This past week I helped a guy with a broken 4Runner. Don't know the year but it had a solid front axle and the fiberglass camper shell. His clutch failed and I towed him 20 miles in the desert, to a road, with my 03 4Runner, to get him where a real tow truck could take over on the highway. He works for the government, doing surveys and bought the 4Runner new, for the job. And, he says, this is the first time it has failed to get him home. He also said that he does not want a new 4Runner because he can't get the 4-cylinder engine and standard transmission, any more. This 4Runner gets hammered every day, at work going places most won't go, and is still running. He called me today to thank me for the tow and said he had the clutch and flywheel and TO bearing replaced, and he's back in the desert working. He has no idea how many miles he's driven but has five years left until retirement and expects he 4Runner to take him there. How many other small SUV's can make this trip?
How long do 4Runners last?
- Thread starter Larry
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Actually I did, but he does not have a computer, besides the company laptop. If we keep in touch I'll keep working on him. He keeps trying to pay me and I have settled on dinner because I would hope that someone would help me if I were on the other end.
One other note, that V8 engine sure did a good job. We had to go through a lot of tough stuff and several places took more than one try to get through. The 20 mile tow took over two hours. I've done a lot of four-wheeling but never with such a big trailer on such difficult terrain. At one place we had to anchor the tow line in front of the towed vehicle and run the line 20 yards back to the frame and foward 40 yards again, to my 4Runner and, talk a walking speed run at pulling him up and through through a deep wash (this method sure beats digging).
One other note, that V8 engine sure did a good job. We had to go through a lot of tough stuff and several places took more than one try to get through. The 20 mile tow took over two hours. I've done a lot of four-wheeling but never with such a big trailer on such difficult terrain. At one place we had to anchor the tow line in front of the towed vehicle and run the line 20 yards back to the frame and foward 40 yards again, to my 4Runner and, talk a walking speed run at pulling him up and through through a deep wash (this method sure beats digging).
TranceKrayz
New member
sounds like you have quite a bit of experience with towing. good thing he ran into you or vice versa. 
TranceKrayz
New member
Where are you from? 
TranceKrayz
New member
yep.....vehicles in warmer climates look wayy better than here when they age.
TranceKrayz said:
Cars in the northeast that we consider a POS, are driving around in excellen condition in the warmer climates, the extreme cold just destroys cars
: I wonder if new 4Runners as well as new vehicles will last as long as the older stuff with all the new electronic stuff added
Current and future cars might have a shorter life because it will cost too much to keep all the electronic stuff working. Some cars are getting to the point that they won't work without the gadgets. Cars used to be driven until the mechanical and body parts gave up, but the future may be that the electronics will beat them both to the punch. A lot of current mechanics are parts changers and I can imagine them figuring out problems that involve multiple failures at the same time. Why, they would have to troubleshoot the problem and poke around and think. Don't get me wrong, there are some great mechanics that can handle this just fine, but there are the rest of them that will be stuck and you and I will pay for their searching and guessing. I think that's part of the charm of that old 4Runner out in the desert, no gadgets.
Northbound395
New member
I had a 1991 4Runner and drove it for 13 years and 183,000 miles. I'm sure it would have gone another 100,000 miles easily. No major repairs the entire time, just normal things like clutch replacements and scheduled maintenance (never missed an oil change). My new 2004 cost twice as much as the old one but if the new one lasts 13 years it's still a good buy. I am one of those loyal Toyota customers.
