close to buying a 4th Gen 4runner *questions*

[Fly]

hey guys, this is my first post here but i usually post on Yotatech. i'm am beginning to appreciate the information on this site.

anyways, I am in the market for a 4th gen 4runner since selling my 04 Tacoma. I'm currently looking at a 2003 T4R Sport. the previous owner is/was leasing it so it appears to be really clean. It has around 45k miles and is black with cladding. i'm not a huge fan of the cladding on the 03's but on black it doesn't look so bad. it appears to have all options except the moonroof. i would be able to get it for around 17k.

is this a good deal? or should I just take my time and look for a better deal. i'm in socal.

would i be able to find a similar 04 without the cladding? is there anything to look for in the 03 models?

thanks in advance for the insight.

 

[007Runner]

hey guys, this is my first post here but i usually post on Yotatech. i'm am beginning to appreciate the information on this site.

anyways, I am in the market for a 4th gen 4runner since selling my 04 Tacoma. I'm currently looking at a 2003 T4R Sport. the previous owner is/was leasing it so it appears to be really clean. It has around 45k miles and is black with cladding. i'm not a huge fan of the cladding on the 03's but on black it doesn't look so bad. it appears to have all options except the moonroof. i would be able to get it for around 17k.

is this a good deal? or should I just take my time and look for a better deal. i'm in socal.

would i be able to find a similar 04 without the cladding? is there anything to look for in the 03 models?

thanks in advance for the insight.

Check out this web site, then you can tell us if it is a good deal.
http://www.edmunds.com/used/index.html?tid=edmunds.u.zipentry.used..1.*

 

[Fly]

^thanks. I've checked KBB and Edmunds several times so I'm aware of what these sites are saying it's worth.

any other help/information would be appreciated.

 

[Tanker]

Hey 007, after reading this person's post I came away with the impression this person is bright enough to have checked KBB and Edmunds. I think he or she is just asking for help in general and hoping someone with some indepth knowledge about the 03 or 04's would chime in with some information.

I don't suspect he was looking for someone to post a link to another site. Maybe I'm reading your post's wrong, but the impression I have of some of your posts is you are rude and quite frankly getting on my nerves. Making this even more bizarre is you don't even own a 4Runner yet. Before you say well Thai doesn't own a 4Runner I will tell you he knows his stuff and isn't someone just sitting at home reading his Owner's manual. I appreciate the information he provides and I have yet to see him send someone away blindly or try to enhance his own ego.


This person asked for some guidance just like I did a few months ago and here you go just sending him or her to another site. When I asked for help several people came forward and because of their help I own a 4R today. I will always appreciate their help.

FLY: I wish I knew more about the 03's and 04's, but I don't. I'm confident several members will come forward with their information and opinions.

007: I'm going for a ride in my 007 Limited now. If I have any questions about the Owner's manual I'll call you.

 

[007Runner]

i would be able to get it for around 17k.

is this a good deal? or should I just take my time and look for a better deal. i'm in socal.

.

I thought my answer addressed this question.

 

[alpha]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24988

I'm sure you saw this, but if you didn't, toybox's post addresses the question.

Also, take a look at the Problems and Warranty section. There's multiple threads there about problems, and if you're curious about stuff to look for, take a look at the threads there.

If you don't like the cladding, then go for an 04 at least. There are two really nice colors only available for 03 though, the red and the green. Those are really nice.

Good luck with the research, and good luck with the purchase. Hopefully things go well, and enjoy your stay.

 

[toto]

Since you checked KBB and Edmunds, what did they say??
KBB is usually low and Edmunds is usually high, so I'd go somewhere in the middle.

 

[Fly]

Thanks for the helpful replies Tanker and Alpha.

here is a picture of the T4R i'm currently looking at, if it helps:

the cladding doesn't look too bad here, but i'm worried about the long term effects in the Socal sun.

 

[alpha]

Thanks for the helpful replies Tanker and Alpha.

here is a picture of the T4R i'm currently looking at, if it helps:

the cladding doesn't look too bad here, but i'm worried about the long term effects in the Socal sun.

It's always hard to tell, especially since the vehicle is only a few years old. In the long run, the cladding may be sun damaged.

From the picture, it looks clean. But without seeing it in person, its hard to tell.

Although, I believe the Toyota chrome, i.e. the stuff they have on Taco's doesn't rust or get weathered from what I hear. So it may be the same as the cladding.

