3rd life expectancy

[4runnerfever67]

Hi! New to the forum! Just bought a 2000 4runner limited with 212,000 miles on it! Pretty happy with it, the guy i got it from took care of it well. I heard about some of the general commom problems these 3rd gens have and just was curious how long do you think they last? I have a friend that told me that the head gaskets can blow easily at about 250,000 miles on the 3rd gens because the exhaust is close which causes it to crack. I have also heard about the pink milkshake problem. How worried should i be? Planning on taking really good care of this rig. I am really enthusiastic about this forum and hoping to learn alot as well as share what i know!

Anyways on a side note let me know if there is any other issues to watch out for

Thanks

 

[gamefreakgc]

If you haven't seen this one there's a lot of answers for what you are looking for: 3rd Gen 4Runner Buyer's Guide

The crossover pipe does heat the back cylinders a little but not nearly as much as the 2nd Gen 4Runners with the 3VZ-E engine. Sometimes people get the two mixed up. Don't be worried, keep your fluids fresh and clean and most 4Runners will last over 300,000 miles. That's for the engine at least. Other things such as suspension, bushings, etc. will start to wear out but the engine should be good to you if you are good to it.

 

[3bears]

head gaskets, I think you will hear all different things, including people on this forum who have 300k and have never had a head off. I have read debates where some think that blown head gaskets could be related to using the wrong antifreeze that is corrosive....lots of opinions out there. Some say its if the car has overheated....debates a plenty.

you say its been well cared for. whats the history on timing belt, lbj and radiator.

Lower ball joints, research that, and only use Toyota only good some say for about 150k if not off roading much

radiator, don't want pink milkshake, look that up. I replaced mine preventative at 165k. Some say that's about max of life, some have gotten longer

timing belt, yours should be on its 2nd by now, and maybe do soon for its 3rd,and with it should be new water pump, tensioners , etc etc

rear wheel bearings esp seals...debate on when, some say 300k some say 200k, thought I was replacing mine preventative at 230k only to find it was well due, one seal was leaking , had not blown past the outer seal on the
sealed bearing yet, but had gotten into the bearing and it was rough

In about two weeks I will be doing the knock sensors and vc gaskets, had a knock sensor throw a code, parts will be here mid next week

otherwise GREAT rigs

 

[LittleCaesar]

Plan to be buried in it, or get it to at least 2029.

Concerning the rear axle seals, change the breather on the rear axle first to prevent those seals from leaking.

These rigs do like their OEM replacement parts, or at least those made by the parent company such as Denso.

Congrats! We do here like pics though.

 

[MaineRunna]

All Toyotas are high mileage vehicles and I am very partial to the 96-2004 ones. I have many customers with over 300k on their Carmrys, Corollas, Tacomas, 4Runners,Tundras, etc. If well taken care of and not a lemon from the start (even Toyota makes a bad one once in a while) and the rust doesn't get to it you should get 3-500k out of it. If you're worried about PMS by-pass the radiator with an external cooler. Use OEM parts for suspension and steering especially. Napa sells this line called Altrom which is OE parts. 555, Aisin, Denso is the way to go. Protect your frame!

 

[ryan93Integra]

We recently sold one that was really really well taken care of by its original owner that had 411,000 miles on it. We have another that has 354k that runs and drives great. As long as they are well maintained they will go forever.

 

[joecrotch]

I just turned over 380k and runs like a champ.

 

[96RedRunner]

96RedRunner got totaled showing 374k mi odometer worked intermittently for 2-3 yrs so I'll say it had 400k mi. Never had HG problem,
did research when I bought it with 74k mi, HG problems were on units built in 1995, 96Red built 01-96 VIN out of recall range. Maint is the key IMHO.
Radiator I changed around 300k because plastic tank top cracked, you worried about milkshake change Radiator.
Rear axle seals finally went at 340k mi, they wore out. All I ever did was make sure axle vent was working for as long as I had it.
I did the recommended interval service on it and a bit more till it went to the bone yard.
Had one unplanned cost, my fault though. Replaced AC system because I didn't change the filter/drier it broke up got in system,
$25 dollar part replacement would have saved me $1575.
Do your part, pray no one totals it for you good for your final resting place, Lol.

 

[phattyduck]

555

Just as a quick note - the 555 ball joints are NOT OEM - even if 555 makes them for Toyota, the ones you get at the parts store are not the same. Other things, like Aisin water pumps are the same...

-Charlie

 

[Mark_BC]

ONE MEEEELEEEON KM!!!

If you take care of it. There's some video on Youtube about a guy with a Tacoma that has like a million miles, same engine.

They have well known problems which can be easily fixed and you can go indefinitely. LBJ's, pink milkshake, rusting coolant lines to rear heater, axles seals, rusting frame, rusting diff pumpkin cover. Refresh it and change fuel filter, oil filter, steering fluid, suspension bushings, etc etc.

