This thread misses some major points on checking the engine.....and there are questions you could do to put in the top post the buyer should ask....because your only giving them 50% of what to look for and 0% of what to ask which both factor in to what a "buyer" should do.

Like check-in the coil packs for denso sticker....is the PCV valve brown because that means it's not OEM, are the wire sets blue or not. The black stock ones should have numbers on it

Check the air intake elbows for crack's, and the hoses for crack's.

Are the skids plates still there?

Check and see if the IAC is aftermarket or not, does it have red coolant

And there is one major point to ask the seller. Did you maintain the vehicle with all OEM Toyota parts? Did the sell or s mechanic preform the work. Where are the receipts for the parts

That one question alone would be very beneficial to ask. I have cars that are maintained with aftermarket parts and have zero issues. The 4runner is a different animal.

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Ha....probably should have read this BEFORE.

But now the 2002 Sport edition sits in the garage as my son's first car. If nothing else...I think this may be one of those vehicles where he actually learns how to complete maintenance on it...versus dad just doing everything.

Great, thanks for the suggestions. My only experience with Toyotas is replacing a starter for a friend in her '93 Camry. 4 bolts and 30 minutes, including the drive to and from the parts store. That was a magical moment. Are the 99+ 4Runners that same level of built-to-repair?

What should I look for to tell if the IAC is factory or not? And what the are best online parts sources? I've got my other vehicles' sources, but never looked for Toyota parts.

Your suggestions are noted and ignored lol.


There is only so much hand holding I can do without cluttering the thread telling people to check every-single-little-part.

I am assuming that potential buyers have at least some generic used car buying knowledge and I am supplementing that with major 3rd gen specific items.

You could do a better job at how you approach people off the bat for giving you constructive criticism for a thread you made. That response tells me everything I need to know on why the thread is the way it is.

I think I handled your comment perfectly, which btw started out telling me how shit you think the thread is so pretty hypocritical. You have an assumption of what this thread is for that is entirely wrong and i'm not changing it to be in your vision.

Look back through the 50+ pages there are TONS of suggestions from forum members which I have happily added.


So I'll say again, your latest suggestions are noted and ignored.

hi, new here i have been looking for a 4runner for a while to replace my crv. i came across this yesterday and have an apointment to look at it today, wondering if its worth the money? i plan on doing a through inspection, so any advise on what to check would be appreceated.

i feel its rare to find a rust free manual 3rd gen where i am, so im kindof thinking about jumping on this one. talk me out of it?

Toyota 4Runner 5 speed manual - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle automotive sale

I've been lurking on this forum for the last few months trying to absorb as much information as I can while I search for my perfect 4Runner. I knew I wanted it to be a 3rd Generation (as I really like the way they look) and after researching here it seems like a 2000-2002 would suit my needs the best (multi-mode transfer case). I plan on using it for driving around town and taking it to Chicago a few times a year. It's not easy to find these cars for sale and even harder to find them in good condition. I think I finally found one that fits my needs well and I'm going to look at it today, but I wanted ask for any opinions or suggestions. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but there is a lot of information to take in here!

2000 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4x4 (White) - Negotiated Price to $4,000
228,000 Miles
No Locking Diff
Absolutely NO rust under the car
Exterior in pretty good shape other then some scratches a a few bumper dents
Has had 4 owners and the Carfax only really starts documenting the maintenance after 2014 and 187,000 miles. Since then all oil changes have been done, brake pads have been changed, rotors turned, brake fluid flushed and changed, radiator fluid flushed and changed, differential fluid drained and changed, new valve cover gaskets, new rear shocks and struts and new spark plugs and wires.

