Advice needed for a used 2007 4Runner pls,

[Tonybrasco]

Hi guys,
I am looking at a 2007 4Runner 4wd SR5. It has 73K miles and is from a private owner. The seller is the second owner (purchased it at 40K) and has serviced at a Toyota dealer since then. He is asking for $15,900 but I hope to pay 15k. I am meeting him next Sunday. What do you think about this deal? Any advice? Here is the list of specs:
V6
POWER LOCKS
SUNROOF
CD AUDIO
AIR CONDITIONING
CRUISE CONTROL
CLOTH SEATS
4WD/AWD
RUNNING BOARDS
TOW HITCH
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
POWER WINDOWS
AM/FM STEREO
AUXILIARY AUDIO INPUT
REAR DEFROSTER
ABS BRAKES
POWER MIRRORS
FULL ROOF RACK
ALLOY WHEELS

Thanks so much.

 

[WXman]

Assuming that it's in perfect mechanical condition with no leaks and funny noises and isn't needing anything right now, I would say that's a much more fair price than most of the threads you see on here. Some guys are like "Hey, dealer X wants $25K for this 6 year old 4R...is that a good deal??" and you just have to chuckle. But $15K is a very fair price I think. Even $16K is fair with that mileage. If maintained, it should be a great SUV while you're making payments on it at that price.

 

[jimithing]

Get the VIN and go register at the Toyota Owners website - it should show you any service that's been done at a Toyota Dealer, including oil changes.

15.9k seems like a pretty good deal - at least around me it is.

If you're going to test drive it make sure it shifts into 4WD properly. Also make sure the differential locks properly. If either of those is broken you're looking at an expensive repair.

Also, it wouldn't hurt to have a mechanic look it over for piece of mind. Verify that the brake calipers aren't seized. It's a common problem in 4th gens where salt is used on the roads.

 

[RosaRunner]

I paid the same amount for my 2007 not to long ago and I couldn't be happier, my 4runner was in darn near perfect condition

 

[b-ryan]

Last year I paid $9,500 for my 03 4runner sr5 v6 4x4 with 48k, and in perfect condition. While I think I got an awesome deal, I don't think $15k is unreasonable for an 07 4runner with 70k. Just run the vin number on toyota owners site to see what was done and what is needed to be done.

 

[Tonybrasco]

As Jimithing suggested, I registered the vin number. The service record looks great except there was nothing between 41k and 61k and check engine light was on at 65k. It was due to charcoal canister going bad and it was replaced.

 

[b-ryan]

...check engine light was on at 65k. It was due to charcoal canister going bad and it was replaced.

That's odd, I haven't heard of those going bad. I've heard of people removing them to "increase hp". Also, the main reason the check engine light comes on is for an oil change. Sometimes they don't reset the light after an oil change. And I believe that's what the owners manual says too. But I could be wrong...

In any case, it still sounds like a good deal.

 

[having fun]

That's odd, I haven't heard of those going bad. I've heard of people removing them to "increase hp". Also, the main reason the check engine light comes on is for an oil change. Sometimes they don't reset the light after an oil change. And I believe that's what the owners manual says too. But I could be wrong...

In any case, it still sounds like a good deal.

The Maintance light will come on if no oil change, there preset on miles for reset.

The engine light will come on if any calibrated numbers are different than what spects are in the main computer system. So above charcoal canister is norm on the light.

To the OP- As long as they did the 60k service, you should be good and your coming to the 75k service now, just get all fluids changed and service. your still under low mileage to not to worry.

15K is toward the high reasonable side for your listing. As above stated no clunks, and make sure the 4hi,4lo, and center differential cycles and functions correctly and have a mechanic you trust give it a run through.
Check all gauges and electrical components to function.

 

[LTDSC]

15K is toward the high reasonable side for your listing. As above stated no clunks, and make sure the 4hi,4lo, and center differential cycles and functions correctly and have a mechanic you trust give it a run through.
Check all gauges and electrical components to function.

this is a huge one. I checked 4lo on mine but didnt check the center diff lock. Just paid the price for that. Price like he stated sounds pretty fair maybe a little high but it all depends on the condition of it and how you feel when you're in front of it.

 

[sonerick]

That's odd, I haven't heard of those going bad. I've heard of people removing them to "increase hp". Also, the main reason the check engine light comes on is for an oil change. Sometimes they don't reset the light after an oil change. And I believe that's what the owners manual says too. But I could be wrong...

In any case, it still sounds like a good deal.

This is a little bit off topic, but people don't remove the charcoal canister to increase horsepower. The charcoal canister is part of the evap. system and essentially functions to trap vapors from the fuel system and recycle them while the engine is running. The charcoal canister can go bad when a vehicle is repeatedly overfilled with fuel. If you removed the charcoal canister, you would end up triggering all sorts of warning lights on the dash. I think you might be getting confused with the charcoal filter on the intake.

Also, as mentioned above, the check engine light does not come on for an oil change. There is a maint. light that will trigger after X amount of miles to remind you to change your oil, but this is different than the check engine light.

Just wanted to clear up some of that misinformation.

 

[Tonybrasco]

I don't know any mechanic since the car is located in a different town. I am thinking to have it checked out at Toyota dealer. We will have to meet some other day since their service department is closed on Sundays. By the way, Carfax auto check score is 94. Not sure if it really means anything though.

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

I don't know any mechanic since the car is located in a different town. I am thinking to have it checked out at Toyota dealer. We will have to meet some other day since their service department is closed on Sundays. By the way, Carfax auto check score is 94. Not sure if it really means anything though.

I like AutoCheck more than CarFax.

If he doesn't let you take it to the dealer or drive it, turn and RUN as fast as you can.

 

[Tonybrasco]

I am a proud owner now!

