4Runner with 100k miles long term purchase?

[mortey]

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!

 

[NJshadow93]

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!

I bought my '06 last summer with 109,500 miles. It is now just under 117,000 miles and I plan on keeping it forever. It is very tight and solid and in no way feels like a truck with over 100k on it. No rattles, creaks, and interior looks brand new. If something goes wrong, I'll fix it or get it fixed without letting it escalate to something else. Miles on a Toyota, especially a 4Runner, don't mean as much as how it was maintained. My truck had no maintenance history but it was such a good deal that I couldn't pass it up. No regrets, and I'm glad I did it.

 

[LTDSC]

I bought my 2003 with 97k miles. Its around 100,600 miles and all ive done is oil changes and filters. Its been the least maintenance necessary used vehicle i've owned. Granted previous maintenance was kept up and great. The interior and the whole car feels like brand new. Even my friends thought it was brand new, NOT ten years old.

I would do it again if i had the chance.

 

[Icepuck72]

I've owned all Toyotas. I just bought a '06 with 96k and will be with me for a very long time. There are no other car makers that I would even come close to buying with that many miles. However, having owned Toyotas, 100k is nothing. Now, in my 99 Tacoma which had 214k miles on it, the passenger side power window went bad.

 

[mortey]

That's good to hear!

Is there anyone that bought their 4Runner at 100k miles and have had it for a few years? Curious about what kind of non scheduled repairs need to be done

 

[MikeInNH]

My 05 4runner has over 230k miles on it. I've had two problems...one of which I just ignored.

1 - Reoccurring problem with front calipers. On my third set now. If you do it yourself like many of us here..then the cost is minimum. And some parts stores offer a life time warranty on the calipers.

2 - At 171k miles my OD reset itself. I personally know one other person this happened to..and it happened to several other people on this forum. I've done NOTHING about it. My OD is now reading over 62k miles. And when I sell it I'll inform the potential buyer what the mileage actually is.

 

[Icepuck72]

Just make sure if you buy one around that mileage, that owner has done the timing belt replacement. I bought mine at 96k, and they had done it at 87k.

 

[mortey]

Yeah, I'm not at all worried about the scheduled maintenance stuff. I'm more worried about the random stuff that could go wrong with a car with this mileage.

 

[03_4x4Runner]

Here is an old post. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/137707-end-road.html I personally would not buy any vehicle with that many miles but I can afford to buy some thing with less miles. Maybe if I were just using it around town for short trips but here in the desert when it is 115 degrees in the middle of no where I want something I trust a little better. There was a post on here a while back where someones ball joint broke on a high mileage 4runner and the wheel about feel off. Fuel pumps do not last for ever either. If you like to work on things then have at it. If you want something to drive another 5 years with minimal hassle then get something with lower mile in my opinion.

 

[mortey]

Here is an old post. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/137707-end-road.html I personally would not buy any vehicle with that many miles but I can afford to buy some thing with less miles. Maybe if I were just using it around town for short trips but here in the desert when it is 115 degrees in the middle of no where I want something I trust a little better. There was a post on here a while back where someones ball joint broke on a high mileage 4runner and the wheel about feel off. Fuel pumps do not last for ever either. If you like to work on things then have at it. If you want something to drive another 5 years with minimal hassle then get something with lower mile in my opinion.

Thanks for the post! I appreciate that link. Maybe he just got really unlucky? I will wait to hear from some more people about their issues.

I would LOVE to buy a lower mile 4Runner but I am paying cash (I HATE the idea of having a monthly payment, never have had one before) so I need to stick within a certain budget, which a lower mile 4runner is not an option. I've looked at other SUVs but nothing really compares to the features and reliability (and looks!) of the 4th generation 4Runner.

 

[Fleethammer]

Bought mine with 117K. Now has 134K on it. Only issues are ones I caused myself. The thread about unloading the vehicle because of too many problems sounds like an over-reaction. All that stuff is normal wear and tear and at least two items- cracked exhaust manifold and seized calipers, are known issues with this vehicle.

 

[rsimpson]

I've got a 2004 Limited V8 2WD. I purchased it used in early 2009 with 45k miles and I now have 113k miles on it. I have not had any unscheduled maintenance costs yet. I have noticed that the transmission shifts a bit roughly from 1st to 2nd and there is a slight RPM jump/slipping from 4th to 5th when very gradually accelerating (minimal load on the transmission).