But if you're really worried about it, then I'd say look into 2004's or higher. There are also accessory packages that have color matched fenders to replace the grey cladding. I'm not sure if they are still available, but they were an available option during new purchase. They should still be available through dealerships. An option to look into.

 

[jharris2]

Looks good, but Mark is right that it's tough to tell just from a photo.

If you keep the 4Runner in a garage and use a product like 303 Aerospace Protectant on the cladding it should be OK. The black and cladding is one of the combinations that look good together. Personally, I'd be more concerned about how well the black was taken care of -- it's very easy to get swirls in the clearcoat if you don't know what you're doing.

 

[Falls]

Fly,
Value is all in the eye's of the consumer. I would gladly pay a little more for a pristine vehicle. Check on Autotrader.com to see what they are actually asking for them in your area. KBB & Edmunds will give you a good ball park. You also might want to ask the dealer to talk to the prev. owner/ lease to find out about any quirks with the vehicle. If your serious they should let you do it.

Also as far as the paint , black is a bitch and I wouldn't let the dealer wash it or detail it , if you buy it spend some $ and get it done by a detailer and it will be like a new truck.

As far as 007 , no worries about the comments from him. I really dont know why people respond when they actually have nothing to say , but its the norm. for him .

 

[xUSNavy]

How's the maintenance? Is it up-to-date? Can the owner provide receipts? You might want to consider that when discussing the price.

As Falls stated, I would check pricing though your local Autotrader.

I never did like the cladding, but it actually looks really good with black.

Good luck!

 

[007Runner]

Fly,


As far as 007 , no worries about the comments from him. I really dont know why people respond when they actually have nothing to say , but its the norm. for him .

Falls give me a break! He says he can purchase it for 17k, then asks if it is a good deal or should he shop around. Sounded to me like he was clueless as to the value of the vehicle. So I give him a Edmund's site so he can punch in all the particulars and see the price for himself.

Then you choose to insult me, because I try to help him find out the value of the vehicle. He only mentioned after that post that he knew how much it was worth. I really don't think he researched the price, because if he did why the hell ask us what it is worth?

 

[sharp4runr]

I don't think you mentioned that it was a V6 or V8. The early 2003 V6 had a recall concerning their fuel rail. It should have been corrected, but double check with the dealer that the VIN was corrected.

How are the tires currently on there? If you have to replace them soon, factor in a few hundred dollars into the price.

 

[Falls]

because if he did why the hell ask us what it is worth?

He's a new guy trying to make the right decision and get some reassurance . There have been some logical suggestions for him to consider in this post.

And for you , I'm just having fun your brashness. If I was going to insult you , you'd know it !!! No worries 007.

There probably are very few question on here that have not been asked over and over and over , but the fun for me is to be able to shed some light on things for people and talk T4R's with friends.

FLY, I dont like cladding , but black it one of the colors it looks good on in my opinion.

 

[Mark86]

The only problem I had with the cladding on my 2003 were scratches. Did you run a carfax to make sure that the truck wasn't in an accident?

 

[JungleJim]

Concerning the cladding...

I don't know if this is posible, but maybe you could have it painted. I know a lot of replacement bumpers and other plastic pieces for vehicles come not painted. The bodyshop has to paint it to match the vehicle.

My brother bought an accord dx some years ago that had non-painted bumpers. He had a bodyshop paint them to match the car. They turned out great. There is a special paint additive (or special paint?) that keeps the paint flexible on plastic parts.

Just a thought.

 

[Falls]

Concerning the cladding...

I don't know if this is posible, but maybe you could have it painted. I know a lot of replacement bumpers and other plastic pieces for vehicles come not painted. The bodyshop has to paint it to match the vehicle.

My brother bought an accord dx some years ago that had non-painted bumpers. He had a bodyshop paint them to match the car. They turned out great. There is a special paint additive (or special paint?) that keeps the paint flexible on plastic parts.

Just a thought.

I think they would look cool painted . Either Charcoal Gray or black. He is correct there is a paint additive , how much it can flex I dont know. Also they are textured I think you have to look at that point too.

 

[sharp4runr]

Yes they are paintable. If you do a search, you'll find that someone has done it already. It looks pretty kewl IMO because the grey cladding has some "cut outs" designed in them.

 

[Pirate VI]

What I would say is that if you are not completely happy with it then keep looking. 17k while over 10k less than new is still alot of money to spend. I wouldnt want to spend it unless I absolutely loved the car. You dont want to regret not paying a little more or looking a little longer for that perfect car.