185K... What repairs can I expect next?

[pumacat24]

Hey Guys,

My '07 SE 2wd now has 185k. I take meticulous care of it, have it serviced by the stealership every 30k, replaced the sunroof 2.5 years ago, have had full synthetic in it since I bought it, get it waxed 2x a year, upgraded the wheels last year... you get the picture, I take good care of it.

Two months ago, I replaced the following:
• drive belt
• differential fluid flush/replacement
• spark plugs
• transmission fluid flush

Two weeks ago my original alternator bit the dust. $$$

TODAY... My husband tells me he smelled oil burning driving car yesterday when he used it to haul some wood with the trailer. I do some inspecting today while at work and find out it's just started leaking oil. I took it to Valvoline where I've always gotten my oil changed and they got under it, told me to start it up and could clearly see oil was coming from the rear main seal and lower oil pan gasket.

I drive across the street to the stealership where they tell me it will be $1,100 to fix both.

What can I expect to crap out on me next? A valve? Engine (it has no issues as of now)? Suspension(I have x-reas)? What next?

I can't keep paying $1k every other month, but I also don't want a car payment. The dealership wouldn't say anything about what might need to be repaired soon, so I'm turning to my other high mileage 4th gen owners.

And at what point does it become a fine line between getting any money for selling my 4th get to upgrade to a 5th gen and not be out the @ss in debt? I love my 4th gen so much, it would be extremely hard to part with it especially since I know what great care I've taken with it.

So many options, but they all involve $$$.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Monkey Wrench]

Do you have the V6 or V8? Have you replaced the water pump? There are a lot of things that could go wrong, but most likely it will be the “smaller” things on a 4Runner. At least yours is a 2WD so you don’t need to worry about the transfer case actuator leaking/breaking...

200K can be a big milestone as far as maintenance. Well worth it if you can do at least some of the work yourself to save money. Take it to a mechanic you or a friend trusts and have them really look over the vehicle- a second opinion could help you decide on keeping it or finding something else.

Also, how rusty is the frame and 4Runner overall?

 

[who done it]

To be honest you're just doing basic maintenance and that's normal its not like you've replaced any big ticket items. At 185k it should be expected as wear and tear. I'm at 160k and I've replaced all that and then some.

If I were you, I would do the water pump / thermostat / pcv valve and other items. The car has to be maintained to run with the reliability of a Toyota. I beat the hell out of mine, but its maintained meticulously. I would change your oil pan gasket first before doing the rear main and see if the oil leak remains.

 

[alaskaman]

I have 150 on my'07 now and repairs have been confined to XREAS replacement, window seals, tailgate auto handle and 3rd brake light. It can depend quite a bit on your location, your driving and the vehicle itself. I think that our 07's were the last model made entirely in Japan so that's a blessing. Your repairs now can be done by a qualified mechanic so I would seek out a reputable one and have them do the repairs for probably half the cost. Many of our vehicles last >300k so I plan to hang on to mine for some time. My choice will most likely be to pick uo a smaller commute car and keep the Runner for fun in the snow and transport of the stuff of life.

 

[ZiaMan]

...I take meticulous care of it, have it serviced by the stealership every 30k...

I can't keep paying $1k every other month...

These are directly related. Stop going to the dealer and find an indie mechanic. especially every 30k. yeesh, i can only imagine what those bills look like, especially no offense, but bc you're a woman and they will try to take advantage of that. $1k month buys a lot of tools as well.

As far as other parts and not just railing on you - off the top of my head:
- Have you replaced your front axles?
--CVJs are $400-$600 in parts
- Wheel bearings?
--figure 300 from ramon here
- Ignition coils?
--dont know on this
- will need suspension when you xreas goes out, are you still on original shocks/springs?
--can be anywhere from $500 - $5000 depending on how crazy you get. I would look beyond just springs/shocks/struts and look at upper and lower control arms, end links and swaybard bushings.
--Cheap suspension would be bilstein 5100s and FJ springs. Nicer would be Old Man Emu or Bilstein 6112/5160 combo. Beyond that you are into Icon, etc and will get crazier.

I have done or in the process of doing this stuff and have less than 2/3s the miles you do.

