We have a 1995 SR5 4-Runner 4WD that we bought used last year from a dealer. It only had 86K on the clock, and when we decided to buy it (Dodge Dealer) we had them include a Timing Belt change. Now a year later and about 104K on the clock, we have had a myriad of heating problems. It overheated on me one night, and I pulled off the road and let it cool. After cooling, added some water and had on & off heat without any further overheating. The heater hoses looked old and probably had a slow drip somewhere. I thought it was an old Thermostat. I couldn't get at it, so we took it to a local shop we use. After all the hoses and heater hoses were replaced, still no heat. They pressure tested and found that one of the head gaskets was bad. How could a head gasket go bad in a Toyota with a scant 100K? Now they have to tear down both sides and bench test the heads. Big bucks.

Is this common?

Grant

The head gasket problem is a well known fact for 2nd generation 4runners. Doesn't surprise me at all. I'm not trying to be a prick but if you would have done a little research on this generation 4runner you would have certainly uncovered this problem.

Well I guess I don't think you are being a prick?

I guess as a new 4-runner owner, I didn't really assume that a Toyota would have so many potential issues such as bad generations.

How do you distinguish between generations? How do you know which generation is worthy? Is the 4th generation or whatever the best?

So, if I had been smarter and done my research, I surely wouln't have bought a 2nd generation, right? Well, how the hell was I to find that out, Consumer Reports? Internet surfing? Forum posting?

I must really be behind the curve.

Grant

there is no "bad generation" it's just that the 3.0 v6 in the 2nd generations had a head gasket problem. toyota was really good about fixing it. in fact with mine, it only had 60k miles on it and it over heated, my brother who was driving it at the time didn't notice and drove it quite a long time without antifreeze in it, so the block cracked. toyota replaced the whole engine with no questions asked.

if the head gasket hasn't already been replaced in yours and you have less than 100k (or maybe 120k ) miles on it, toyota will replace it for you for free.

1985-1989 1st generation
1990-1995 2nd generation
1996-2002 3rd generation
2003+ 4th generation

all the generation are good. my personal favorite is the 1st and i like them less at they get newer. that's because i don't like that they slowly turned into soccor mom grocery getters. the 1st gen 4runner are little more than a pickup with a fiberglass top. i like trucks and i like my suv's to be trucklike. of course it's all personal opition and even the 4th gen 4runner are quite good off road.

i've discovered that the best way to learn about potential problems and fixes is to read these forums. for technical issues, i like yotatech.com, i've learned a lot there.

I'm sorry Grant if that came off wrong. And I wouldn't say that they had "so many" problems. That is the one standout problem with that gen 4Runner. Honestly I don't know of any otherbesides the head gasket problem. Besides that I would say that it will be as reliable as any toyota which is very good.

You probably wouldn't find out about this single problem from Consumers reports but surfing and asking about known problems on this forum or the Yotatech forum would have gotten you alot of responses.

1st gen. - '84 to '89

2nd gen. - '90 to '96

3rd gen - '96 to '02

4th gen - '03 to present

Your 4Runner is a great truck so get the heads done and enjoy!

Sorry if I got testy. Just that I have an older '91 Nissan 4X4 P/U
that I bought with 20K and now have 230K after 11 years. I had
compared it to a Toyota then and liked the Toyota, but the cost between the two was fairly substantial. So having less $$ at the time, I chose the Nissan. Also, both the Toyota and the Nissan I looked at in 1993 were 4 cylinder models. They seem to last longer, why?

When we were getting the Toyota last year, I thought that picking the Toyota was a no-brainer. Not that I am unhappy, but it was used at 86K when we got it, and I don't think Toyota would pick up the tab now if I wasn't the original owner? Am I wrong about Toyota picking up the tab?


Grant

Grant I've heard stories about Toyota picking up the tab on these even on a second owner....it's definetly worth a try.

About the 4cyl's lasting longer. I could be wrong but I think the 4's were inline as opposed to v's and inline engines are known for their durability and longevity.

Just talked to a local Toyota dealer service dept., and they said they needed the VIN to determine whether there was a recall for that 1995 model.

I then asked what would happen if the head gasket repair was being handled by a non-Toyota repair shop? They thought that needed further investigation to determine eligibility.

It would really fry my ass to find out that Toyota might have picked up the tab if taken to a Toyota dealer for service. This could be a really expensive lesson.

Grant

Well I wish you luck. I think they will probably pay the bill if your truck was eligible as long as you have a legitimate reciept with a resonable repair charge.

On my Sienna recall for the transmission they would reimburse you if you had it fixed somewhere else.

Hi all, I have a 97 4runner 3.0 V6. I started to see fume coming out of the engine from the left side of the wiper grill. I smells like vaporized antifreeze.

As well, I noticed for about 4 month age the sound of liquid splashing around from about the center console / firewall. When the engine is warm the sound is gone.

Could this be the head gasket issue ? are the 2 issues i described related ? It is just the beginning i did get a chance to check it out yet. Could be the thermostat or the water pump.

First of all If you have a 97 4runner then is has the 3.4L engine.

If you smell and see vaporized antifreeze then it sounds like it's leaking from the head gasket and dripping onto the exhaust manifold.

The sound of the liquid spashing is the antifreeze moving around in the hoses and heater core, if you have a rear heater then the splashing noise from the center console is the rear heater core. The reason you hear it is because the antifreeze is leaking out causing air in the system thus making the spashing noise. If the head gasket is leaking it's also not able to suck in the antifreeze from the overflow tank, but instead sucking in air. Once the engine warms up the fluid expands and pushed out all the air thus no more spashing sound.

So yes i those 2 issues are related.

Mike

Thank for the info
I search through the forums didn't see any official recall on the this, but did see some for the 96. I will check with the dealer in the meantime. what is the cost for this fix ?

basically it's just a head gasket job. I don't know how much the dealer would charge but i'm guessing around $800

Mike

On closer inspection, it appears to be a leak in the valve assembly where the heat console cable controls. It forms a T near the top center of the firewall. The dealer is checking it out today.

I like the 2000 body, and the 1st gen suspention, the 1st gens I think have straigth axle up front. I would check if the engine of your 4Runner is under the recall. Take the truck to a Yota dealer and let them look up the VIN number for ANY recalls. Imagine getting free service.

As for 4Runners turning into soccer mom rigs? NOT. I'm single and I use it for mild trails and camping. It's good for carrying snowboards and the kites.

And they're cool, chicks dig me in my .02 4Runner.