As long as we have the ability to harvest organs like they do from Chinese prisoners, I have the ability to keep this 4Runner going for cheap. With this $800 transmission, I just avoided a $5K to $6K job at a dealer.

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I think about long distance trips too. What is the range you feel comfortable driving the 2014?

We’ll still do the 1,250 miles each way between Stevensville, Montana and Fullerton, California in the 2014. That said, the 2023 ORP is doing most of these longer trips.

I generally make the call based on how the 2014 is driving. Engine shows no issues, but recently the transmission was showing delayed drop into 1st on sharper stops from 30 mph or higher. So we took it out of the longer trip rotation and it’s now in line to get the transmission replaced.

Thanks for the info. I am torn as I need to drive 600-900 miles trips but don't feel like buying a newish 4runner-that for all intents and purposes, would be exactly the same except less mileage than my 2011 Limited.

Have you ever changed the transmission fluid? The A750 has done a million miles in a 2007 Tundra, behind the 2UZ-FE 4.7 V8.

Every 60K miles. I’m sure that you realize that the 1 million mile Tundra was at the extreme far right on the Bell Curve.

Yes, not many vehicles ever reach that kind of mileage, mostly because they are short-tripped and under-maintained until worn out, crashed, etc.

There was a member here at one time who was closing in on 800k miles on his 3rd gen 4Runner the last I heard. All original drivetrain, maintained by the book at a Toyota dealer. I believe he worked in the oil industry, and traveled extensively in the Gulf states.

What I'm saying is that your transmission might not need to be replaced. Who knows if a used one has been maintained and would be better than the one you have?

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Time permitting, I do all the service and repairs on this truck. I have the experience to know when an automatic transmission is going. Also had a friend who had just replaced a 4L85e in a Chevy truck confirm the issue. Then I had my local mechanic do the same. All conclusions were the same: it’s going.

That is truly impressive for the car and yourself! Were all those miles yours and how long did it take to rack up all of those miles? Good luck until 400/500K!

All the miles are ours since original new purchase in September 2014. It is my wife’s vehicle and she is older than me and retired. We have homes in SoCal and a ranch in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana, so she is back and forth between those on a regular basis. In addition, she is an avid geocacher and camper, so she is regularly on long road trips. I need a gps tracker to know where she is while I am head down in work.

Now that my wife has two 4Runners, with both of them up in Montana for the moment, it is difficult to stay up to date on 5K mile oil changes. Have had the local mechanic do at least one. That said, this 2014 lived on 10K mile oil changes up til 355K miles, which flies in the face of Car Care Nut’s claims. I’ll note that 98% of the miles are highway at higher speeds which is the least problematic for build-up of sludge. I did start using using Valvoline Restore & Protect 0w20 synthetic oil, which is supposed to clean the pistons and rings…over extended use.

We also had a rear main seal leak at 360K miles, but it was corrected with a bottle of Blue Devil Rear Main Seal Leak Restore. That said, the seal will be replaced when the transmission is replaced.

Have you bore scoped your cylinder walls or timing chain?

Nope, no reason to. Engine running fine.

Just for curiosity reasons I did mine. Timing chain and related parts were shockingly clean. Cylinders had more carbon on top and on valves than I like but previous owner used cheap gas.