4Runner with 100k miles long term purchase?

[4Evr4RunN3R]

I bought my old 96 4runner with 165k on it. Besides a timing belt and water pump, oil changes, and a few necessary fixes along the way (nothing crazy), it drove absoulutely fine. I had 252k on it before the frame rotted away (it looked like swiss cheese) and had to get rid of it. I recently bought a 2006 SE V8 with 108k miles on it and drives like new. Again, it was a one owner vehicle that was babied and serviced by the dealership. In my experience, toyotas are a solid vehicle. They will have their problems like every other vehicle, but I wouldnt hesitae on purchasing a high milage 4runner. At 100k, the vehicle is almost broken in :thumb:

 

[CookieRoe]

Got mine with 72K miles. I'm at about 97K now. I got mine CPO, but she was a little rough (paint had no shine, oil was like soda, aftermarket oil filter, filters were filthy). Toyota Pre Certified my a$$.......... If you look at her now, I could probably convince you my rig has 30K on it. Anyway, if you can find out how the truck was serviced in the past, that would be most helpful. If not, I'm sure you'll be fine. 4Runners are amoung the most reliable trucks/suvs out there. Thanks to this forum, you will find lots of info on whatever issue you MIGHT encounter. Good Luck!

 

[lehiguy]

In the middle of January in northern Utah I wandered onto a small used car lot to look at a 2006 SR5 V6 thay had advertized. The price was very good and the car looked great, but it had 177K on it. It was early morning, still single-digit temps. It fired up without any hesitation, sputter, or even the slightest tick. I drove it around. Rock solid, absolutely silent, so I bought it. My wife's 3rd gen has 200K, my '85 FJ60 Land Cruiser sits at the side of the house with 405K. Now my 4th gen has 182k and everything works perfectly. I drive it everywhere, everyday. I did replace a rear wheel bearing which wasn't too hard, although I had to take the shaft to an experienced shop owner to press the thing apart and back together. Of the four vehicles I own, the three Toyotas have the most mileage and they are solid and reliable. The fourth, a Dodge Grand Caravan, has the least mileage and it feels like it has one foot in the grave. I don't like it or trust it. Toyotas have always been so good to me, I have no problem buying and driving one with higher miles.

 

[mortey]

Sounds like some pretty varying experiences. I'm wondering for the people that are having issues, did you have a mechanic inspect it before you bought it?

My situation for this 4Runner is through a broker. Basically, I don't see the car before I buy it but it goes through 2 inspections to make sure everything is good.

 

[MONTYMTB]

I wouldn't buy any vehicle without driving/inspecting it myself first - regardless of how many "inspections" it goes through - but that's just me. Who's inspecting it and how thorough will they be? What would they let pass as acceptable?

 

[mortey]

I understand your concerns and it's really hard to explain to people the situation but the guy who owns the business is my boss and is giving me the car at cost to him. I already bought my BMW for him and he's paid for everything that has come up with the car, even after I purchased it. You're right in that I would prefer to test drive the car myself but I don't see that being an option. He also has a lot more selection to choose from being a nationwide broker.

 

[03_4x4Runner]

I bought mine brand new in 2003. All the info I gave you was on my watch. It is a garage kept 4runner that just turned 70k miles. I did the timing belt, all cooling hoses etc. at around 50k because of age several years ago. It has never been in the shop for anything including oil changes, I do it all. The only thing I did not do was put on the lift because I was getting to old and lazy to climb under there and do it. My calipers never froze up though as other people have but I am in the dry desert in Arizona and seldom see rain and absolutely no salt on the roads. My undercarriage looks like brand new, no rust at all. As I stated my biggest concerns on mine are the transfer case leak and the speedometer going wacky after it is on several hours. I just use a portable gps to check the speedometer on long trips. The bad weather stripping and other items I can just call normal wear and tear.

 

[4RChappy]

It sounds like you are doing due diligence on your purchase which enables you to tilt possible repair costs in your favor. It does not, of course, eliminate the possibility of getting hit hard. You could do perfect research, by a 1-owner, dealer-maintained, pristine vehicle and still get hammered down the road. Unless you're a seer your not going to remove that possibility. Complete your due diligence and live with the idea that you made the best decision given all the variables.

 

[WXman]

Add exhaust manifolds and lower control arm bushings in the front end to the list of things you need to check. Both of those are known problems for Toyotas and both are incredibly expensive to repair. Unfortunately mine has both problems. The LCA bushings will freeze up and then the front end cannot be aligned at the shop, which leads to tire wear and lots of other issues.

 

[SeattleDude]

Another HUGE factor is the geographic location where the car spent most of its life.

I am mostly talking about Extreme temperature (hot/cold) and if salt/chemicals are being used on the roads during the winter months.

