A good deal?: aka "another, noob thread?"

Riders of Lohan

Riders of Lohan

New member
Hey everyone.

Been lurking for awhile on this site - great info. Loved the stickies and the community as a whole seems pretty cool.

I've posted on VWvortex/NASIOC/outback/forester forums. I like car communities.

Looking at picking up a 4runner. Long story short, I have an 80lb dog from a failed relationship (GF had the "dog car) and I'm now stuck with a beautiful Legacy 3.0r that he is destroying. I need a car I can be passionate about and love owning - 4Runners have always interested me and I think for the price I can have alot of fun.

TLDR

Used 2000 Toyota 4Runner Limited (Silver SUV) Chicago

Here's the 4runner I'm looking at. I would like to have a bulletproof SUV that I can throw my life ( and dog) into and drive across the country. I would like to mod it lightly as well.

Im in the midwest - If I get to the dealer and notice rust, how much is too much? What can I do if it's not too bad? Can you cover rust with some spraypaint and at least slow down the damage?

2000 Limited, 4WD, doubt it has the rear diff lock.
113k miles
8.9k sticker.
timing belt is unkown, I'm assuming I would have to replace.

Would be looking at timing belt, LBJ's, tranny, coolant, and F/R Diff flushes. All these should be ~1k? Should I stick with Toyota for maint?

Am I being dumb by spending 9k (basically my max) when I can spend 7 and do more maintenance?

Thanks in advance.
 
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As with any other vehicular purchase - buy the best you can afford. $9,000 is probably a bit high for that unless it's really perfect. It's pretty clean from the photos aside from the driver's seat wear and that odd wear spot in the carpet in the back seat area. These were expensive vehicles new, so most of them seem to have been maintained fairly well. That said, dealers can do wonders detailing a car to prep it for sale. It might have the diff lock - can't tell from the photos. That was a relatively common option on Limiteds.

Rust - if it has spent most of its life in salty places (and it has from the Carfax), it's going to be rusty underneath. Toyota did a very iffy job of rust proofing these. It's hard to say how much rust is too much rust, but the worst places are usually structural seams and the main rails (toward the back, just in front of the rear tires on the inside, if that makes sense). I'd google 4Runner rust for photos - lots out there. If you're patient, you can probably find one that has lived in the Southwest, but most here are 2WD.

Major issues - Yeah, the timing belt/water pump is a costly maintenance item that is often neglected. It's due at 90k (I believe) for a 2000. There might be a sticker somewhere toward the front of the engine (on the plastic covering) that will indicate if it has been performed. If not, figure $700-900 if you have a dealer do it, or $500 for most independents. I think it is under $100 in parts if you want to tackle it on your own.

Otherwise, google "strawberry milkshake 4runner" for the next most prevalent buying concern.

You can plug the VIN into Toyota's website to see if there are any dealer service records on it. Also, you might be able to get the dealer to contact the previous owner on your behalf.

Toyota Owners Official Website: Service Coupons, Owners Manuals, Service Scheduling and More
 
2002tii said:
As with any other vehicular purchase - buy the best you can afford. $9,000 is probably a bit high for that unless it's really perfect. It's pretty clean from the photos aside from the driver's seat wear and that odd wear spot in the carpet in the back seat area. These were expensive vehicles new, so most of them seem to have been maintained fairly well. That said, dealers can do wonders detailing a car to prep it for sale. It might have the diff lock - can't tell from the photos. That was a relatively common option on Limiteds.

Rust - if it has spent most of its life in salty places (and it has from the Carfax), it's going to be rusty underneath. Toyota did a very iffy job of rust proofing these. It's hard to say how much rust is too much rust, but the worst places are usually structural seams and the main rails (toward the back, just in front of the rear tires on the inside, if that makes sense). I'd google 4Runner rust for photos - lots out there. If you're patient, you can probably find one that has lived in the Southwest, but most here are 2WD.

Major issues - Yeah, the timing belt/water pump is a costly maintenance item that is often neglected. It's due at 90k (I believe) for a 2000. There might be a sticker somewhere toward the front of the engine (on the plastic covering) that will indicate if it has been performed. If not, figure $700-900 if you have a dealer do it, or $500 for most independents. I think it is under $100 in parts if you want to tackle it on your own.

Otherwise, google "strawberry milkshake 4runner" for the next most prevalent buying concern.

You can plug the VIN into Toyota's website to see if there are any dealer service records on it. Also, you might be able to get the dealer to contact the previous owner on your behalf.

Toyota Owners Official Website: Service Coupons, Owners Manuals, Service Scheduling and More
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info+resources.

What would you pay for this car? I don't plan on paying sticker unless I have them throw in basically all the maintenance I want done.
 
Riders of Lohan said:
Thanks for the info+resources.

What would you pay for this car? I don't plan on paying sticker unless I have them throw in basically all the maintenance I want done.
Click to expand...

Probably 7500-8000, depending on condition. It looks like a nice one, but there are plenty of 4Runners out there if you're not in a hurry. I took my time and found a private party 2002 recently.

