Originally Posted by Martinjmpr

Doesn't the 4runner come with supposedly "lifetime" WS coolant?



This x 1000

The first thing I'd say to those of you worrying about your V6 head gasket is this:

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON!

Remember that message boards like this tend to magnify flaws and failures.

It's easy to understand why - there aren't too many message boards where people sign up just so they can post "Hey, I just wanted to say my vehicle has 150k on it and everything works fine!" Instead, people who have a problem sign up to post here, and they run into other people who also signed on to post about problems/issues they had.

Since there are, proportionally, so many people posting about problems, a casual reader could get the idea that the problem is more widespread than it actually is.

Many years ago, I owned a 1999 Subaru Outback Wagon with the 2.5l flat 4 motor. Those of you who have any experience with Subarus know that this motor was notorious for blowing head gaskets! I bought mine with 42k on it (before I had done the research and before I knew about the HG problem) and I was always paranoid that my gasket would blow. Any sign of less-than-perfect running would have me panicking and checking the radiator overflow tank and/or the oil.

4 years after I bought it, I traded it in with 120k on the clock and not a lick of trouble. And then I started looking around and saw that there were so many 1997-2002 Subarus on the road (including my brother's, he drives a 2002 Impreza TS wagon with the same HG-trouble-prone 2.5) that there couldn't be that much of a problem - otherwise why would all these cars still be on the road instead of in a junkyard somewhere? Surely nobody's going to throw down ~$3k to fix the HG on a 13 year old POS with 167k on it!

I've also noticed just in my city (Denver) that you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a dozen 2nd gen 4runners or 89-94 pickups (the last version of the Hilux sold in the US, I call them "Pre-Tacomas.") Most of these have the 3.0, A/K/A "Three Point Slow" that is also notorious for eating HG's.

And yet, these old, beat up, dented Toyotas are still on the road. Hell, I went to Lowe's yesterday and somebody had a 2nd gen (1994) 4runner sitting in the parking lot for sale - asking $4500!

Bottom line is that it's important to keep some perspective when you look at threads like this. A 4runner is a mechanical device, and there's no mechanical device in the world that can't break - especially as it gets older (note that in at least one recent HG failure thread the T4R in question had over 200k on it.)

I don't care if it's an T4R, a Mercedes, a LC 100, a Lexus, or a tank, if it's mechanical, it CAN break.

If a given single point failure (say the HG) happens 3 times out of every 100 vehicles instead of 1.5 times out of every 100 vehicles, that's a 100% increase in failure, but it still means you have a 97% chance of it never happening to you.

When all is said and done it's probably more likely that your T4R will get totaled by a texting driver or a soccer mom yelling at her kids, (or by you) than it will suffer a HG failure.

So do regular maintenance and don't worry yourself too much. There are way too many 4th gens on the road now for this to be a significant issue.

Originally Posted by Martinjmpr

Whoops my mistake, I got the WS transmission fluid confused with the coolant.

Originally Posted by Martinjmpr

Doesn't the 4runner come with supposedly "lifetime" WS coolant?



This x 1000

The first thing I'd say to those of you worrying about your V6 head gasket is this:

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON!

Remember that message boards like this tend to magnify flaws and failures.

It's easy to understand why - there aren't too many message boards where people sign up just so they can post "Hey, I just wanted to say my vehicle has 150k on it and everything works fine!" Instead, people who have a problem sign up to post here, and they run into other people who also signed on to post about problems/issues they had.

Since there are, proportionally, so many people posting about problems, a casual reader could get the idea that the problem is more widespread than it actually is.

Many years ago, I owned a 1999 Subaru Outback Wagon with the 2.5l flat 4 motor. Those of you who have any experience with Subarus know that this motor was notorious for blowing head gaskets! I bought mine with 42k on it (before I had done the research and before I knew about the HG problem) and I was always paranoid that my gasket would blow. Any sign of less-than-perfect running would have me panicking and checking the radiator overflow tank and/or the oil.

4 years after I bought it, I traded it in with 120k on the clock and not a lick of trouble. And then I started looking around and saw that there were so many 1997-2002 Subarus on the road (including my brother's, he drives a 2002 Impreza TS wagon with the same HG-trouble-prone 2.5) that there couldn't be that much of a problem - otherwise why would all these cars still be on the road instead of in a junkyard somewhere? Surely nobody's going to throw down ~$3k to fix the HG on a 13 year old POS with 167k on it!

I've also noticed just in my city (Denver) that you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a dozen 2nd gen 4runners or 89-94 pickups (the last version of the Hilux sold in the US, I call them "Pre-Tacomas.") Most of these have the 3.0, A/K/A "Three Point Slow" that is also notorious for eating HG's.

And yet, these old, beat up, dented Toyotas are still on the road. Hell, I went to Lowe's yesterday and somebody had a 2nd gen (1994) 4runner sitting in the parking lot for sale - asking $4500!

Bottom line is that it's important to keep some perspective when you look at threads like this. A 4runner is a mechanical device, and there's no mechanical device in the world that can't break - especially as it gets older (note that in at least one recent HG failure thread the T4R in question had over 200k on it.)

I don't care if it's an T4R, a Mercedes, a LC 100, a Lexus, or a tank, if it's mechanical, it CAN break.

If a given single point failure (say the HG) happens 3 times out of every 100 vehicles instead of 1.5 times out of every 100 vehicles, that's a 100% increase in failure, but it still means you have a 97% chance of it never happening to you.

When all is said and done it's probably more likely that your T4R will get totaled by a texting driver or a soccer mom yelling at her kids, (or by you) than it will suffer a HG failure.

So do regular maintenance and don't worry yourself too much. There are way too many 4th gens on the road now for this to be a significant issue.

Originally Posted by MattFromPA

Thank you guys so much for this info.

I just bought a 2003 V6 sr5 with 163k and am currently in the process of doing as much preventative maintenance as possible and affordable, before I start in on wheels tires and lift.

This HG issue has been stressing me out, thinking there's a ticking time bomb waiting for me.

90% is pretty good chances to me.

Originally Posted by MattFromPA

Thank you guys so much for this info.

I just bought a 2003 V6 sr5 with 163k and am currently in the process of doing as much preventative maintenance as possible and affordable, before I start in on wheels tires and lift.

This HG issue has been stressing me out, thinking there's a ticking time bomb waiting for me.

90% is pretty good chances to me.

Originally Posted by Sunn4Runner

Just wanted to add that my 2003 SR5 V6 is at 403590 Kms and running strong on the original head gasket. I had a new rad and water pump installed last year, hopefully that will help keep the engine at a safe operating temp for years to come. Take care of your 4runner and it will be fine