Help wanted! Do I buy this 5th gen? :)

tknudy

tknudy

New member
Hey, guys, I'm Trevor and I'm about to be a 4runner owner! I've been eyeing this 12' SR5 for some time now and I have an appointment to meet with the owner of it. I would like some criticism and some honesty about whether or not you think it's a good buy. It is super clean inside and has a great carfax record! Anything helps, thanks!

PRICE: $16,000
MILEAGE: 185,000 miles

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Depends on if it's mostly been on road or not. Also depends on inspection of the boots and other suspension items.

Engine and transimtion probably re good for at least another 150k so thats not so much an issue

Your best bet is to pay a mechanic 200 bucks to do a thorough inspection. Someone that's reputable.

its hard without looking at the truck.
 
It would be a no go for me for that money and miles, but that just me. Little crap starts adding up quick and you never know how something has been maintenanced. I'd definitely spend a little money and have it checked out by a reputable mechanic though.


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35,000 a year is ALOT of highway miles. So I would check the tranny fluid and diff fluid to make sure its been maintained. Also look for any wrecks on record or paint over spray on trim. Highway miles don't scare me much as long as fluids are taken care of. I would look for leaks at the rear main seal, valve covers and the front boots for fluid coming out. Also check for leaks around radiator and condition of antifreeze. Look at the air filter to see if changed recently. Your looking for basic constant maintenance that has been taken care of. Also look for any fluid coming from the shocks. Good luck.
 
Texas_Ranger said:
35,000 a year is ALOT of highway miles. So I would check the tranny fluid and diff fluid to make sure its been maintained. Also look for any wrecks on record or paint over spray on trim. Highway miles don't scare me much as long as fluids are taken care of. I would look for leaks at the rear main seal, valve covers and the front boots for fluid coming out. Also check for leaks around radiator and condition of antifreeze. Look at the air filter to see if changed recently. Your looking for basic constant maintenance that has been taken care of. Also look for any fluid coming from the shocks. Good luck.
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I will definitely be taking it to a mechanic. My local Toyota said they can do a pre-purchase inspection for $189, I'm thinking they will check everything you mentioned.
 
DannyLlama said:
Depends on if it's mostly been on road or not. Also depends on inspection of the boots and other suspension items.

Engine and transimtion probably re good for at least another 150k so thats not so much an issue

Your best bet is to pay a mechanic 200 bucks to do a thorough inspection. Someone that's reputable.

its hard without looking at the truck.
Click to expand...

It's a family car that they used for the snow. She said they used 4wd only a few times through all of last winter. I am taking it to Toyota for a pre-purchase inspection. We will see where that goes...
 
What does Toyota really do for that pre purchase inspection? Can you observe while they are doing it? Do you have maintenance records to look at. No dipstick for the tranny; so fluid can't be checked or inspected easily.
 
Nope miles and $ would be a no. You can find newer with way less miles for just a few dollars more. Wait.


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Nope for me as well. Too many miles for that price and a '12 was probably purchased in '11 so that's probably an 8 year old truck. Those look like Method wheels, so chances are he did 4Wheel it more than your average Joe.

If you are still interested, besides CarFax do AutoCheck as well. The truth about car vehicle history reports
 
In my opinion that's just too many miles for the price they are asking. It may look good and be in good shape cosmetically, but if you are going to take the plunge make sure you have very thorough records of maintenance. What work was done, when, and by who. Once my 4runner reaches 185,000 miles I expect it to go quite a bit longer than that, since I know the maintenance and all of the little things have been taken care on it in a timely manner. What I'm saying is the unknown on a higher mileage may come back to bite you. Be aware and do your homework!
 
Some of those upgrades look nice, but it's high mileage and has a known mechanical issue with the fuel sensor. Seems unrealistically high at $16k. Sometimes people expect to get full dollar for any after market upgrades they have done, when in reality these add almost no actual value to the vehicle when it comes to resale.
 
Nope, no way for that price. If they can produce maintenance records and the engine internals show no indication of sludge, no leaks, and belts and boots look good- - - Maybe $13ish.

If you buy it and it gets totaled the next day, You'll have to fight to get any insurance to give more than maybe $13,300 .

The vehicle may be a safe buy but, the price is way wrong.
 
$13-14k would be more like it.

The miles don’t scare me as long as fluids (diffs, t case, trans, coolant, brake fluid, power steering) have been changed several times and basic maintenance done like oil changes, filters, etc. I am at 120k and I am sure mine will have a ton of life left at 185K due to routine maintenance like that. I would still only expect to get $16-17k or so for mine though on a trade in right now at 120k. Mines a 2012 SR5 Premium with leather, sunroof, etc. This one is just priced way high.
 
At that price it's a big nyet from me, comrade.

I just checked out CarGurus and it looks like there are many to be had with 100k fewer miles for about $3k more asking price.

Not saying I wouldn't drive that red one, but I wouldn't pay nearly that much for it. What are the chances of you putting 100k more miles on that while only putting out $3k in maintenance?
 
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Personally, I would not spend $12k on a car with 185k miles. That’s just me

I bought my third gen at 135k miles and that was kinda crazy to me. I ended up selling it at 207k but not before I replaced a transmission, most of the suspension, every conceivable brake component, and countless misc. items that break over time (antenna, lights burning out, rust prevention)
 
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