Bout to buy a Runner, looking for advice

[Jidaran]

I'm going down to see this truck around lunch today:

Everything looks great, but the price seems a bit low for 118k on the odo. The obvious thing to look for is rust. I spoke to the guy on the phone, he assured me that the rust was superficial. He said he has a 3rd gen at home. He bought this at auction, it was a trade in at a bigger dealership. The carfax didn't reveal much.

Checked out reviews for the dealership, got 4.6 on CarGurus (9 reviews), and 4.75 stars on Google (4 reviews) which is reassuring. (Though, one review says "DON'T listen to that garbage some jackA** wrote in another review" which is a bit troubling since there are no bad reviews, what ever that guy was referring to was apparently deleted.)

I know my way around cars a little bit, but not enough to feel super confident in making a judgement on the engine just based on how it sounds.

I guess my question is: is this under priced enough to be a red flag? Or could this just be a good deal? Anything I should be looking for in particular besides rust? I'm pretty well practiced in the process of checking out used cars, but all of my experiences have been with private sellers (and, to be fair, my Dad was usually there to lend his expertise). Is there anything to be particularly careful with when going to a dealership?

I feel like I've asked a million questions on here, and I appreciate yalls responses a lot. I've never spent more than 2k on a car and looking for any useful input.

 

[feta]

I know the market in DC, it is suspicious price although it does look clean. Find the buyers guide on here for sure. If it checks out it all good would be a deal.

I would look at carfax. I checked vehiclehistory.com and there were no records at all, which is strange. It could have come from another state.

I would question the discoloration around the center caps.

 

[Jidaran]

Here's the Carfax

The ND origins are a little troubling, but it only spent two and a half years up there, so I don't think that's too big of an issue.

You're right about the wheels. According to the buyers guide, the "Coke Bottle" wheels were standard on the Limited and Sport, but not SR5.

 

[4-Ripcord]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/82033-3rd-gen-4runner-buyers-guide.html

 

[Jidaran]

Oh yeah, I've read the buyers guide multiple times and used it to make a cheat sheet on my phone for when I check out potential sales.

I'm just worried about this particular sale.

 

[jgue467]

One step at a time. Just start a minute or so underneath, underhood then drive it. Breathe - You'll know then. :cowboy:

 

[raKnizek]

Looking at the carfax its also interesting that it was registered as a rental vehicle for its first 9 months of life. Not sure if that means Hertz rental type thing or something else. Looks pretty nice from what you first posted.

 

[4Runner4Leon]

Maybe it's just the lighting, but in the photo the front fender appears to be a different shade than the doors.

 

[thennen]

Keep your expectations realistic

Agree with others, this looks like a nice vehicle, and the pics seem to agree with the mileage. Keep in mind that you're buying an 18-year-old vehicle, and accept that it might need something (timing belt for example, and radiator to avoid pink milkshake). If the rust fits the mileage, as in not rotting away, and the vehicle's history is acceptable to you, I would go for it. Can't ask for perfection on a $6k vehicle. However, this is one of the most bullet-proof drive trains out there.

 

[josh.bunch]

Good luck. I agree with others advise here. Rust would be my main concern being up north. If the carfax checks out, go for it.

 

[sawguy]

I used to live in Sioux Falls. The one dealer listed on the Carfax, ( Mark Juhl Auto Sports ) has a bad reputation in the area. Known for buying sub par auction vehicles, I would be wary of rust as South Dakota uses quite a bit of salt and chemical on the roadways.

I just went to Lundy's website and on the tailgate there is a 'Jerry's' sticker. Another guy in Lennox, SD that has a bad rep. He buys auction cars in Fla. because they have a lemon law there. Dealers dump the bought back lemons and dump them on the auction. Be careful!

Sorry, after reading farther I see it's a different Jerry's.

 

[RAD4Runner]

Google, Inspect and check lower ball-joints.

 

[Jidaran]

Got scared off by the rust, which wasn't awful but still flaking. Also, I didn't have time for a mechanic to inspect it since there was another buyer waiting. I let the other potential buyer get first dibs - I assume he's probably gonna take it. Did I mess up?

 

[thennen]

Got scared off by the rust, which wasn't awful but still flaking. Also, I didn't have time for a mechanic to inspect it since there was another buyer waiting. I let the other potential buyer get first dibs - I assume he's probably gonna take it. Did I mess up?

To me, that rust looks like more than I would expect with the low miles. You probably made the right move. Not necessarily that the rust is horrible, but it may have significantly more miles than the odometer shows. If so, that's bad news.

 

[97Cruiser40th]

Got scared off by the rust, which wasn't awful but still flaking. Also, I didn't have time for a mechanic to inspect it since there was another buyer waiting. I let the other potential buyer get first dibs - I assume he's probably gonna take it. Did I mess up?

Personally I dont think you did but Ill let others weigh in. Does look like front has been repainted plus no history of TB and WP I could quickly see etc. Keep looking. Popular vehicles like this end up at auction cuz mainline dealers know they wont sell for a reason.

 

[RunningForNow]

Right after I see all that rust, I'd walk away. Far far away. My tetanus shot is not up to date...

Keep looking, and since you're in DC, you might want to look at some 4Runners in the Southern states, like inland SC, Georgia, Alabama, or even Tennessee. You might have better luck finding cleaner examples, and it isn't terribly far to travel to get to the car.

If you're not in a hurry to have a car, take your time and be picky as hell, especially if you have the luxury of doing so.

 

[Jidaran]

Yeah, I'm not in a rush. I've got an old Volvo stationwagon which refuses to die, plus my gf has a XJ for when it snows. I'm definitely keeping an eye on the south. My gf's fam is in Nashville so we go down there occasionally. Almost bought a 99 when we were there this summer actually.

Thanks for the wisdom, I feel better knowing that I don't have to kick myself over this one.

I am still kicking myself over this other one, however:

It was a 2.5 hour drive and I was super busy that week. I think the ad was only up for 3-4 days. Hopefully something like that will come along again.

 

[RunningForNow]

Yeah, I'm not in a rush. I've got an old Volvo stationwagon which refuses to die, plus my gf has a XJ for when it snows. I'm definitely keeping an eye on the south. My gf's fam is in Nashville so we go down there occasionally. Almost bought a 99 when we were there this summer actually.

Thanks for the wisdom, I feel better knowing that I don't have to kick myself over this one.

I am still kicking myself over this other one, however:

It was a 2.5 hour drive and I was super busy that week. I think the ad was only up for 3-4 days. Hopefully something like that will come along again.

Use Car Gurus. It truncates the 4Runners you are looking for in the categories you want, and you set a perimeter that you're cool with. I found some of my top candidates using CG, and I eventually found my car on that as well. It cuts all the BS down, as with CL, people tend to be flaky when you call or text them, or they think you're scamming them. The mutual trust that should exist between buyers and sellers just doesn't exist on CL.

 

[wettRunner]

I think you were right to pass. Mileage is less important than rust. Replacing or fixing an engine is better than a rusted out frame that you can't do anything with.