3rd Gen 4Runner Buyer's Guide

I need some opinions.
I am looking at a 2000 SR5 4x4 with 212,000 miles on it. It has a 3inch lift (Toytec front/ Bilstien rear) coastal custom pumper... good looking build.
But the AC is out and the ABS "needs a new motherboard". It also has rust on the rocker panels and some on the frame.

Is this worth pursuing and what would be a reasonable price?
ff15be67f4a0229581c4e564ac142623.jpg
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3b43bb4bfc9478e69c6fcec185f996b9.jpg
fee58e4bf7b5679d4262fde015569d68.jpg


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Pass, IMO

Junky repairs on lower link and a F-ton of rust
 
I need some opinions.
I am looking at a 2000 SR5 4x4 with 212,000 miles on it. It has a 3inch lift (Toytec front/ Bilstien rear) coastal custom pumper... good looking build.
But the AC is out and the ABS "needs a new motherboard". It also has rust on the rocker panels and some on the frame.

Is this worth pursuing and what would be a reasonable price?
ff15be67f4a0229581c4e564ac142623.jpg
07506a076dbfd0a541837660cfbb27ad.jpg
3b43bb4bfc9478e69c6fcec185f996b9.jpg
fee58e4bf7b5679d4262fde015569d68.jpg


Sent from my SM-A526U using Tapatalk
HARD pass. That body is totally rotted on the inside. The fact that they couldn't be bothered to clean the rust off the frame and just threw paint over it is another real nice touch.
If only they put half the time and energy into taking care of their car as they did buying+installing new aftermarket parts...
 
I need some opinions.
I am looking at a 2000 SR5 4x4 with 212,000 miles on it. It has a 3inch lift (Toytec front/ Bilstien rear) coastal custom pumper... good looking build.
But the AC is out and the ABS "needs a new motherboard". It also has rust on the rocker panels and some on the frame.

Is this worth pursuing and what would be a reasonable price?
ff15be67f4a0229581c4e564ac142623.jpg
07506a076dbfd0a541837660cfbb27ad.jpg
3b43bb4bfc9478e69c6fcec185f996b9.jpg
fee58e4bf7b5679d4262fde015569d68.jpg


Sent from my SM-A526U using Tapatalk
Is this rig a southern truck or from the north? As those rockers are very rotted for the south. I would imagine the frame has some thin spots on it as lots of times the when rockers are gone or heavily rusted so sections of the frame.

Would be normal or ok condition for rust belt but not for the south. I say you may want to pass on that one. :)







Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk
 
Is this rig a southern truck or from the north? As those rockers are very rotted for the south. I would imagine the frame has some thin spots on it as lots of times the when rockers are gone or heavily rusted so sections of the frame.

Would be normal or ok condition for rust belt but not for the south. I say you may want to pass on that one. :)







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It's from the salt belt. But is in the south now.

I agree, Im going to pass. The owner was a very nice guy. But unfortunately he didn't get ahead of the rust.

I appreciate the feedback.

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Opinion on a craigslist finding!!!

What's up gang. I am about to find a time/date to go test drive this '02 SR5 and have read through countless pre-purchase guides and feel okay about this one.

Carfax has it in NY for 3 years before living in OK for the past 18 and now ending up in TX these past 2 years. This seller I have seen sell multiple 4runners that he "restores" and hoping to get any insight on it.

Price is obviously high and thinking I can bring it down to something reasonable.

2002 Toyota 4runner SR5 4wd - cars & trucks - by dealer - vehicle...

Appreciate any advice toward this! Been looking for a 3rd gen 4runner since 2016 ha! Finally in a position to purchase one.
 
What's up gang. I am about to find a time/date to go test drive this '02 SR5 and have read through countless pre-purchase guides and feel okay about this one.

Carfax has it in NY for 3 years before living in OK for the past 18 and now ending up in TX these past 2 years. This seller I have seen sell multiple 4runners that he "restores" and hoping to get any insight on it.

Price is obviously high and thinking I can bring it down to something reasonable.

2002 Toyota 4runner SR5 4wd - cars & trucks - by dealer - vehicle...

Appreciate any advice toward this! Been looking for a 3rd gen 4runner since 2016 ha! Finally in a position to purchase one.
For that price there should be no maintenance left to do. Every fluid should be changed, new timing belt and tensioner/idler, new belts, new radiator, new oem lower ball joints and lower ball joint bolts, new tires, new brakes, and detailed interior. I personally would avoid 01-02 due to the integrated brake setup, VSC/TRAC, and electric only transfer case (no manual j-shift transfer case).

I would consider that about $4000 over market value.
 
2002 Toyota 4runner SR5 4wd - cars & trucks - by dealer - vehicle...



Appreciate any advice toward this! Been looking for a 3rd gen 4runner since 2016 ha! Finally in a position to purchase one.

