2004 limited ... your opinion?

[rbyham]

I am looking at a 2004 Liited with all the goodies including leather, sunroof, and Nav no thrid row and 69k miles. Very clean. Dealer asking $16500. edmunds says $20850. Is this a deal? Also

It has hitch... can I assume tow package? I can I confirm tow package?

How reliable do you all feel is carfax? A clean carfax will indicate what?

I saw the car before they prepped it and it had original dealer name and city on it. Any chance if I get VIN, the original dealer would provide info in terms of any repairs? I have found his number on the Net.... would you call? Those badges will be gone when I see it post prep on Monday

Thanks folks... been a lurker here for some time... ready to buy and join the club...

 

[LandRvr Convert]

It sounds like the price is good especially if Edmunds says 20K and the dealer is asking 16K.

If I were you I would ask the dealer if all of the services have been performed on time. Of course he'll tell you what you want to hear so.......ask to see documentation. If he can't show documentation, then how do you know the first owner changed the oil the first time......on time? The first oil change could have been at 30K miles! You need to check it out.

If the dealer can't prove the services have been done, then it's a 50/50 toss up. That's when I'd look up a good mechanic (not at the selling dealer) and get a good opinion on what he thinks and what diagnostic tests show.

I'd also look at the overall condition of the truck on your own. Does is look like it's been pampered or abused? Are the carpet and seats clean? How does the paint look? Are the tires new? How much brake pad is left? How do the rotors look?

In terms of a Carfax report, I would for sure pay the $10 or whatever they charge and run it. The report SHOULD show any accidents, flood damage or salvage, but remember the report is only as good as what was "officially" reported.

I once purchsed a Runner at Carmax, so I ran the Carfax and it came up 'clean' but I returned the car after 3 days. So many electrical problems AND grey carpet stained brown, I think it had flood damage.

This is a buyer-beware situation. It's well out of warranty, so do your research.

With all that said, if an independent mechanic says it looks good, and if you like it and have a good gut feeling about it, then go for it!!! 69K miles on a well-maintained Toyota is nothing!! Barely broken in!!

Good luck!

 

[Conspearasea]

A carfax will also sometimes report dealer services that have been done.....I would request one at their expense for the vehicle as part of the deal......of course, bad carfax means no deal!

That's what I did w/ mine when I bought it last year. Carfax report looked good, as well as the vehicle as the previous poster suggests.

As for the price, I've been looking at buying a second 4 runner and have seen some limiteds about that age that are about the same price of 16k.....4wd models. I've been searching here in FL mainly and they are about that price here. I'll be low balling them when I get there though.

 

[T4RBoarder]

This might just help a little bit on the accident front. Toyota puts a VIN sticker that is not removable (disintegrates when you try and pull it off) on all original body panels and when a replacement part is put on they do not put another sticker on. As far as I know there should be one on the: (front bumper, front fenders, all doors and door jams as well as liftgate, and rear bumper).

 

[toto]

You can certainly try calling the original dealer, but they may not share information with a third party. I bought a used truck once and through the Carfax report I found where the previous owner lived, and therefore knew which dealer would have serviced it. I called that dealer and they told me to take a hike, citing HIPAA as the reason they wouldn't say anything. I wasn't asking for the owner's maintenance records - I wanted the truck's maintenance records!

Defintely pull a Carfax report, as it gives you some idea of the history of the vehicle, like where it has been and how many owners it has had. Like LandRvr pointed out, don't expect the report to be comprehensive, as it's only as good as the information Carfax is able to collect. In Illinois, Carfax gets registration/title info, but I don't believe that the Illinois Dept. of Transportation reports accidents to Carfax. There are a couple of third-party outfits that are approaching individual police departments to buy copies of the IDOT accident reports, and then they probably sell the data to Carfax.

 

[4boer]

Tow package......fairly sure if it has V8 it's got it. Pop hood. Look for little "radiator" in front of regular rad. Little one is a trans cooler. Means your good.

 

[rsimpson]

Most dealers, without question, will provide you with a carfax report if you ask for it. Even a clean carfax report has other useful information, one being if the car was registered as a lease or fleet vehicle, or if it was registered privately.

I just purchased a 2004 Limited V8 with leather, sunroof, no nav and in excellent condition inside and out, 45k miles. 16,500 is a good deal, but you can talk them down even further. I paid 15k for mine. I was not provided with any service records. Find out what warranty (provided with the sale, no additional cost) comes with the truck. They are usually 30 day powertrain warranties with costs split 50/50 between buyer and seller. Some dealerships offer warranties as good as factory for 60 days. This is also negotiable.

Good luck.
Ryan