The rough shift from 1st to 2nd I noticed very early on in my ownership and the slight slipping I noticed more than 30k miles ago. Neither seem to have gotten worse, so I'll remain cautiously optimistic.

I've really enjoyed my 4Runner and I hope to for at least another couple years.

 

[coreyray7]

I just bought mine (06 sport 2wd 4.0L) a week ago with 158k on it. It's solid. Like someone has said before, it's all about how well it has been taken care of. I plan on doing all the maintenance myself. I've already ordered swaybar bushings. Next will be all the other bushings and bearing. Just preventative stuff. It still drives like a dream. When I bought it I told the dealer I wanted them to change all the fluids. Oil had already been done when they got it in, but they also did the tranny, rear end, and radiator as well for me all included in the price, previously settled for before I told them I wanted that done and before I told them I was paying cash.

 

[MONTYMTB]

I have a '99 Limited 4WD that I purchased in '01 with 85k, and it now has a little over 350k on it. Other than mostly minor stuff here and there and a blown head gasket (repaired, running great since) at around 300k, it has been rock solid. My mother totaled her '02 last year, and we replaced it with an '04 with around 100k on it. Her new one looks, feels and drives like it is still brand new - very solid. Other than regular maintenance, all I've had to do to hers is replace a couple of bulbs behind the climate control on the center console. If I were looking at a Runner that had around 100k and my mechanic said that it checked out, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to jump on it if the price were right.

 

[03_4x4Runner]

Also look through this post. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...-considering-buying-4th-gen-massive-post.html

 

[MaliciousClout]

For what it's worth, bought my 05 V6 SE with 113K on it.

Oil changes, tires, alignment after Daystar lift.


Has 208K now. No issues. :humble:

 

[WXman]

Mine has 105,000 on it now. Just bought it a month ago. First Toyota ever. In the past I've had GM, Ford, and Chrysler products...both new and used.

This toyota has leaking CVs, cracked exhaust manifolds, frozen drain plugs and nuts all over the undercarriage, lights that had to be replaced, a few rattles, all 4 brake calipers replaced or rebuilt, TPMS sensor replaced, hood struts stopped working, and a few other things. In my experience, "american" brand 4x4s with similar mileage would have the same or fewer problems. Now that I've had time to become aquainted fully with the 4R I think that the Toyota superior quality idea is a myth.

However, this is still a solid vehicle and my plan is to put as many miles as I possibly can on this ride. I will have it paid for around 185,000 and I hope to go to 300,000 at least before I retire it. If maintained, it should make it fine.

 

[mortey]

Thanks both WXman and MaliciousClout for your thoughts on the 4Runner!

Interesting that both of you have had such varrying experiences with the suv...is this normal for people to experience? MaliciousClout, did you have yours inspected prior to your purchasing it? Did you know it would have those issues?

 

[03_4x4Runner]

Some 4runners will go forever others will not. The problem can be that some repairs down the road cost a lot of money compared to older vehicles. There was a guy on here a while back that had ac problems, cost $2500. The exhaust manifolds are expensive when they crack on the V8s, there have been quit a few V6 head gasket failures, my speedometer starts reading very low after around 5 hours on the road and may be getting worse, another poster said he was quoted around $2500 to get it fixed, my transfer case actuator leaks, another $2500 fix but I just made a catch pan for it instead of fixing it since my 4runner sees minimal use now at 70k miles. The rear hatch motor eventually quits working. I had to replace 3 or 4 weather strips on the outside windows due to dry rotting, same will happen to cv boots and any rubber item. As cars become more complex they will cost more to keep all features working especially once they get to be 11 to 12 years old. Eventually the cost to repair some of these items is not worth it. As I said many may never have a problem and other will. Some of these items happen no matter how well the vehicle is maintained, what could I have done any different to keep my speedometer from acting up at around 65K? There have been other post with people having this problem and I suspect more will as time goes by. I still think a Toyota will a lot longer than most but it is still going to wear out.

 

[mortey]

Gosh! Those are frightening repair costs!! I thought that only transmission related repairs could be $2,500. My goodness! Now I'm really questioning getting something with this amount of high miles.