Buying 99' Highlander...Need Your Help All!!!

montyMT

montyMT

New member
Hey All,

I'm jumping back into 4Runner land and looking at a new rig.

Background:

This will be my 3rd Toyota. Back in College I came across a 99' Sport. Loved it but sold it for a Land Rover Disco II. That was the worst idea ever it turns out, but I was young and stupid. I then ran the car gauntlet from Wranglers to QX4's until settling on a 98' Land Cruiser a couple of year ago. Well, as much as I loved that rig I needed to pay off student loans, so another Toyota bit the dust. (sold it for $4k more than I bought it for)

So, when a friend of a friend puled up in a 99' Highlander I couldn't help but ask if she was selling it. Turns out...she is.

The Good:

She wants $4,000 for it...and its a Highlander w/ locking diff.
Tranny seems sound
interior is in surprisingly good shape
Newer tires and brakes

The Bad:

It has 225k miles on it.
It has a fuel delivery issue of some sort, as it hesitates upon acceleration.
Just about every corner has been dented. Nothing serious, but annoying nonetheless.
Fender flares look like a Jeep wranglers (faded and falling off)
It needs new belts.
Did I mention the 225k miles!!!

Alright guys...here is what I'm thinking.

Get the rig looked at (she's letting me drive it for a week before I buy which should give me plenty of time to work out the kinks). Purchase rig for $4k barring any serious issues, then immediately get it in the shop. It will be my 2nd rig so I wont have to deal with it needing to be a daily driver. Then start having fun with it.

I need advice from fellow 4Runner freaks!! This is the ONLY car I would take this kind of gamble on, but am I right? I need your input and tips all!

Thanks for reading, I look forward to your insights!

Best,

Monty
 
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yeah, that's what I was afraid of. I'm thinking of coming down to $3k and see what she says. It does need a ton of work. Thanks
 
Might want to start at $2500 then go from there.If she really is a friend then she should appreciate your honesty in arriving at your offer.
 
Thanks. I'll give it a shot. It seems like even the worst Runners sell for more. I don't want to insult her but I am working on a list of what it will cost to get the back in running order. I am hesitating because after all of this I end up with a car with 230K miles. I might just drive it for a day or two and get a feel for what it really needs. Thanks
 
I wouldn't pay 4k for a car that you know has issues that may be difficult/expensive/both to fix.

Worst case scenario, at 225k you may need a new engine soon, a shop will charge $1,800 to install and an engine will run you $1300ish + $300 for a timing belt kit. Yeah yeah yeah 4Runners will do 300k+ with nothing but oil changes...mine didn't and yours might not either.

From my perspective, that 4Runner is worth 2k at most. It's better to insult her or walk away than to end up with a massive cash sink.
 
Its an auto.

Thanks for the advice. That is honestly my worst fear. When I get into dropping a new heart into the rig then having to sell my Honda to pay for it, then I could have just dropped $8k+ on a cherry rig with under 100k on the odo. Of course I would have to factor in the fuel delivery issue and the fact that she cant get it to pass emissions.

Still, if I can get her to sell it for $2,500 then I might just be able to drive it until I run into a major issue and make the choice when the time comes. So I'd be out $2k at the most.

It's a gamble that will end up costing me money no matter which way I look at it.

I'm going to try to get some solid estimates for common repairs that will probably need to be done. If anyone knows what a tranny, cvjoints, diffs etc... cost feel free to let me know.

Thanks Again Guys.
 
Your "fuel delivery issue" could be as simple as plugs and wires, I didn't see anywhere that you based your diagnosis on anything other than the symptoms (hesitation on acceleration).
 
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