2007 4WD - Worth it?
 

Hi,

Long-time Tacoma owner, looking at a 4th Gen 4Runner to get a little more room for the kids.

In particular, I am looking at a 2007 4WD with 159k miles on it.

No known issues, except for a tire pressure light on the dash. Most maintenance records have been kept. Looks like the usual has been done: oil changes, plugs, tires, fan belt, and brakes. There is some surface rust underneath, but most of it has been undercoated (not sure what that means).

It has some mods, including Apple Car play and remote start. It is also pre-wired for an amp. Are there any concerns with this wiring work that's been done?

He is asking $13,500 but I will try to negotiate that down to around 12 or so.

Since I am new to this, how risky is this to buy? Are there certain things I should check when I go see it in person?

I would greatly appreciate any advice one could offer!

There are lots of guys on here with more knowledge than me, but you would likely need to do the timing belt if it's a V8...V6 has the chain. I think some of the 4th gens had an issue with the exhaust manifold cracking (again on the V8). V6's can have head gasket issues, but I think in 2007 they had that issue sorted out.

Hopefully some others can chime in and tell you what to look for.

Thank you. I have read about some of that as well. Wondering if there might be anything else? I know making sure the 4WD is operational is a definite thing to check.

I recently did tons of research on these...and just missed out on buying one. Anyway....records are good to have...2007 is past the year of potential head gasket problems. Tire pressure light is common I guess and there is a simple write up to turn it off and bypass it. Exhaust headers can be an issue in the v6 as well but not as common.
Like all yotas....rust can be an issue so look at it very good.

I just purchased my V8 2006 limited out here in the SoCal with 144k miles for 13,900 I found this to be the lowest price of ANY v8 4x4 in 400 mile radius. I jumped on it the next morning. These vehicles are getting so expensive over the last year.

Was it undercoated brand new?

If it was undercoated at any other time than when it just came off the mobile parking lot, then the undercoating can multiply rust.

Get under there and give the frame a wack with a hammer. It should ping and ting like hitting a steel plate. A dull thud means you're hitting rust. If anything flakes off or dislodges from the frame while getting smacked with a hammer, you've done yourself and the owner a favour by discovering there's no real metal under that undercoating.

Don't beat the hell outta it though, you're not trying to put dents in it. Just a good little whack to make sure she's solid as a rock... or steel plate, in this case.

I've seen undercoating that looks great but then comes off in giant chunks with rust holes underneath... suddenly I can see the pedals in the driver's foot well... And the only thing that was between it was some rubber coating and carpet. (not on 4Runners though)

Thanks for the advice, I'll see if I can find out when the undercoating was done.

I have some pics of the underneath. I'm not the best at assessing this stuff, unless it's real bad and falling apart LOL

Yeah, it's impossible to know from a picture for the trouble spots.

Regardless, 60% of the problem starts inside the frame rail where no one can see it anyway... Then one day a hole shows up.

That's the trouble with the rubberized undercoating, its textured look hides the rust really well to visual inspection. In any case, once it's applied to a surface, eventually water infiltrates behind it in spots and starts to collect in the void, keeping the metal wet, accelerating the corrosion process. In perfect world it would have flawless adhesion, where nothing can get between it and the metal... but alas, 'tis not this world.

You could/should get an inspection done at a reputable shop. Those are one of the many things they should be looking at.

Best luck

I've seen some 4th Gens at dealerships going for over $20k, but I think there were under 100k miles. Still that's crazy!

I can’t confirm if the tranny or diff fluid has ever been changed. Are we still in the safe zone to change it at 160k?

I just changed my tranny fluid at about 150k. No problems but I did the radiator line drain and fill, there’s a write up on the forum. Only thing you absolutely do not want to do is a pressurized flush. Diff should be fine unless it’s making noise.


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