All in you are prob looking at 2-3k in parts, and similar in labor(depending on who). You will hit 300k though and not have a payment.

 

[alaskaman]

These are directly related. Stop going to the dealer and find an indie mechanic. especially every 30k. yeesh, i can only imagine what those bills look like, especially no offense, but bc you're a woman and they will try to take advantage of that. $1k month buys a lot of tools as well.

As far as other parts and not just railing on you - off the top of my head:
- Have you replaced your front axles?
--CVJs are $400-$600 in parts
- Wheel bearings?
--figure 300 from ramon here
- Ignition coils?
--dont know on this
- will need suspension when you xreas goes out, are you still on original shocks/springs?
--can be anywhere from $500 - $5000 depending on how crazy you get. I would l

Bilstein 5100 are an excellent choice. The best suggestion is find a reliable mechanic and take it as it comes. Far better than the 5th Gen in my mind :car:

 

[wsgoat]

I have 150 on my'07 now and repairs have been confined to XREAS replacement, window seals, tailgate auto handle and 3rd brake light. It can depend quite a bit on your location, your driving and the vehicle itself. I think that our 07's were the last model made entirely in Japan so that's a blessing. Your repairs now can be done by a qualified mechanic so I would seek out a reputable one and have them do the repairs for probably half the cost. Many of our vehicles last >300k so I plan to hang on to mine for some time. My choice will most likely be to pick uo a smaller commute car and keep the Runner for fun in the snow and transport of the stuff of life.

The 4Runner is still entirely made in Japan and imported into the US, so we're all blessed. And as long as the Tahara plant keeps cranking out 4Runners utilizing the Kaizen philosophy, I'll be a buyer. :biggrin2:

 

[pumacat24]

Sorry for such an incredibly lengthy delay, a dear friend's child passed away...

So I found out that one of my friend's who was a Toyota mechanic for 20+ years was back working for a local shop. He got OEM parts from Toyota of Greenville and replaced the rear main seal and lower oil pan gasket for $900, which was way better than $1200 at the dealership.

While he lowered the tranny... he took pics of everything and the car is in MINT condition on the inside. He also checked the entire car out, and it needs nothing mechanically.

So... now he's where all the 4th get guys/gals will be mad, I decided to buy a 5th gen TRD Off Road Premium and I am going to do a private sale on my 4th gen.

It will be listed by tomorrow... going to be a killer deal for someone.

Thanks everyone for all of your help and suggestions. You all are the best!

 

[metramm]

So sorry about the loss!

Just wondering why you decided to move to a unknown maintenance history 5th gen when you just had the seal fixed and your truck was proven to be in great shape internally by the mechanic?

Also you said you couln't keep paying 1k every other month, but now you are on the hook for at least $300 EVERY month for 5 years.

Seems like picking up a car payment wasn't necessary and the 4th gen would have been good for years.

 

[pumacat24]

My 5th gen is brand new, so all of the maintenance history will be mine for the next 10 years minimum (willing no one crashes into me).

You're right it's a bit less than $300 for 5 years and I know mine would have been fine for a very long time to come, but I just wanted a change after 10 years... namely, heat seats and 4wd!

It's time for someone else to care of my 4th gen and for new adventures in my 5th gen!

I'm pretty certain I'll never own a different model vehicle, it will be interesting to see what the next redesign looks like.

There was a break in the nearly constant rain so I was able to clean it out and detail it today. Listing soon.

Thanks for everything!

 

[metramm]

Ahh totally understand. A new vehicle that doesn't need as much upkeep would be a nice change of pace from the old 4th gen.

Post up some pics when you can so we can envy you!

Congrats on the upgrade!

 

[twa318]

That's a nice 4Runner, I wouldn't let it go but totally understand wanting to move on after 10 years. As someone else mentioned small things will continue to fail but there are many years left in the engine and drivetrain.

I think $14,000 for a 2wd with 185280 miles is a pipe dream. Not to piss in your cornflakes but just wanted to give some perspective. You are going to get a lot of "lowball" offers, I think you will be hard pressed for even 9k. At any rate, good luck with selling and keep us posted on how you like the 5th gen compared to the 4th.