95 vs 99 safety

mbcdef

mbcdef

New member
Was researching these 2 from Nashville area:

95 - 1995 TOYOTA 4RUNNER- 4 RUNNER 4X4
99 - 1999 Toyota 4Runner

And just noticed the big difference in the safety ratings on these two. On the KBB site it shows driver side safety on the 95 as a 1 star compared to the 99 with 4 1/2.

What changed to make such a large difference in safety? Digging the 95 with only 100k on it and serviced up but...

Thanks,
Chris
 
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First of all, the 95 has a 3.0 V6 which is a crap motor and you will have to treat head gaskets as a wear item. That alone would make me chose a 96+ over a 95.

In 1996 they also updated the suspension, body, interior. I'm not sure what they did in terms of safety, but they probably added steel tube to the inside of the doors and reinforced the pillars.

the 3rd gen 4runner is very safe in my opinion. I rolled one at 45mph and all three passengers walked away without injury.
 
I had 3 2nd gens (92, two 95s, and also 3 3rd gens). The 2nd gens (90-95) didn't have air bags (big reason for low safety ratings). Consumer Reports (back then) rated driver safety as 'black' (you'll die) and passenger side as 'red/white' (you'll live with minor injuries). I assume it's because the steering gear will impale you in a crash. 3rd gens are much safer (as well as having more power, better engines, relatively few head gasket failures [vs almost 100% for 2nd gens], better ride, better mileage). Get a 3rd gen - you'll be glad you did even if you don't realize it.:)

And 2nd gens have been known to require multiple head gasket replacements (usually at around 100K)! They were also notorious for transmission overheating issues. If you're serious about it, check for brown transmission fluid - a bad sign.

Also, 2nd gens have a mess of hoses around the intake manifold and throttle body that seem to start failing due to rot about the same time, but not all at once! If you have a coolant leak, replace all the hoses and get it over with. It's a huge pain in the ___ but do them all and be done with it. There are a couple that are behind the intake by the firewall that are really a pain (literally - bloody knuckles come with the package).

BTW, the price is also pretty high for an 18-year old truck. You should be able to get into a 2000-2002 4WD for that kind of money.
 
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98OzarksRunner said:
I had 3 2nd gens (92, two 95s, and also 3 3rd gens). The 2nd gens (90-95) didn't have air bags (big reason for low safety ratings). Consumer Reports (back then) rated driver safety as 'black' (you'll die) and passenger side as 'red/white' (you'll live with minor injuries). I assume it's because the steering gear will impale you in a crash. 3rd gens are much safer (as well as having more power, better engines, relatively few head gasket failures [vs almost 100% for 2nd gens], better ride, better mileage). Get a 3rd gen - you'll be glad you did even if you don't realize it.:)

And 2nd gens have been known to require multiple head gasket replacements (usually at around 100K)! They were also notorious for transmission overheating issues. If you're serious about it, check for brown transmission fluid - a bad sign.

Also, 2nd gens have a mess of hoses around the intake manifold and throttle body that seem to start failing due to rot about the same time, but not all at once! If you have a coolant leak, replace all the hoses and get it over with. It's a huge pain in the ___ but do them all and be done with it. There are a couple that are behind the intake by the firewall that are really a pain (literally - bloody knuckles come with the package).

BTW, the price is also pretty high for an 18-year old truck. You should be able to get into a 2000-2002 4WD for that kind of money.
Click to expand...

The truck in the ad is what they call a 95.5 3rd gen, not a '95 2nd gen. I'm guessing the safety ratings refer to the 2nd gen '95 4Runners. Both generations were sold as 1995's.
 
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TheDurk said:
The truck in the ad is what they call a 95.5 3rd gen, not a '95 2nd gen. I'm guessing the safety ratings refer to the 2nd gen '95 4Runners. Both generations were sold as 1995's.
Click to expand...

The truck in the ad (the 95 - ad is remove now) was a 2nd gen 95 (I read the ad and looked at the pics, and I can tell a 2nd from a 3rd ;):).
 
mbcdef said:
There were 3rd gen '95's? How can you tell?
Click to expand...

The body style is different (as well as interior and engine). I think technically the 96's came out early so they are sometimes called '95 1/2s' (like the 64 1/2 Mustang is really a 65 model year but since it came out in April it is referred to as a 64 1/2). The 95 in the ad is a 2nd gen (body style/interior/3.0L engine) and the 99 in the ad is a 3rd gen (body style/interior/3.4L engine).
 
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TheDurk said:
The truck in the ad is what they call a 95.5 3rd gen, not a '95 2nd gen. I'm guessing the safety ratings refer to the 2nd gen '95 4Runners. Both generations were sold as 1995's.
Click to expand...

When the Tacoma first came out, it was called a '95.5 model year vehicle. I drove the first V6, 4wd, 5-speed, Extra Cab that my dealer got in. The new 5VZFE was a big improvement in power over the 3VZE in my '93 SR5, V6, Extra Cab, 4wd that I had at the time.

The 3rd gen 4Runner was new for the '96 model year. There was no '95.5 model year 4Runner.

A '95 4Runner was a 2nd gen only.
 
OK, I stand corrected. I confess I am not that familiar with the earlier 3G's or the 2G's, but it looked like a 3G to me. Too bad I can't look again but I'll accept the verdict.
 
I've had a '95 and am now in an '01. The '95 was only two years old when I got it and the '01 was eleven years old when I acquired it. Even with the age difference (and way more miles on the '01), I can tell you that the '01 is a vastly better vehicle. Handling, stability, power and fuel economy are all worlds better. Just my $.02
 
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