to be replaced.

Good luck and be sure to let us know how the deal goes.

[the great him]

also if the tranny fluid is dark brown in color run the other way as fast as you can and don't turn back even if you left the dog, just keep running.

i get in the high 14s, but i also have that huge roof rack(weighs almost 95lbs) with 4 big lights across the front, so its kinda like having a 8" tall retaining atop my rig, and im sure doing 80mph on the freeway doesn't help... im sure you can muster 16 out of her if you drive it nice, as long as shes in good running order. 16 is right around what they typically get, ive heard of guys getting as good as 22-23 on road trips where is all freeway driving.

[quicksilvr]

I just sold a '97 SR5 with 196K miles for $5800. And I could have gotten more if I'd have waited longer. It only took 6 days to sell.

It all depends on the condition of the truck, the rarity of used 4Runners in your area, and how much the seller knows. Usually when you see a really really nice 3rd gen sell cheap (less than say $4500 or $5000), it's because the seller just thinks they have a 13 year old truck that's not worth anything and they don't care. Obviously as a buyer, that's what you like. But that doesn't make the trucks worth any less.

If the truck is solid and well maintained, it's worth $5000 easily.

[Baja Runner]

Yeah I agree. It really depends on where you live... In Socal, where they are super popular, but also in high supply, I would say $5k would be a good average price for it.

[10ga]

I went and drove it today and it drives out really good. Has a little vibration around 60mph but I'm assuming it needs the tires balanced. Checked the tranny fluid and it's clear redish color and has no burnt smell to it. I did notice a little oil leak around the valve cover but nothing major. 4 wheel drive works great but it does pop a little bit when it comes out of 4wheel drive. Is that normal? Nothing loud but has a little pop to it.

I also talked to him about the service and he said he had the timing belt, water pump, belts, tranny flushed, and diff fluids changed at 175,000 miles and it has 225,000 on it now.

He's asking $5500, he said his bottom dollar was $5000. I would like to offer $4000 but I hate to lowball him that much. I'm thinking about telling him $4500 and that's all I'm going.

Thanks for all the help and input, I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Nelsonmd]

To me that sounds like a decent deal, certainly not a bad one. Don't let these guys scare you too much about the tranny. If it is well maintained and treated well, it think you can get more than 250k. Lots of guys on here have over 300k and I don't think all of them have replaced their tranny's.

Just decide if it is worth it to you, you will pay less than you got for your LC.

[10ga]

I couldn't put the deal together, I went as far as $4700 but no go. I've been looking around and I think I can find another one with less miles and maybe newer for that price. Plus I really want one with the locking rear diff.

If anyone knows of a 4Runner close to east Tennesse for sale, please let me know.

Thanks