driver side mirror hit & run

[runi9]

Back in November, I was returning from class one evening and I found this note on my truck:

Then I saw the damage:

So, I was a little upset but glad that someone left me a note about it. I was going to file a police report but ended up waiting for over 2 hours. The police still never showed up so I just went home.

I took my truck to an auto shop that I normally go to and asked them how much would it cost to repair the mirror and they quoted me:

$491.69 <- cost of replacement mirror
$52.50 <- labor
$569.83 <- total with tax

I said 'no thank you' and left.

I decided to try and fix this by buying the mirror myself and having them or some other auto shop do the installation.

I searched the threads here and came up with this thread:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/90415-side-view-mirror-cracked.html

I searched the site that [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION] mentioned and this is what I came up with:
1999 Toyota 4Runner Mirror - ToyotaPartsZone.com

I'm not sure which mirror I need to buy. Can you please advise? And just any general advice about this situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Frontier719]

That's an outrageous estimate. Honestly if I were in your situation, I would go to the junkyard and pick up a used mirror for $15 and replace the whole thing yourself.

Spraypaint your passenger mirror and the "new" driver's side one black and call it a day.

 

[8sm]

As mention the junkyard color match find will be the least expensive replacement cost. Toyota OEM will cost the most then the additional paint cost.

After an off-road encounter, we chose to replace our power mirror through an aftermarket body shop supplier....Certifit Online. The cost was approx $45 unpainted. The power mirror are black and ready to paint.

The issue with a retail purchase through Certifit is all sales are made over the counter. Check their website for a location near you.

A few options for your consideration, sorry that your problem was due to another's fault.

Regards .......... 8sm

 

[MyHigh]

Man, that was nice of the individual who took the time to help you out. Every day I am amazed by the things some people do, I really enjoy it when I'm amazed in a good way! Sadly though, they don't come around as often as they should.

I think it's a no brainier, get a good used one from a salvage lot, if you can't find a color match then I'd just plasti dip them black. I'd plasti dip because you might find a color match one later and all you'd have to do is peel the stuff off the passanger side and be done with it.

 

[rideexileex]

Is the housing itself damaged, or just the mirror? My mirror cracked from the cold, and it was 50 bucks at the dealer for new glass. Simple.

Just give them the VIN, and they'll give you the right glass. It varies by heat and year.

 

[nissanh]

It is very simple to install the glass from the mirror (assuming the mirror housing is intact).
At the bottom side there is a phillips bolt (look through the hole). Remove the phillps bolt and pull the mirror mechanism. It is hooked from the top, so simply lift and pull, should come out easily.
Now, behind the mechanism, there is a metal pin running through a metal plate which holds the mirror/plastic housing. Simply pull that clip and lift the two mounting positions (which is attached to the power mirror motors).
get the replacement mirror (from any 4runner) and slide the two motor mounts first (no timing involved) and then put back the metal retaining clip.
This is all you got to do.

 

[nkexiangpe]

The power mirror are black and ready to paint.

 

[jgue467]

Housing 'looks' ok from the pics. My mirror broke from a stray 2x4 on the road. ebay had $12 mirrors, exact replacement, EZ 2 minute install, done...

 

[runi9]

Is the housing itself damaged, or just the mirror? My mirror cracked from the cold, and it was 50 bucks at the dealer for new glass. Simple.

Just give them the VIN, and they'll give you the right glass. It varies by heat and year.

After I read this, I went and took a closer look at the mirror. The housing IS damaged ‘a little bit’, it’s cracked. But it still seems to be fine other than the two cracks I saw. The mechanism inside the truck that moves the mirror electronically still works although it didn’t work when I first inspected the truck. I think I must have pushed it back into alignment or something.

So, maybe I just need a new mirror then. In that case, I will contact another auto shop to ascertain a price on a new mirror. Boy I hope they don’t try to rob me like the last shop did.

Also, I have looked up the number of a few junkyards this evening and I will call around tomorrow regarding locating a rearview mirror and not the housing.

It is very simple to install the glass from the mirror (assuming the mirror housing is intact).

I tried to do what you instructed in your post this afternoon but I couldn’t figure it out. I will try again tomorrow, hopefully I can figure this out because if so then maybe I can get this taken care of for free or very cheaply. That is, if some junkyard allows me to take a 4Runner mirror for free or almost free.

 

[runi9]

got it fixed

Just wanted to update this:

So, I ended up buying a new mirror unit at Carquest for ~$45. The junkyard want $35 and up for one of their mirrors, and they wanted slightly less for just the glass. Just buying the glass from the dealer is in the ballpark of about $35-40 so buying a new aftermarket unit makes the most sense. I bought it and had it installed for about $41.

Something I noticed the new mirror unit though is that it shakes much more than my other OEM mirror does. Very strange and I don't like it. BUT I don't dislike it enough to spend over $300 on an OEM mirror unit. I can deal with the shaking. It's fixed so I'm happy.

 

[SlickmisterN]

Whoa that was really confusing. So you chose to pay more for an aftermarket chinese unit over an OEM one off a junkyard vehicle or even just oem glass if ur housing was ok?

And then you paid some guy $41 on top of that for the install of it!?

 

[runi9]

I don't have the know-how to install it myself and I didn't want to risk dealing with the junkyard considering the cost of a new unit was very similar. At least it's much cheaper than what I was initially quoted.

 

[thebrandon]

Nothing wrong with that. If you aren't comfortable doing the repair and paying for it isn't going to put you under then I say go for it. Last thing you need is to ruin something else, or install something incorrectly, even if it just a mirror.

 

[nissanh]

Good example of used OEM toyota parts are far far superior than brand new aftermarket parts! I'll guarantee that your passenger side mirror will last many more years than the brand new Chinese shaky mirror.
With a shaky mirror, how can you see vehicles in the night?

 

[UnderFire]

Should've DIY'ed that job for sure, replacing a mirror is one of the simplest jobs on the 3rd gen, just pop the little sail panel off and take out 2 or 3 10mm bolts, unplug it and the mirror's off.

 

[Frontier719]

Go to a self-service junkyard some time. When you're pulling the part you need, you can learn how it works on a car in the junkyard before actually doing the work on your car. Especially when trying to figure out how trim pieces come off since they break easily if you try to pull them off wrong.

But then again, if mechanics aren't your cup of tea, there's no harm paying to have it done. I'm just too broke to pay for work