My main concerns are that the current owner doesn't know when the last time the timing belt has been changed nor when the last time the transmission fluid has been changed so I would plan on doing those right away. It also looks like it can use some new front tires. Owner says he also owns a Tundra and he jumped at the opportunity to buy this car 3 months ago because he planned on using it for off roading but now has some money issues and can't afford to do it. I spoke with him for 15 minutes over the phone last night and he says he daily drives it and nothing is wrong. (although I know I can't believe everything people say)

Also, there is some damage to the front bumper that isn't too bad (chips and scrapes mostly) but it is slightly indented in the passenger side wheel well so I'd want to get that fixed fairly quickly.

The major things I plan on checking are the color on the transmission fluid, looking at the radiator age and condition and verifying the frame is rust free. Also looking at the ball joints boot condition and looking to see if I can find a timing belt sticker somewhere on the engine indicating when it was changed. I also wanted to check the HVAC system to make sure it was working well because I've seen posts on possible issues with this but other then changing the air position settings and changing from heat to cold (a/c) I'm not sure what else to do.

$4,000 is a little more then KBB values this car at, but since it's a 2000 Limited 4x4 I know it's a fairly rare car and sought after. Even though it doesn't have the rear diff lock, I could potentially add it if I ever wanted to and it's my understanding this car is the only one that has the multi-mode transfer case without the traction control system. (which is a good thing, right?) Any other suggestions on what to look for/check would be appreciated. I would love to find a car with a better maintenance history but judging by the pictures it looks like this car was well taken care of and I am comfortable trying to fix some smaller things that might go wrong.

I've also attached a few of the pictures of the car. Thanks in advance your help!

Attached Images

           

After examining the pictures more closely I realized the passenger side door was a slightly different shade of white in comparison to the rest of the car. To me this means it was replaced and there could be hidden damage that I'm not aware of so I decided to pass. My hunt continues!

this is awesome thank you!

All these years later, another big THANK YOU to the OP. I may have stumbled across a 2000 4x4 Limited in IJM. Going to look at it tonight and learned some very valuable details in this thread. I love my 2nd Gen to death but it needs at least $1000 in work and I believe I can get this 1-Owner, clean 230k rig for around 2500. We shall see. If it checks out mechanically, I'm on it. Never wanted faux wood grain, leather, or that ghastly cladding - I just hope it's all the same color and/or comes off easily.

Cladding isn't that hard to take off but you will be left with a bunch of holes where the cladding clipped to the doors and fenders.

When I was first looking I hated the cladding too and thought I'd hold out for one without it. But I saw a good deal and couldn't pass it up. I found I got used to it pretty quick, now it doesn't bother me in the least. Same is true for the fat lip bumper. But YMMV.

And here I was thinking the 3rd Gen Limiteds were some of the most tastefully done, timeless looking SUVs ever done.

Silly me.

HAHA! To me it screams suburban soccer mom, not off-road capable truck. Or some golf dude who didn't want to splurge for a Land Cruiser. It even has gold emblems! Unfortunately, the cladding is not color-coded to the body paint (IJM), so it really pops (silverish). Maybe I can paint it black. After a test drive, I've made a verbal commitment to buy the truck. It is clearly a much more solid vehicle than my 2nd Gen, but the '91 has so much more personality visually and a free-flowing exhaust note that commanded respect (from non-TR4 people who don't know what a dog the 3VZE is) and we had some great MTB/camping trips together.I feel quite sad facing the prospect of passing it on. Like it's injured and I'm putting it down. It needs a full steering linkage redo. And the $350 trailer hitch I had put on. And the new fuel pump and filter I just installed......and......

The other thing about the 3rd gen is that 16" tires are F'n expensive compared to 15 inchers. The one I'm getting has almost brand new Toyo all seasons (mild tread), so I'll have to use those while I do some other stuff to it. I really need metal bumpers first. My cars are homeless (live in the city streets) so they need to be hardened on both ends because techies cannot drive and constantly hit your vehicle when parking. I want to be the one leaving a mark. I kinda wish it was an SR5. This 2000 ltd does not have the e-locker switch. At least it's super clean and probably never went off road. One owner - older Asian gentleman.

Any aftermarket bumper advice (ideally less $$ than ARB)?