Are the 2nd gen 4Runners significantly less reliable than 3rd gen?

[Henrythewound]

I am ready to buy a used 4Runner and I really like the look of the 2nd gen (I love the tailgate vs the hatch) although I get the impression that the 3.0 L v6 of the 2nd gen is more prone to problems than the 3.4 of the 3rd. I live in Tucson, AZ and it seems as though all the 3rd gen runners currently for sale have just as many miles on them as the older 2nd gen Runners I have been checking out. Basically, I am asking all of you who have more experience than I do regarding Toyotas for your opinion on this matter.

My ideal 4Runner is a v6 4WD w/ manual transmission (I might have to compromise and get an auto). I like both the 2nd and 3rd gen but I tend to like the look and feel of the 2nd gen a bit more.

I will be selling my truck to fund this purchase and should have about 11k to spend. Im thinking this means I will be able to buy a ~problem free 3rd gen or a 2nd gen that may require some work. The lower price of the 2nd gen should leave me with some money to fix it up while the price of the 3rd gen will likely eat up most if not all of my spending money.

Any opinions are welcome, I will hopefully be posting pics of my 4Runner on this board soon.

Thx,
Joe

 

[GatorGreg]

Hey Joe, if you search for "recall" in the Classic T4R subforum you will find info about the head gasket recall for many of the 2nd gens (there was also another recall related to the steering rod). That's all I'm aware of.

I recently looked at a lot of 2nd and 3rd gen 4Runners when shopping for mine - I had $10K budgeted and I came very close to buying a pristine '95 Limited (last 2nd gen year and first year of the Limited), but it was sold before I could get it Like you I prefered the classic look of the 2nd gen, but then I started test driving some 3rd gens and IMO it's a much nicer drive. The additional hp and torque of the 3.4 makes a big difference IMO. This site provides a nice summary of improvements of the '96 3rd gen compared to the '95 2nd gen: http://www.top4runners.com/ja/runhist31996.html

But if you have your heart set on a 2nd gen I say go for it. I think I would have been very happy with the one I almost got.

 

[Henrythewound]

Thanks for the links. Yes the head gasket is what I remember reading about in the 2nd gen 4Runners. This will be my daily driver and I want to take some nice road trips in it as well, so perhaps the 96 and up 4Runners is what I should be looking at. I hear there is a difference between the 96-98 and 99-02 4Runners as well, although it may just be mostly cosmetic, anyone know details?

I tend to put low miles on my vehicles (the '02 GMC Sierra I will be selling only has 40k) so when I see '00 4Runners with 120k on them I am surprised. Ideally I would be able to find a well-maintained 4Runner with under 100k thats already had the timing belt replaced etc. We'll see what turns up.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[GatorGreg]

I hear there is a difference between the 96-98 and 99-02 4Runners as well, although it may just be mostly cosmetic, anyone know details?

Yes mostly cosmetic and convenience features. Go to the same link in my earlier post and click on 1999 and it will show you the changes for that year. Good luck with your search - I found lots of good 4Runners to choose from at autotrader.com and ebay.

 

[Henrythewound]

Thanks again, I have never bought a car from eBay and would be really nervous to do so. Unless it was a SMOKING deal I would not want to buy a car sight unseen. Thanks for the tips, anyone else have a comment on 2nd vs 3rd gen?

Joe

 

[GatorGreg]

I've never bought a car on ebay either, here's the one I almost got: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...RK:MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=180030136909&rd=1,1

They had good feedback and I had my buddy Thai check it out for me since he lives near that dealer but it got sold just before I was gonna do the buy it now

 

[MrWhite96]

I would recommend the 3rd generation over the 2nd generation. My family has had an '89, '94, '95, '96, '97, '01 and '02 4Runners, and while I learned to drive in the '94, I love the '96 the best.

There's not much price difference between the early 3rd generation 4Runners (96-98) and the later 2nd generation ones. But to me, the 3rd gens are more comfortable, cheaper to insure (less rollover risk), ride better, and have more room. the hatch is much better than the tailgate in my opinion because the 2nd generation ones had to have the back window rolled down to get the tailgate down, but when your window motor is dying on you you will be frustrated that you can't get the back end open. The hatch on the 3rd gen is so handy and you still have the convenience of the power rear window.

But you don't use the window as much, so the motor last so much longer.

My mom bought the '95 4Runner to replace the '94 when it was totalled. The one she got had had the head gasket recall fixed a number of years ago, but a year after she got it it blew a head gasket anyway and the entire engine was ruined. She had to pay to replace the engine because the dealership that had replaced the head gasket during the recall had used a cheap part. I'm hoping this isn't a common incident, but just beware.

The 3.4L engine has so much more power as well. Your foot won't get as tired when doing highway driving in a third generation 4Runner. When I used to drive my mom's 2nd generation, my foot got tired after only a few minutes because it seemed like you had to push down hard and constantly to get it to maintain 50-55 mph. And they are both automatics.

The 3rd generations have much more leg room too. I'm only five feet tall but I still appreciate the newer ones because I have more room.

Good luck!

 

[Henrythewound]

It looks as though I may be buying my Dad's 3rd gen (2000) 4Runner. Compared to all the other vehicles for sale in my area it has low miles and I know it has been babied. If I see something come on the market before I buy his I might still jump, but his is almost exactly what I want aside from being an automatic, I wanted a stick.

I like the tailgate because you can sit on it and Im used to having a a truck and using the tailgate as a loading platform, makeshift workbench, etc. I see your point about the window motor though, it would run out faster with all the use. I have replaced plenty of window motors in my day (Hondas) which prompted me to buy a truck w/ no power options. However, in the full size Sierra I drive now its tough to reach over to roll down a window when you're driving and opening the door for people is a reach as well. Hopefully all the power options in the 4runner I buy will not need replacing for a little while at least.

Thanks for the input

Joe