FJ questions....

[Runner2619]

Hello there,

Soooo, my 4Runner was totaled by hail and I'm thinking about either another 4Runner, FJ, or ??? There's a very nicely equipped '07 FJ with 24k miles on it. Doesn't appear to have been off-roaded at all. No blems I can tell at all.

Am I rolling the dice on whether I will have the fender tear issue or is it one of those issues that would have shown up by this many miles? There's no evidence of any tears or bulges right now. So, would it be okay or does it just take one good smack and it will tear?

'07 FJ would probably run $23.5k and is local.

Sorry for the rambling questions.

Other options are:
Fairly well loaded '10 FJ for about $3-4k more, 10k miles. Clean.
Very clean '08 4Runner almost identical the my '06. 37k miles about $3k more. Both of these are about 8 hours away but I have a trusted source who has driven and inspected both.

Also, how many of you FJ owners have families? I want one badly but we have a 1yo and 4yo. Would the "neatness" wear off and would the reality set in as far as being a pain for a family? I don't see it being too tough to get the in/out of the vehicle. THoughts???

 

[thorrunner]

Do you off road a lot? Not all the FJ's come with the rear locking diff.... Just keep an eye out for that.

I hang out with a lot of FJ guys and a small % have had the fender issue and we all wheel pretty hard.

I can't speak to the ease of and FJ with a family, I can say that my Runner is a lousy family vehicle, too high for the dog to jump into, and too bouncy for the wife. My little son likes it though, nice and loud and bouncy!

I guess it just is how you customize it..?

 

[Thai]

Personally, i would stay away from FJ before 2009...so, 2010 and later are the ONLY FJs that i would consider, even if they cost more. Repair of fender tear is NOT cheap...so, down the road, you may not save any money by going with an earlier model.

Now, as for kids, i considered the FJ quite a bit...i have toddlers too. However, the claustrophobic nature of the FJ rear seat (tiny high up windows, limited legroom, tight & dark space) would drive my kids nuts. My father's Honda Element is a ton better in this regard. (My brother has an '08 FJ.)

 

[72novass]

We had an 07 FJ and got rid of it because we couldn't see how you could fit a car seat in the back seat.

 

[Desert Fox]

We have a '07 FJ and love it. Our 3 year old has no problems getting in the car seat. The FJ is my wifes DD and I keep trying to get her to trade me for my 4Runner. My 4Runner is a limited so it has more comfort features. She likes the presence that the FJ has on the road. It makes her feel real safe and in control.

I will try again to trade this winter, after she sees how the heated seats work.

 

[Xx_Black-out]

Personally, i would stay away from FJ before 2009...so, 2010 and later are the ONLY FJs that i would consider, even if they cost more. Repair of fender tear is NOT cheap...so, down the road, you may not save any money by going with an earlier model.

There are guys with MANY, MANY miles on their 'fender torn' FJs. I wouldn't let that be the lone deciding factor on a purchase. It's not like the vehicle has lost rigidity and is going to fall apart because of a fender tear...