Hey all, looking to buy an 04, NEED HELP!

[ftm-ptb]

Hey everyone, great forum you all have going on here. I'm working out a deal on a 04 V6 4wd. It has 101k on it. Anyway, the dealer is having a sensor for the VSC replaced........What is that? And should I steer clear of this vehicle? Thanks for the help! And hopefully i'll be joining the 4runner nation soon!!!!!!

Also, is 12,900 a decent price for this vehicle? Thanks again!

 

[emelianenkov]

Hey everyone, great forum you all have going on here. I'm working out a deal on a 04 V6 4wd. It has 101k on it. Anyway, the dealer is having a sensor for the VSC replaced........What is that? And should I steer clear of this vehicle? Thanks for the help! And hopefully i'll be joining the 4runner nation soon!!!!!!

Also, is 12,900 a decent price for this vehicle? Thanks again!

That's a great price and I wouldn't worry about the VSC sensor. (VSC stands for vehicle stability control). The new sensor should work perfectly!

 

[r6dallas]

That is a good deal. Is it a SR5, Sport or a Limited. I just bought a 05 limited v8 and I love it. I got mine for 14k, I could have bought a sr5 cheaper but I feel in love with the limited navigation, leather and V8

 

[ftm-ptb]

That is a good deal. Is it a SR5, Sport or a Limited. I just bought a 05 limited v8 and I love it. I got mine for 14k, I could have bought a sr5 cheaper but I feel in love with the limited navigation, leather and V8

It is an sr5. it has had one previous owner. My only other worry is the fact that it's from albany, and per the autocheck and carfax has been in NY its entire life. I live in NC, and ive heard horror stories about rust and northern cars. Thanks again

 

[ftm-ptb]

Also, can you guys help me with things I should check on the vehicle before purchasing? I've read about the rear seals, and that you can tell if their bad by looking at the inside of the rear tires. Anything else? I'm a dumb fireman so I don't know alot about the in's and outs of vehicles besides changing oil and brakes. Any advice on what to look for is so much appreciated.

 

[ASUMTNEER]

sounds pretty good to me. Definitely check for rust. Calipers are real bad to seize. What part of N.C. Are you in?

 

[ftm-ptb]

ASU, I live right outside of Greensboro. I assume you're at APP? Anybody else, feel free to chime in and tell me what else i should look for!!!

 

[earthrealm]

$12900 is an ok price for an 04...it aint a gr8 price..i bought my 05 v6 4runner with 114k miles for $12150 otd in june.....and my autotrader n cars.com alerts are still running so i still get quotes n emails for 4runners..ranging from $10500 to $13000 for 03 to 06 4runners........with decent mileage.link below to my autotrader alert page, couple of 4runners there.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...us=75&incremental=last_searched-1346817600000

go to toyota website and enter the vin to veiw detailed service history of the truck...also chk that the 4lo is working well...in most v6 cos of lack of use..it ends of sticking...n its an expensive fix $2k plus!

 

[boondoggle]

Yep. Try 4Lo before you buy.

Also, check the VIN stickers on the body panels, doors and the hood. Make sure they all match the vehicle VIN.

Carfax doesn't always know about accidents.

 

[Neil]

also chk that the 4lo is working well...in most v6 cos of lack of use..it ends of sticking...n its an expensive fix $2k plus![/QUOTE]

Competely disagree with the above post. You want to make sure it is working just like in any 4wd vehicle but it is not a problem in "most v6's". This is a rare failure and is from lack of use. If the 4runner is in NY, it is safe to say that 4 high and low was probably used a lot during the past 8 winters.

Other then that it is a fair price. Good luck.

 

[earthrealm]

well since its only the v6 4runner that has part time 4wd..via 4lo/4hi...thats why i said in most v6............as the 4lo sticking doesnt happen in a v8 4th gen since it has full time 4wd/no 4lo

 

[berettashot117]

well by since its only the v6 4runner that has part time 4wd..via 4lo/4hi...thats why i said in most v6............as the 4lo sticking doesnt happen in a v8 4th gen since it has full time 4wd/no 4lo

Um yes it very well does still happen on v8's with fulltime 4wd if you don't activate 4lo from time to time. Use it or lose it!

 

[ftm-ptb]

Went and drove the runner....Needless to say I love it. 4wd works great, and everything looks like its in good condition. The only thing that concerned me was that the frame looks like it has been painted or something with a material similar to a spray on bed liner? I didn't notice any rust coming through that, but did notice some rust on the front sway bar when looking down through the engine compartment. Should that steer me away from this vehicle??? Thanks again!!!

 

[Gumps_runner]

I would run the vin # through the Toyota Website to check any maintenance or repairs done at the dealer.
Make sure nothing is leaking. Have a mechanic put it on a lift and check from below. Some people have mentioned a leak starting at the transfer case.

I would also have a mechanic do a compression check on all cylinders and make sure there is no head gasket issues.
The VSC sensor is minor, let them replace it and should be good for a long time.

If the rhino liner coating on the bottom of the truck you describe looks to be 8 years old or so I would not worry to much about it. But if it looks bright and new I would avoid buying the truck. If the frame is rusting, the dealer or previous owner might of had the frame sprayed over to hide the rust.
If you want to lift your vehicle the rust will almost double your time to remove everything.
Good luck on your new purchase. If I could do it over again, I would get the V8 for the durability of the engine over the V6. Gas milage is "almost" the same.

 

[ftm-ptb]

I'll see if I can get some pictures of it... You guys have me all worried now
I didnt pay enougb attention to see if the rhino lining stuff was new or old........

 

[ASUMTNEER]

if you need a carfax ran lmk. I still have 4 to burn.

 

[ftm-ptb]

Ive done the auto check and put the vin into toyotas website, all came back clear. Im just worried that im buying a rust bucket thats been painted over!

 

[ASUMTNEER]

If you are hesitant or worried now, just walk away. You want to have no reservations about your new truck, don't start off not sure about it.

 

[2StepsAhead]

Yep. Try 4Lo before you buy.

Also, check the VIN stickers on the body panels, doors and the hood. Make sure they all match the vehicle VIN.

Carfax doesn't always know about accidents.

New shopper here as well...I tried a quick search, what should I look for to make sure 4lo works? Will it just not engage, lights pop up, clunking/thumping or something?

 

[ftm-ptb]

Well, the rust on the 04 was more than I was comfortable with.....BUT! I'm the proud new owner of 2000 SR5 with 119k on it. I paid 8k out the door, and feel good about my deal. Dealership had all original service records, oil changes etc. Needless to say I'm happy. My only gripe is that the radio doesnt light up at night......is there a light burnt out or is that just the way it is? Not a huge deal as I plan to upgrade radios soon. Thanks for all the help guys!