6 years, keep waiting

Echoing this below 100%

For that price there should be no maintenance left to do. Every fluid should be changed, new timing belt and tensioner/idler, new belts, new radiator, new oem lower ball joints and lower ball joint bolts, new tires, new brakes, and detailed interior. I personally would avoid 01-02 due to the integrated brake setup, VSC/TRAC, and electric only transfer case (no manual j-shift transfer case).

I would consider that about $4000 over market value.

A dealer markup is typically 30-50% higher than private sale, with no more value. I specifically avoided dealers when shopping for my whip.


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What's up gang. I am about to find a time/date to go test drive this '02 SR5 and have read through countless pre-purchase guides and feel okay about this one.

Carfax has it in NY for 3 years before living in OK for the past 18 and now ending up in TX these past 2 years. This seller I have seen sell multiple 4runners that he "restores" and hoping to get any insight on it.

Price is obviously high and thinking I can bring it down to something reasonable.

2002 Toyota 4runner SR5 4wd - cars & trucks - by dealer - vehicle...

Appreciate any advice toward this! Been looking for a 3rd gen 4runner since 2016 ha! Finally in a position to purchase one.

I would grill them on why a heavily used (and likely abused) 20+ year old SUV is being sold at roughly half it's MSRP when brand new back in 2000. For that price I would expect the entire undercarriage to be completely reconditioned and sparkling.
 
I would grill them on why a heavily used (and likely abused) 20+ year old SUV is being sold at roughly half it's MSRP when brand new back in 2000. For that price I would expect the entire undercarriage to be completely reconditioned and sparkling.
Don't forget everything is worth more when there's demand for it, and our money is worth less today than 20+ years ago

So there's that, too

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This seller I have seen sell multiple 4runners that he "restores" and hoping to get any insight on it.
When searching for my 4Runner (7 months here in L.A.), I had a couple of experiences with local Toyota flippers and my conclusion is that they only perform cosmetic maintenance in order to sell to non-knowledgable buyers. Expect many things to be broken or go wrong in short order.
 
When searching for my 4Runner (7 months here in L.A.), I had a couple of experiences with local Toyota flippers and my conclusion is that they only perform cosmetic maintenance in order to sell to non-knowledgable buyers. Expect many things to be broken or go wrong in short order.
I ran into a few of those too, it's what most dealers do with a 20+ yo car, put lipstick on the pig and take it to market

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Appreciate the help fellas!

Not gunna waste my time with that one, in one of the pictures you can see a brake rotor being repainted to look nice and pretty ha!

The search continues!
 
Appreciate the help fellas!



Not gunna waste my time with that one, in one of the pictures you can see a brake rotor being repainted to look nice and pretty ha!



The search continues!
I see decent 4runner deals all the time, you just have to know what YOU are looking for and how patient you are willing to be, and how far you are willing to travel.

On the lower end, you have to know what you're willing to pay for how much work you're willing to do.

On the higher end, you have to know what your maximum spend is and what you require having been done.

I personally see no value and paying for someone else's modifications and updates, other people would rather buy an updated and modified vehicle.

I got lucky and found my 4WD unicorn with a factory e-locker and TBU that were not listed in the for sale ad but the truck had 246K and basically needs all maintenance done very soon at 300K.

I knew what I had to put into it and that's what allowed me to set a spend limit on the vehicle which luckily I was able to negotiate

A worthwhile exercise for me was making a list of all of the things I was looking for, and what were deal breakers and what was not. Maybe you should start with a similar list...
 
GEARING information discrepancy in 1999 Limited with e-locker

SR5 HIGHLANDER (Sport)

-This trim model was available from 1999 to 2000. It was never officially 'badged' as the highlander, the only place it actually says highlander is on the original window sticker. Most people simply call these Sport 4runners.

-Notable features include the standard Hood Scoop, black or wood grain interior trim pieces, cloth sport seats, color-keyed bumpers, fender flares (black SR5 flares in ’99, color-keyed limited flares in ’00), Limited '5-star' wheels, roof rack, fog lights, Larger brakes, Optional 5-speed manual transmission and optional Rear electronic locking differential. It is very common to find these with the e-locker option, but not a guarantee.

-4.10:1 diff gear ratio without elocker, 4.30:1 with elocker. (usually)

-Highlander models with the rare combination of 4x4, 5-speed, and E-locker are commonly regarded as the most ‘off-road capable' of all 3rd gen 4runners, and are very desirable.

Colors:
The highlander trim model was available in Imperial Jade Mica green and Black. In 2000, this package was additionally available in Millennium Silver.

-In 2001 the ‘Highlander’ package was removed from 4Runners and made into a completely new vehicle. The all new Toyota Highlander. The new Toyota highlander was a unibody, car-based SUV compared to the 4runner’s rugged body-on-frame design.
Resource: Toyota 4Runner Highlander Information

View attachment 264729
Photo courtesy of [MENTION=120445]genmarks[/MENTION]




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SR5 - SPORT EDITION:

-Available from 2001-2002, the Sport is the continuation of the highlander package. In 2001 it was known as the ‘Sport Package’ and in 2002 it was finally badged as the ‘Sport Edition’.

-Notable features include the standard Hood Scoop, Silver sport interior trim pieces, premium sound, cloth sport seats, color-keyed bumpers, Limited style fender flares, fog lights, keyless Entry, moon roof, roof rack, 4.10:1 Differential Gears, Larger brakes, perforated front aluminum skid plate(only on 2002) and Sport edition door badges (only on 2002).

-These Sport models, when equipped with 4x4, had the Multi-mode transfer case covered earlier. Also, since these models are only offered in 2001-2002, they unfortunately did not have the option of 5-speed, or e-locker.

Colors:
The 2001 Sport package was available in Millennium Silver, Imperial Jade Mica Green and Black.
In 2002, the Sport Edition was additionally available in Thundercloud Metallic Grey, Sunfire Red Pearl, Stellar Blue Pearl and was no longer available in Millennium Silver or Imperial Jade Mica Green.

2002_2.jpg
2002_4.jpg
tn_2002_3.jpg

Photos courtesy of J.A’s Top 4Runners.




-------------------------------

LIMITED:

-The limited is the luxury trim level of 4Runner, it was available all throughout the 3rd gen 4Runner years (1996-2002).

-Notable features include anti-theft system, leather seats, wood grain trim, moon roof, roof rack, fog lights, side body cladding, running boards, Limited style fender flares, 5-star limited wheels, Larger Brakes, 4.30:1 differential gears, and optional electronic locking Rear differential on models up to 2000.
-In 1999, Limiteds gained the standard features; Multi Mode 4wd/AWD system, Premium Sound system with 6-CD changer, Automatic Climate Control, Keyless Entry, and Integrated Garage door openers.
-In 2001, Limiteds gained the standard features; Heated Leather seats, Traction control.
-The limited did NOT have a hood scoop and was NOT available with a 5-speed manual transmission.

-The ’99-’00 limited’s with the Rear e-locker and the multi-mode 4x4 transfer case are also VERY desirable 4runners.
They were the only 4Runners with BOTH of those options.

Colors:
The limited was available in a HUGE range of colors; many of them had a 2-tone color scheme as well.



Lately, many Limited owners have been having issues with the auto climate unit. It is fixable for about $150.
Resource threads:

Climate Control - Your problems? fixes? experiences? - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
Auto climate control on 2001 only blows really hot or really cold - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum

View attachment 38964


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BASE / SR5

-In 1996, the base 4Runner's standard features included: three-way adjustable fabric bucket seats, cut pile carpeting and fabric headliner, power rear window, tinted glass, deluxe AM/FM ETR radio with four speakers, mist cycle windshield wipers, dual front cup holders, entry/exit assist grips, dual fabric sun visors with passenger vanity mirror, tachometer, trip-meter, oil pressure and voltmeter gauges.

-The SR5 model of 4runner was just a step above the base version.
Additional standard features on 4Runner SR5 models are chrome bumpers and grille, dual color-keyed outside mirrors, rear window defogger, power mirrors and door locks, digital clock, lighting package, tilt steering wheel, variable intermittent windshield and fixed intermittent rear window wipers, privacy glass, dual rear cup holder and spring back antenna.

Almost all upgrade options were available for the base and SR5 models. This includes the slender black SR5 fender flares and wider limited style flares, different types of seats, wheels, interior trim, roof rack, etc..

Colors:
The base and SR5 models were available in just about every color Toyota offered.

Resource: Toyota 4Runner History 1996


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Here is a comprehensive Color chart for all years:
4R96.png

Chart courtesy of Toyota Reference.


A 1999 Brochure
View attachment 264730

I've been ripping my hair out this evening trying to figure this out. Most posts and databases are not confident that Limited 99's with the e-lockers are geared to 4.30--such as this post saying "(usually)" by the gearing information. My rear axle code is A04A and several posts say that the 04 = 4.56 gearing. I have yet to buy back my runner from insurance so I can't check the gearing with the spinning test at the moment. Can we really not trust the information on these doorjam stickers? Fellas, I need help on figuring out 100% what gearing my runner is.
 
I've been ripping my hair out this evening trying to figure this out. Most posts and databases are not confident that Limited 99's with the e-lockers are geared to 4.30--such as this post saying "(usually)" by the gearing information. My rear axle code is A04A and several posts say that the 04 = 4.56 gearing. I have yet to buy back my runner from insurance so I can't check the gearing with the spinning test at the moment. Can we really not trust the information on these doorjam stickers? Fellas, I need help on figuring out 100% what gearing my runner is.

A04 axle code is 4.30 gearing. My last 4Runner was A04 gear code and it was 4.30 gearing.
 

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