I thought I blew my head gasket because it overheated bad a few times, but it's still fine.

It's not like other cars where everything falls apart. These just have a few issues you need to be aware of.

 

[pokeyman]

I dont really maintain and truck only fix what is broken and it still going strong at 220000 miles.

 

[nobb]

Regular maintenance aside, most common high mileage mechanical issues are repairable and relatively simple to do for a guy with tools and basic mechanical ability. It just depends on how much time and money you are willing to spend. Stuff like the rear axle seals, clutch, and suspension related repairs are going to be a little more involved but not impossible especially with all the great write ups on this site.

In most cases, I think the biggest factor limiting the 4Runner's lifespan is rust. The average mileage of many 3rd gens on the road today are around the 300-400,000 km range. I see no reason why the engine and transmissions (manual and possibly autos as well) can't get another 200,000 km, which is another 10 years. In 10 years, this is going to be a 30 year old truck of which it's probably a good idea to get a newer DD with more modern safety features.

 

[MaineRunna]

Just as a quick note - the 555 ball joints are NOT OEM - even if 555 makes them for Toyota, the ones you get at the parts store are not the same. Other things, like Aisin water pumps are the same...

-Charlie

Nothing you get anywhere is the same as they put on at the factory even if you buy it from the dealer especially on American cars

 

[2000se]

same... just preventive maintenance and fixing crap that breaks with factory parts and it still runs great.. 290k-miles. Received her at birth in 2002 with 2miles!

a quick pic of me picking up some baseboard...makes me laugh every time at how i have this rigged up.. hahah

 

[Gymoutlaw]

2000 4Runner limited here 256k no issues with regular maintenance
Best suv I have ever owned. Bought it with 180k on the clock

 

[Mudeprived]

Only a small majority of the 4runner owners are on here and most do not have issues. However I have spoken to a few mechanics and friends who say it does not matter, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Jeep, some will last forever and some will blow HG's and strand you. One of the guys could not count how many head gaskets he did on 4runners and Tacomas over the years.

And of course i am one of them with a shitty 4runner. Got the pink shake, blown axle seals, head gasket, leaking engine seals, clunky steering rack, CEL'S, no starts, etc etc and I just hit 178k. It was maintained by the book at toyota since day one and babied by an old couple till I got it. I am just keeping it running as cheaply as possible till I find something better.

You might get a good one or might not but I hope it treats you better than mine has.

 

[mack10]

And of course i am one of them with a shitty 4runner. Got the pink shake, blown axle seals, head gasket, leaking engine seals, clunky steering rack, CEL'S, no starts, etc etc and I just hit 178k. It was maintained by the book at toyota since day one and babied by an old couple till I got it. I am just keeping it running as cheaply as possible till I find something better.

That's wild... so all the maintenance receipts in the world didn't even help. My 2001 with 152K was somewhat neglected but the drivetrain has been perfect since I have owned it. Doesn't burn a drop of oil, or leak anywhere for that matter, at one point leaked a bit at the valve cover gaskets at some point in it's life, has a new-ish rad so pink milkshake averted for now although the next project is a dedicated trans cooler, transmission has never skipped a beat, never left me stranded anywhere and I didn't do shit all to it for 3 years once I bought it and put it on the road. Got a CEL thats because one of the evap pipes is rotted away as it needs a new filler neck badly. Barely even changed the oil I'm sad to say. Being going nuts on the maintenance now but that's because it was near death from frame rot and I didn't want to scrap it.

With that list of issues I can't blame you for wanting to dump it. Sucks.

 

[sportscarfan]

No discredit to previous posters opinions on the head gasket issue, but I believe low octane fuel can also be an overlooked major contributor to blown head gaskets due to pre-iginition (AKA detonation). Here in CO, regular unleaded is widely available in 85, 87, and 91 octane. I noticed right away when we bought our 3rd gen in 2010 that if I fueled it with 85 octane, I could hear low RPM/high load detonation - easy to achieve with a 5-speed by short shifting.

 

[bohdanprok]

Like everyone else is saying, do the maintenance and it will last another 100k and maybe even 200k miles. The 3.4 is pretty problem free with regular maintenance.

 

[DiracSea]

3rd gen 4runner is always in the conversation when people are throwing around stories of 300k+ mile vehicles.

Over the years it seems like these forums have identified all the key issues and replacement intervals for components not mentioned in the official manual. Check the buyers guide sticky for that info. But also understand, from a manufacturing standpoint all these vehicles were built and every single component is off by some amount. Now, the brilliant toyota/lexus engineering has yielded vehicles and components well within their tight tolerances, but just by the nature of statistics a handful of people are going to get stuck with the perfect storm of components on the edge of tolerance limits.

Do the routine maintenance from the guides in the stickied posts, and then do the preventative maintenance and you should be able to sleep soundly for the next decade. Something I have noticed is just how cheap and DIY most of these maintenance items can be. You don't really see that anymore IMO