Best cars you can buy are on West Coast/Pacific North West. (never seen salt, always mild temps)

 

[nghiS4]

Bought my '04 with 133k miles just last month. I've never bought any used vehicle with miles this high. I figure it's a Toyota, & as long as it's been well maintained, I have less worries. And it was...One owner, local CA car, always dealer serviced every 5k miles. Nevertheless, I've drained/filled/flushed every single fluid, even though I bought from a Toyota dealer & they had just done "everything." Better to know by doing it myself, with the fluids that I choose (synthetics!).I have the clean Carfax which shows the services done. Also, you can sign up for free at Toyota's owners site:
Toyota Owners Official Web Site: Service Coupons, Owner's Manuals, Service Scheduling And More , even before purchase, & punch in the VIN & see all the services that've been done at dealerships. A clean title/Carfax/Autocheck is reassuring. Less potential issues later on down the road. Ask for those records. You can glean a lot of information from these various sources which paint a clearer picture of what the 4R's life's been like. If this is your only vehicle, the most important factor is how well maintained its been. I wouldn't risk buying any vehicle without knowing its history, if I were you. The 4R drives solid. I've owned & driven many new & used vehicles, & frankly am amazed how well my 9 year old 4R looks, feels & drives. There's someone on here with a 4th Gen with over 400k miles on his! I plan on besting that.

Also, dad has an '03 Tacoma. He bought it a few years back with 175k miles. I was opposed, but hell it's lasted. It's now got 207k. Runs strong. Had very little maintenance history. Dad changes oil whenever he remembers LOL... but it still keeps going. Another thing with high mileage used vehicles, is to be prepared to spend a little if something does go wrong. Set a little aside every month. After all, you are saving like over 66% OFF of buying it new!

Overall, I think a 4R with 100k miles is still a great vehicle. It really comes down to how it was maintained/driven/stored. CA cars should be fine. Just try to find one with one or two owners, local (CA would be good, see that you're in San Diego), service history, clean title. Oh, and one that's NOT been WHEELED by anyone other than yourself helps too.

 

[mortey]

Yeah, I'm in Southern California so the car conditions are usually pretty nice here. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Yeager_22]

Bought my 03 V8 Limited almost 2 years ago with 113k on it. It had no maintenance records and I drove 5 hours to pick it up...

The timing belt was changed at 92k, found the sticker under the hood!

This thing drives like its brand new. No squeaks, noises, or anything.
There is a little wear on the drivers seat, but that'll happen to any vehicle with leather and 100k or more.

The only issue that I've had was my power steering pump went out, BUT it was my fault, I took it out on the trails and messed it up. All worth it though!

I recommend buying a Toyota to everyone, especially a Runner.

Good luck!!

 

[happaflapp]

I purchased a '98 limited 4x2 in '05. When I picked up the vehicle it had 78k on her. I drove the crap out of that thing. I finally had to get rid of her in November of last year. I spent 3 months working in Cleveland and the roads up there finally drove the nail into coffin. In that span of time (7 years). I replaced a starter, a battery, spark plugs and wires, brakes, and tie rods. I was so impressed with the 4runner I knew my next vehicle had to be a T4R. When I got rid of her she had 254k on her. If I had the garage space and tools (and a couple of grand) I could of gotten another 100k+ out of that thing. I'm am sold on Toyota's and especially T4R's.

As long as a T4R has had proper maintenance. I wouldn't worry about one with 100k on it. It's just getting broken in.

 

[Captsolo]

Hello all,

Firstly, I would like to state that I have done months of research on my car purchase and looked at these forums as well looking to see if a car, any car, over 100k miles is an ok purchase. The general consensus is that as long as the car has been well taken care of and your mechanic oks it, it will last 200k+ miles. My question though is more of the everyday stuff that could go wrong.

I am looking at a 4Runner between 2003 & 2006 with around 100k miles. I plan on keeping this car at least until 200k miles and while I am not at all worried about the engine, I am worried about everyday stuff that could go wrong such as: insulation around doors, seats wear and tear, odd squeaks and rattles, radio going out, lift gate not working, and other things of that nature. The reason I am asking this is because I recently saw Edmunds long term test of a 1996 Lexus ES 300 and it broke down twice and spent $3,000 on repairs in just a year. The car had 130,000 miles. While I know it is not an apples to apples comparison, it did get me thinking about it.

So do you think it is an ok purchase? Have you had experience of these things breaking down on you? How much $ a year do you usually spend on your 4runner?

Thanks so much!

Book value on my 2005 4 runner is $12,000, but the car runs like new, has 140,000 miles on odo, 4 new tires, new brakes and rotors and 1caliper.

Had 3 starters in this 4 runner. Keep a new spare from amazon for $87. TheSe one AM starter in there now cost $140, but came with a lifetime warantee.

No rust on a Toyota’s in 13 years.

I recommend buying that 4 runner and price an AM starter.

Just don,t steal it!

Never had to replace the alternator, water pump, or tranny.

New Denzo AC compressor for $200. New coolant additions every 4 years. Windshield wiper blades a few time. Oil change every 6000 miles. Some parts with bushings that mechanic said to order.

Wife put 100 miles on it today shopping. Drives the car 95% of time.

Tomorrow ICheck the coolant level which is always right on. Look at the dipstick. Was golden today and at right level.