Hey guys,
I can't believe I own a 4runner now. I met with the guy on Monday, drove the vehicle, no noise, no rattling, very smooth. All electrical gadgets, differential locks, 4d high and low work. Took the vehicle to Toyota for a 28 p. inspection. It passed the inspection with flying colors except back brakes will need to be replaced next Spring and one of the tire sensors is broken. Not a big deal. The guy was asking $15,900 and we agreed on 15K. Paid the guy, got the title, registered the car and voila. I am a proud owner now. Just ordered new OEM spark plugs, engine and cabin air filter. It looks very easy to install all of them, not sure about spark plugs though. Toyota charges $160 to replace the broken sensor too. Anyway, thank you for all your help. I've attached couple pics.

 

[4Evr4RunN3R]

Congrats on the 4runner!! Youre gonna love it!! Very reliable and dependable truck. Treat it right, get the necessary maintenance done and you'll enjoy it for years to come.

 

[OrdnanceMarine]

Congrats!

One suggestion if you still have time to make the change: go with the iridium plugs from Denso or NGK that are speced for the engine. I believe the stock plugs are copper plugs which are fine but need replacement more often. The iridium plugs will last longer and perform very slightly better.

Also, you'll probably need to do a once over on all of the fluids. Just had my water pump fail at 55k miles and there was a lot of black flaking inside the coolant. I was not impressed! Toyota claims 10 years/100k miles on their factory fill. Consider flushing and refilling the cooling system, bleeding fresh fluid through the brakes if the fluid is at all discolored, flushing the transmission if it still has the factory fill in it and install a transmission cooler if you plan on towing or even if you plan on off-roading anywhere with steep terrain. You'll also need to check the transfer case, front and rear diffs and get familiar with all of the greasing points on the drivetrain.

Enjoy and let us know how it all pans out!

 

[kevinpt]

just take it to a tire shop for the sensor. i payed $103 out the door for mine

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

Here is what I would do:

A full paint restoration & detail. My paint restoration took 2 days, but I had to try and avoid the cladding. I washed, clay barred the went at it with a orbital buffer/ polisher. after that sealed it up with 3 coats of wax and went on with the rest of the detail.

I would then go and do any maintenance and flush all fluids for piece of mind. I wouldn't do the transmission since yours is sealed, but all others are good to do. Just be sure you're putting the right fluid in the right place!

You got a good price too. Just for a perspective, I bought my 2003 SR5 V8 2WD in October 2011 for 15,578 with 55,777 miles from Carmax. It was clean, not a dent, scratch or stain on the interior. It's pretty basic but it's less stuff to break and more for me to have fun with for longer! You'll really enjoy yours, they're great trucks.

By the way, is it Nautical Blue or Black? I can't tell from the pictures.

 

[OrdnanceMarine]

Here is what I would do:

A full paint restoration & detail. My paint restoration took 2 days, but I had to try and avoid the cladding. I washed, clay barred the went at it with a orbital buffer/ polisher. after that sealed it up with 3 coats of wax and went on with the rest of the detail.

I would then go and do any maintenance and flush all fluids for piece of mind. I wouldn't do the transmission since yours is sealed, but all others are good to do. Just be sure you're putting the right fluid in the right place!

If you bought a used 4Runner for what a good used 4Runner is really for I'd skip doing anything serious to the paint unless you have tons of time to kill. Go get it dirty, add a few scratches to it so you have some stories to tell and take good care of the mechanicals and it will provide you with lots of utility and fun for years to come.

And having a sealed transmission does NOT mean you can change the maintenance routine from the traditional dipstick equopped version. It only makes it a big pain to do a proper drain and flush. If you want your transmiasion to last and you do anyhing oher than highway commutes I would drain and flush it if it has not been done yet. From there you can gauge how often to change the fluid. More often if you tow, probably 100k miles if you are very easy on it and never heat it up. My transmission used oil analysis was alarming at under 50k miles and the truck had had an easy life up until then. You need to flush the break-in grit out of there or your wear rate will remain high.

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

If you bought a used 4Runner for what a good used 4Runner is really for I'd skip doing anything serious to the paint unless you have tons of time to kill. Go get it dirty, add a few scratches to it so you have some stories to tell and take good care of the mechanicals and it will provide you with lots of utility and fun for years to come.

And having a sealed transmission does NOT mean you can change the maintenance routine from the traditional dipstick equopped version. It only makes it a big pain to do a proper drain and flush. If you want your transmiasion to last and you do anyhing oher than highway commutes I would drain and flush it if it has not been done yet. From there you can gauge how often to change the fluid. More often if you tow, probably 100k miles if you are very easy on it and never heat it up. My transmission used oil analysis was alarming at under 50k miles and the truck had had an easy life up until then. You need to flush the break-in grit out of there or your wear rate will remain high.

I was trying to say don't do it unless you know what you're doing. I enjoy my 2003 with a usual dip stick. Easy to service. My transmission fluid is still nice and red and doesn't smell burnt do I'm not worrying about it until I do the timing belt in a few thousand miles.

I'll restore my paint if I want to. I don't like scratches and if I want to keep my truck looking good and clean, I will. I don't live in a trashy house and I won't drive a trashy truck either.

 

[Tonybrasco]

Thank you guys very much for your wonderful advice. I am really not a DIY type of person when it comes to cars. I don't know much about them so I will probably have to pay someone to do all of the things on the list. I won't do any towing and off roading except occasional hunting trips. I don't think any of the fluids were changed before. Just to make sure I understand what I have to do, transmission oil, coolant and brake fluids need to be flushed; broken tire sensor to be replaced; spark plugs to be replaced; detail (optional). Would any mechanic handle all of these or should I go to Toyota? Wifey will kill me for spending more money on this in addition to thousands I spent on my firearms:bash: