Going to take a look at an 08 SR5 tomorrow - quick question

[BCinMD]

Hi all -

I'm in the market for a new to me 4th gen, and I'm going to take a look at this 08' SR5 V6 4x4 tomorrow.

The truck has 91,000 miles on it, what I interpret to be a clean CarFax (link to CarFax is on dealer website), although there is gap in reported maintenance from ~40k - 76k miles. This may or may not be a concern.

From the pics, it looks very clean and of course I will check out everything as best I can - frame rust (it was a NJ car), leaking fluids, 4x4 TC and CLD operation, etc.

My main concern is that it has been available for sale for more than three months now - over 115 days according to CarGurus.com. There are really just three possible explanations:

1 - there is some glaring mechanical problem that is only apparent when driving or inspecting the vehicle
2 - it was overpriced - $15,900 seems a reasonable asking price given the age and mileage, but given how long it has been at this dealer, I am hoping to do even better than that
3- the color!

I'm hoping of course that it is just the unpopular color combination. Looking through the T4R picture thread, I think I saw three or four Driftwood examples, so it is clearly not a favorite color of 4Runner enthusiasts. I don't really care - in fact, I like the lighter color as it will stay looking cleaner than the darker options.

I'm curious as to what you all think the most likely reason this particular 4Runner has had trouble selling, and what I should pay especially close attention to when I go to look at it. (I did read the pre-purchase info sticky.)

Thanks!

 

[ddnww]

that seems a good price, is it a small dealer, when I was looking for mine I found one at a small dealer and it had problems. theres a sticky for pre purchase info I believe.

I would say its either got mechanical problems or possibly the area you live isn't a Toyota demographic area. I bought mine from my small home town after searching the city for months. They had it for almost two months and it was clean and mechanically solid. Ive had it two years with no problems, I believe it was there so long because most everbody in my hometown drives ford chevy dodge.

heres mine

 

[t-man]

that seems a good price, is it a small dealer, when I was looking for mine I found one at a small dealer and it had problems. theres a sticky for pre purchase info I believe.

I would say its either got mechanical problems or possibly the area you live isn't a Toyota demographic area. I bought mine from my small home town after searching the city for months. They had it for almost two months and it was clean and mechanically solid. Ive had it two years with no problems, I believe it was there so long because most everbody in my hometown drives ford chevy dodge.

heres mine

Like the tires! Same as mine, but mine are bigger.

 

[ddnww]

Like the tires! Same as mine, but mine are bigger.

dynapros are a great tire. I now wish i went bigger on the lift so i can go bigger on the tire. Seems like i am never satisfied.:shrug:

 

[wadle5]

Hi all -

My main concern is that it has been available for sale for more than three months now - over 115 days according to CarGurus.com. There are really just three possible explanations:

3- the color!


Thanks!

In working in the car industry I can tell you it could be all of those issues, but the safest and hopefully least expensive would be the color. Resale on gold cars is some of the worst(something to keep in mind if you ever decide to sell). Also don't judge the car by how clean it "looks". Detailers and Stealerships do a great job of distracting you and showing you how clean something is for "such an old vehicle", but the reality is to look at it mechanically, bumpers matching up properly, OEM replacement parts, OEM glass, and vehicle specific for this the 4wd engaging.
My final note would be. . .Be weary of CarMax. I not only worked at a dealership and could tell you they will try to penny pinch on every used car to get it out the door with the least overhead, but Carmax from various family members, friends, and neighbors have had horrible issues with their vehicles after purchasing a unit from them, and they make it a pain for their warranty repairs.

Hope it helps a little, but also keep in mind its been sitting for 3 months dont think you HAVE to jump on it because 2 other people looked at it that day.

:yo:

 

[verman84]

4runners are sort of odd used cars.

In addition to the least popular color, my guess is that they sit on lots because they hold their value really well and a lot of people looking for a used car aren't willing to pay 15-20k for a used vehicle with 100k miles that gets 15-20mpg. It takes someone wanting to buy a 4runner or something very reliable with proper 4x4. The good thing is that it gives you time to take a look at it, drive it once or twice and test everything you can. Know how to use the 4WD systems before you test drive. Get under the truck to look at overall corrosion.

The time the vehicle has sat on the lot is on your side. The longer it sits on the lot, the better odds you have of bargaining the price down. It does look very clean visually but looks can be really deceiving. Lift the rear seats up and put the middle divider down to look where they might have missed. Mine had wirey dog hair and what looked like red clay where the dealer missed.

Obviously drive it. Take your time driving it and get a feel for it. Hopefully you've driven a 4runner before so you know what they drive like and can distinguish whats normal and what isn't. Get on the highway as well so that you can test its acceleration and higher speed performance.

Check the tires to see if they need to be replaced, you can either use that to drop the price or negotiate a new set into the sale price.

I wouldn't be surprised if you could walk out with that vehicle for ~$14k. I would go in with $13,500 and try to get as close to $14k. They don't need to know how much you want the vehicle. Use the color, age of the vehicle, mileage and try to meet at a lower number.

When I bought mine, it was basically the same truck as you're looking at but gray. It was barely shuttering on the brakes on the test drive. It started at 16k. I offered 14k and it needed new tires/pads/rotors. I had a second nearly identical 4 runner at another dealership that had agreed to 14k so I knew I had options if this deal fell through.

They came back with $15.5k ... nope. $14k
came back again with $15k ... nope $14k
Came back again with $14.5k ... nope $14k

Congratulations ... $14k with new tires/pads/rotors.


Good luck and hopefully its a clean vehicle and they can give you a deal. Honestly mine is the best vehicle I've ever had. Its exactly the vehicle I wanted and I love driving it every time I get behind the wheel.

 

[BCinMD]

In working in the car industry I can tell you it could be all of those issues, but the safest and hopefully least expensive would be the color. Resale on gold cars is some of the worst(something to keep in mind if you ever decide to sell). Also don't judge the car by how clean it "looks". Detailers and Stealerships do a great job of distracting you and showing you how clean something is for "such an old vehicle", but the reality is to look at it mechanically, bumpers matching up properly, OEM replacement parts, OEM glass, and vehicle specific for this the 4wd engaging.
My final note would be. . .Be weary of CarMax. I not only worked at a dealership and could tell you they will try to penny pinch on every used car to get it out the door with the least overhead, but Carmax from various family members, friends, and neighbors have had horrible issues with their vehicles after purchasing a unit from them, and they make it a pain for their warranty repairs.

Hope it helps a little, but also keep in mind its been sitting for 3 months dont think you HAVE to jump on it because 2 other people looked at it that day.

:yo:

Awesome feedback, thank you. The car is for sale at a small used car dealer (link is in original post) not CarMax. I looked at one car at CarMax many years ago - a Subaru Legacy GT wagon - and it was a total POS and it left a bad taste.

The gold color - yeah, I can see how resale could be an issue, but if this checks out and they are willing to come down on the price a bit more, I probably won't care as I would plan to keep the 4Runner for as long as possible. I don't commute so I only put ~500-600 miles per month on my DD. I just want something durable, with 4WD, and a good bit more cargo space than my current VW GTI (60lb dog, kids with lots of sports gear, etc.).

Thanks again for the response and info.

 

[BCinMD]

4runners are sort of odd used cars.
.
.
.
Good luck and hopefully its a clean vehicle and they can give you a deal. Honestly mine is the best vehicle I've ever had. Its exactly the vehicle I wanted and I love driving it every time I get behind the wheel.

Great stuff, thank you! Wealth of good info in your reply, much appreciated.

I agree about these being a bit odd in the used car market. It's amazing to search autotrader, craigslist, cargurus, etc. and see 4Runners with 125k, 150k, 180k, 200k miles and more.

I plan to ask him to put the car up on their lift so I can really get a good look underneath. As far as knowing what a properly sorted 4Runner feels like - well, unfortunately I don't. I've only driven one so far (which felt great but was cosmetically a disaster - I think the PO used it as a work truck of some kind). But I've been driving for a longer time than I care to admit, so I'm hopeful I would be able to detect if anything is seriously amiss.

I absolutely planned to take your approach to negotiating, assuming the truck is in good mechanical shape. Unpopular color + long time on dealer lot + no rush to buy all works to my advantage.

Thanks again.

 

[wadle5]

Awesome feedback, thank you. The car is for sale at a small used car dealer (link is in original post) not CarMax. I looked at one car at CarMax many years ago - a Subaru Legacy GT wagon - and it was a total POS and it left a bad taste.

The gold color - yeah, I can see how resale could be an issue, but if this checks out and they are willing to come down on the price a bit more, I probably won't care as I would plan to keep the 4Runner for as long as possible. I don't commute so I only put ~500-600 miles per month on my DD. I just want something durable, with 4WD, and a good bit more cargo space than my current VW GTI (60lb dog, kids with lots of sports gear, etc.).

Thanks again for the response and info.

Okay now I realized the mistake I made of briefly overlooking CARFAX for CARMAX. Definitely the end of the day :beer:

But the reality is I guess when it does come to resale and some time down the road you do want to sell it, something like a wrap or plastidip is a great thing for vehicles like this where some people are so picky about the color.
As for the GTi. . .would you keep it or trade it in?

Good luck and you do realize even though it will be a DD with this website you will throw your wallet at it with mods, because you will have saved so much with the lack of repairs you will have to make over the course of ownership :banana:

 

[BCinMD]

As for the GTi. . .would you keep it or trade it in?

I thought about keeping it, but I will probably sell it. It's a 2012 4-door 6-speed, Shadow Blue - last year for that color and highly desirable. I only have 20,500 miles on it and it's been great...just not really a good fit for my needs right now. I still owe a couple of grand on it so would be great to replace it with something and have no payment.

Good luck and you do realize even though it will be a DD with this website you will throw your wallet at it with mods, because you will have saved so much with the lack of repairs you will have to make over the course of ownership :banana:

LOL, yeah, I am a bit worried about that. The possibilities are endless. I would probably swap out the head unit for a good BT capable touch screen, add a rear view camera, and then probably do some lighting upgrades, but that's about it.

 

[boondoggle]

When you go to look at it, check the barcode stikers on all the doors/panels. They should match.

Also, you can go to the toyota.com/owners website and put the VIN in. It will list any maintenance repairs done by Toyota.

If you go to sell it someday I don't think I'd wrap or plastidip it. Personal opinion here, but there's no way would I buy a car that had something done to cover up the paint. I think you'd have better luck seling a well maintained adult owned goldish colored car than a plasti-dipped or vinyl wrapped car. Plus PlastiDip is a PITA to get off a car. But again, that's just my opinion (something everyone has) on an issue you likely won't have for many many years. So, just my .02¢ on that.

That VW sounds nice. I sold my 2002 GTI to get my 2004 4Runner for similar reasons.

If they don't want to negotiate to a price you're willing to pay be prepared to walk. Never fall in love with a vehicle until you've got it in the driveway.

EDIT: realized it's a V6 not a V8 so removed the recommendation to check for Timing Belt replacement.

Good luck!

 

[BCinMD]

OK, here's the update (sorry in advance for the long post!)

I drove the 50 miles to see this truck, and I have to say I was impressed. It was parked in the back corner of the sellers indoor inventory space (not really a showroom - more of an unused portion of their shop). It was boxed in by at least five or six other vehicles - which was good since it probably hasn't been driven that much recently so I was able to look underneath for signs of leaks. None found.

As it had been sitting for a while, they had to hook it up to a battery charger to start it, but the battery was a fairly new AC Delco unit. While it was running I checked all the interior electronics, lights, accessories, windows, etc. All good. I checked all the panels, bumpers, etc - all in alignment, and the windows were all Toyota OEM. All four wheels showing some pitting and bubbling of silver finish - I understand this is pretty common? It wasn't too bad.

I turned it off, left the headlights on for a minute or two, and then shut them off. I brought my multimeter with me and tested the battery: 12.4V - good. I went to restart it - aaaaaand....nothing - didn't have enough cranking amps to start. Tech brought the battery charger back out, restarted the car, and I tested the battery again: 13.77; this I think is a bit low and may indicate a weak alternator.

Time to inspect for rust: got out the flashlight, got on my back, and worked my way around. I couldn't drop the spare tire or skid plate, but from what I can tell, the main frame and all cross members looked great to me (see pics below). Even inside the frame rails looked clean.

Test drive time. First issue: side view mirror electric adjustment was not fully functional; up and down worked, but in and out didn't. I had to move the mirror manually, and then the electric adjuster worked. I can probably get past that.

The drive was great. No bad noises, bumps, clanks, anything. No rattles, squeaks, or vibrations. Throttle tip-in is abrupt! Wow, that will take some getting used to. Brakes were good - no issues with calipers binding that I could tell. Got it up to about 65 - no problem. A little more road noise than I expected, but not bad. Tires probably have less than 10k miles left on them so that could be culprit.

TC and Center diff lock all worked perfectly. 2HI to 4HI, 4Hi with CDL engaged, then disengaged. Stopped, neutral - engaged 4LO - light came on immediately. Crawled forward a bit - no noises, so seems fine. Back to 4HI, then 2HI.

This 4Runner is as clean as it looked in the pictures from the dealer. Only interior blemishes that I could find were a very small tear in the lower rear seatback near the fold down armrest, and a bit of wear on the drivers seat thigh bolster - you really have to look for it to see it.

Overall, I give it an A. Possible alternator and power mirror issue only negatives I could find.

Dealer does not want to negotiate. $15,970 is the lowest price he has had it listed for; it was originally $18,700 (almost exactly the NADA 'clean retail' price) then $17,800, then $16 something...now $15,970. The dealer owner was very nice - not pushy at all. He gave me his card and I told him I would give him a call. Thinking about offering $15,200 - since this will be a cash sale and he's had it for so long, I'm hoping he will just come down a little bit.

Here are some pics:

This is the only one that worried me a little - looking at this pic, it looks like there might have been some painting done to the top portion of this crossmember - I didn't notice this until I looked at the pictures. I could be wrong of course, as I don't see this anywhere else.

Now I just need to decide if I want it bad enough to potentially pay his asking price (which may still be a good deal?)

 

[verman84]

Sounds clean but yeah still come in with a lower offer. Especially of you're paying cash then you have all kinds of negotiating power. Personally I would offer 14.5 and hope to meet at 15. If they still won't budge, try talking new tires into the asking price. Services are cheap on their end so they should want to make a sale. If you're comfortable with the price then grab it and enjoy the new truck!

 

[repo]

4th gens sit a long time here too. I think they are too expensive and dumpy looking/soccer mom looking in stock form for college kids so they buy 3rd gens. And soccer moms who are in to the dumpy minivan look buy a 5th gen.

 

[jed1177]

Check all the major body panels (fender, doors, rear hatch) etc for the Theft ID Prevention number stickers.

They are on all original panels and have the same number as your Vehicle Identification Number.

If they are missing, there has been replacement fenders, doors, hatch, etc done of your vehicle.

My daughter looked at a very clean dark charcoal SR5. Looked great! Over half of the stickers were missing. Dealer said them just come off real easy (he lied, they do not come off easy at all). Found out through another source it had rear-ended another car, then was hit in the rear by the car behind it.

CARF** was spotless! Beware...

 

[Sporin]

Sounds like you need 4 new tires and a new, properly spec'd battery, so build that into your offer.

The mirror wouldn't bother me, and it's something you can fiddle with and fix at a later date.

I personally like the beige, not my first choice, but I don't find it the least bit offensive.

I don't see anything underneath rust-wise in your pictures that concerns me, but I'm used to New England cars so anything that's lived down there looks super clean to me.

 

[4RunnerFan]

Might want to check if all of the tools and jack are with the vehicle. S/B inside vertical panel on the left just inside the rear hatch. Oh, and owner's manual. And, finally, check inside "secret" glove compartment (find tab on top of inside) to see if previous owner left a $50 bill and a credit card!

 

[BCinMD]

Might want to check if all of the tools and jack are with the vehicle. S/B inside vertical panel on the left just inside the rear hatch. Oh, and owner's manual. And, finally, check inside "secret" glove compartment (find tab on top of inside) to see if previous owner left a $50 bill and a credit card!

Checked all that - jack and tools in place (look like never been touched), owner's manual in glove box, and nope - no loose $50's or CCs in the secret glove box (although now that I think about it, the glove box light was out, so there's that)

I'm still waffling a bit as to whether I am going to pull the trigger - really going back and forth on it.

 

[jonesmw10]

Personally, it sounds like a good deal to me. I wouldn't worry about the side mirrors. Mine were like you described just the other day but worked after messing around with the switch and freeing them up. Looks pretty clean rust wise. I'd double check the rear hatch underneath the window seals, as well as remove the door sill covers (they scratch the rockers and start bubbling... mine are at least). If you can get him lower in the $15k range, I'd say that's really reasonable.

 

[4RunnerFan]

Checked all that - jack and tools in place (look like never been touched), owner's manual in glove box, and nope - no loose $50's or CCs in the secret glove box (although now that I think about it, the glove box light was out, so there's that).

I believe the glove box light only comes on when the headlights or parking lights are turned on.