I had a 2000 Limited back in 2000 that I loved. Bought my current one to fulfill much the same needs as yours (although we don't have a dog right now). Really happy to be back in the 4R fold. Only thing I'll say about a Limited in particular - the leather Toyota uses doesn't hold up real well. Gets really stiff over time. You can definitely tell where Toyota cut costs with the 4Runners, but they are pretty stout vehicles overall. Hold up a lot better than an equivalent Grand Cherokee or Discovery, that's for sure (I've owned two Grand Cherokees - loved 'em, but man do they fall apart!).
 
2002tii said:
Probably 7500-8000, depending on condition. It looks like a nice one, but there are plenty of 4Runners out there if you're not in a hurry. I took my time and found a private party 2002 recently.

I had a 2000 Limited back in 2000 that I loved. Bought my current one to fulfill much the same needs as yours (although we don't have a dog right now). Really happy to be back in the 4R fold. Only thing I'll say about a Limited in particular - the leather Toyota uses doesn't hold up real well. Gets really stiff over time. You can definitely tell where Toyota cut costs with the 4Runners, but they are pretty stout vehicles overall. Hold up a lot better than an equivalent Grand Cherokee or Discovery, that's for sure (I've owned two Grand Cherokees - loved 'em, but man do they fall apart!).
Click to expand...

noted.

I hear you on the leather - that said, all the cloth seats I've seen thus far look pretty bad after 10+ years..
 
Not all. I've got a 2000 4Runner and the cloth seats are in literally perfect condition. :) They ARE out there.
 
Depending on condition, that's not a bad price at all; I paid $7200 for a 2000 SR5 Highlander with 14K less miles, but that *looks* to be in good shape. Might be worth checking out.
 
I think the price is good, and has very low miles for the year. Being in Chicago, I would also check very thoroughly for rust. 4runners and tacomas seem to rust out really bad in the Northern states.
 
 
I'm in the NW burbs of Chicago. According to carfax, my truck has been in this area its whole life (it was purchased new at Schaumburg Toyota) and has VERY minimal rust on the undercarriage. Nice trucks in this area are out there. If you find one you really like, see if you can test drive it for the day and swing it by my house. I'll go over it with a fine tooth comb with you. Also check craigslist, there's quite a few around here with good prices.
 
Kung said:
Depending on condition, that's not a bad price at all; I paid $7200 for a 2000 SR5 Highlander with 14K less miles, but that *looks* to be in good shape. Might be worth checking out.
Click to expand...

audiness said:
I think the price is good, and has very low miles for the year. Being in Chicago, I would also check very thoroughly for rust. 4runners and tacomas seem to rust out really bad in the Northern states.
Click to expand...

downpour11 said:
Try these links:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/130928-rust-prevention-product-experience.html

Permalink: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/129458-4-runner-2002-under-carriage-rust.html#post1230374

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/detailing/115882-stopping-rust.html
Click to expand...

Thanks!

BlackCat914 said:
I'm in the NW burbs of Chicago. According to carfax, my truck has been in this area its whole life (it was purchased new at Schaumburg Toyota) and has VERY minimal rust on the undercarriage. Nice trucks in this area are out there. If you find one you really like, see if you can test drive it for the day and swing it by my house. I'll go over it with a fine tooth comb with you. Also check craigslist, there's quite a few here with good prices.
Click to expand...


Wow, great offer. PM me your number?


Also: should I be concerned if it looks like this truck was auctioned out if NY/PA area?
 
Truck looks great with low miles as others have mentioned....
IMO-> keep searching, this one has a very strange CARFAX report (I can send it to you) I typically shy away from any vehicle that have passed through an auto auction, Yikes !! Also shows a title correction at one point ??

Quite a few here in Colorado that would interest you...and you will not have the dreaded Corroded/rusty parts list.

One example:..............
5sp diff/loc
2000 Toyota 4runner SR5 4WD 5sp

EDIT: no diff/loc
 
Last edited:
howdy said:
Truck looks great with low miles as others have mentioned....
IMO-> keep searching, this one has a very strange CARFAX report (I can send it to you) I typically shy away from any vehicle that have passed through an auto auction, Yikes !! Also shows a title correction at one point ??

Quite a few here in Colorado that would interest you...and you will not have the dreaded Corroded/rusty parts list.

One example:..............
5sp diff/loc
2000 Toyota 4runner SR5 4WD 5sp

EDIT: no diff/loc
Click to expand...

I saw the carfax. I dont understand whats up with the title? Looks like it happened when i was bought by this dealer. Is that normal after it moves to another state for sale?
Other than that, don't dealers often auction cars?

Does CO not use salt?
 
Riders of Lohan said:
I saw the carfax. I dont understand whats up with the title? Looks like it happened when i was bought by this dealer. Is that normal after it moves to another state for sale?
Other than that, don't dealers often auction cars?

Does CO not use salt?
Click to expand...

it is EXTREMELY common to have a car bought or sold at auction at some point. If a dealership didn't take the car in on trade, and it's used, it most likely came from the auction. Lots of really nice cars come from them, but lots of really poopy cars do too.
 
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