How long to keep high mileage 4th Gen?

W

woodman60

New member
With a 6th Gen 4Runner potentially coming in 2023, and not sure it is a vehicle I will want, I'm seriously considering ordering a 2022 TRD Off Road...in Lunar Rock. Then I look out in the driveway and see my 2005 V6. Do I really need to spend $50K on a new rig? Then spend several grand on a lift, legitimate tires, and sliders.

I have had my 2005 since it had 180K and it's now at 230K. It's lifted, sleeping platform set up, etc. just the way I want it. Yes, it has ugly oxidized silver paint, but doesn't show the road rash.

I replaced the head gaskets at 195K. Was losing a slight amount of coolant, and showed coolant in my oil on a Blackstone analysis. Other than that no evidence of head gasket blown from the way it ran. I got it for a very low price, so decided to preemptively address this. I replaced plugs, all fluids, radiator, hoses, battery, alternator, v-belt, lower control arms, added Dobinson shocks, replaced carpet and still only have about $11K into it.

Other than all these preventive repairs it has run like a top. How far can I drive this thing and feel like I have a reliable vehicle to get me in and back out again? Let me know your thoughts. What else should I do preemptively to keep it running?
 
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My cousin has an 05 or 06 302,000 miles he has beat the brakes off that thing everyday for the last 8 years hes has owned it... drunken off-roading...:crazy:
he did a cv and brakes years ago and never ever EVER! does routine maintenance, hes had an oil change sitting in the closet for the last two years has been probably 30,000 since he changed it last all other fluids are factory.
no lie its the craziest treatment of a runner I've ever seen and he still uses it as his daily its actually his only car...
exhaust is gone from headers back, hood is smashed unusable from hitting like 10 deer at 60 it gets him to work and back everyday and 4WD still works flawlessly...

so for an answer to the question I'm willing to bet a long time! as long as rust doesn't kill it....

it's an awful way to treat such a faithful machine but what can you do.... heavy boozin small town WI.
 
I go through this frequently as well. But it’s the same engine transmission / drive train in the 5th gen

I’d see what features the new ones have you want and see what you can do. Ie might be worth it to look into professional polishing, painting or vinyl wrapping. Upgrade seats, head unit.

Sometimes shiny new toys are fun too. It’s different for everyone - some will keep their car for ever and you can put a lot into it for the savings on a new one. Others don’t want to have to deal with potential fixes or want a new platform and enjoy having a newer car

Good luck.
 
Syr4RinNC said:
I go through this frequently as well. But it’s the same engine transmission / drive train in the 5th gen

I’d see what features the new ones have you want and see what you can do. Ie might be worth it to look into professional polishing, painting or vinyl wrapping. Upgrade seats, head unit.

Sometimes shiny new toys are fun too. It’s different for everyone - some will keep their car for ever and you can put a lot into it for the savings on a new one. Others don’t want to have to deal with potential fixes or want a new platform and enjoy having a newer car

Good luck.
Click to expand...


I’ve been jonesing for a 5th Gen 4R or a 3rd Gen taco for a minute. I then remember how nice it is not having a car payment and I get over it lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The best part of owning an older truck, I dont worry about it like I would if it was new. And no car paymant.

Sold my Lexus IS350 2014 last year to get rid of the $350 monthly.

For me the best part, I spent a total of $13,000 and bought a ‘07 4runner Sport $6500 and 21’ Rinker ski boat $7000. And have no loan payments on either. Both are in very clean condition.

I’m Never going to buy a new vehicle again.
 
Drcoffee said:
The best part of owning an older truck, I dont worry about it like I would if it was new. And no car paymant.

Sold my Lexus IS350 2014 last year to get rid of the $350 monthly.

For me the best part, I spent a total of $13,000 and bought a ‘07 4runner Sport $6500 and 21’ Rinker ski boat $7000. And have no loan payments on either. Both are in very clean condition.

I’m Never going to buy a new vehicle again.
Click to expand...

never say never!
 
expendable income? go for it..

Your 4runner properly maintained will run at least double the mileage it currently has before repairs don't make sense anymore.

all considering the level of rust you have or what you do from this point ot prevent it.


While im sure the brand new 4runner will be nice as hell... its going to be new and untested and expensive. You can sink 10k into your runner and make it awesome and its still a long way from the 50k you will spend on something thats bone stock and making payments on
 
Whichever you decide, at least the resale value will always be there. Maybe not as great as a Tacoma, but always something good to be able to fall back on. Same with WRXs, Wranglers, etc. Unlike the GMs that I used to own, it's nice to have vehicles that are (mostly) worthy investments.

If you sell the 4th gen, being able to tout your maintenance & upkeep is always a plus.
 
woodman60 said:
With a 6th Gen 4Runner potentially coming in 2023, and not sure it is a vehicle I will want, I'm seriously considering ordering a 2022 TRD Off Road...in Lunar Rock. Then I look out in the driveway and see my 2005 V6. Do I really need to spend $50K on a new rig? Then spend several grand on a lift, legitimate tires, and sliders.

I have had my 2005 since it had 180K and it's now at 230K. It's lifted, sleeping platform set up, etc. just the way I want it. Yes, it has ugly oxidized silver paint, but doesn't show the road rash.

I replaced the head gaskets at 195K. Was losing a slight amount of coolant, and showed coolant in my oil on a Blackstone analysis. Other than that no evidence of head gasket blown from the way it ran. I got it for a very low price, so decided to preemptively address this. I replaced plugs, all fluids, radiator, hoses, battery, alternator, v-belt, lower control arms, added Dobinson shocks, replaced carpet and still only have about $11K into it.

Other than all these preventive repairs it has run like a top. How far can I drive this thing and feel like I have a reliable vehicle to get me in and back out again? Let me know your thoughts. What else should I do preemptively to keep it running?
Click to expand...

This just comes down to how you want to spend your money. You're currently driving one of only a handful of vehicles with a engine/powertrain that generally requires very little beyond regular maintenance even well beyond 250k miles. Personally I like spending car loan money elsewhere :biggrin1:

That being said, even if it were to start really showing it's age, you can afford a lot of maintenance and repair work for the price of a car note.

As others have said, it's the same bulletproof engine and trans in the '22, with a more modern interior and exterior. If esthetics and more modern features like Toyota safety sense are important to you then maybe it's worth it. A modern HU can make up for a lot of that in a 4th gen though.

To answer your questions more specifically; with your current attention to maintenance and a new HG, I would think you could easily get 350k reliable miles out of the engine, and possibly more. The HG is the only major problem the 1GR-FE has from 2003-2005/6 apart from some cracked exhaust manifolds, but I think that's more of an issue on the V8.

There's not much else I can think as far as pre-emptive work you could be doing apart from staying on top of oil changes, coolant flushes at recommended intervals and not regularly using the top half of you tach unless you actually need to. Just keep doing what you're doing. I love my '03, I think Toyota really outdid themselves on the 4th gen 4R. In my biased opinion, it's the best midsize BOF suv ever made.
 
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The only things that could sell me are actually offering something new. A
new drivetrain with better MPGs and added safety features are high up on the wish list. New technology would be cool (screens, 360 camera, etc…) but the novelty of some of those things isn’t worth $50k to me. I can get by with adding CarPlay and a backup camera.

Otherwise it’s more or less the same truck. Personally I’d rather put the money into an investment account. The 6th gen might be cool but I never buy the first year or 2 of a new design. There’s usually somethings to be worked out.
 
Thanks for all the opinions. I'm thinking it's time for some Clazzio seat covers and coverlay dash for the 2005...and maybe a nice off road teardrop trailer to tow behind it.
 
Syr4RinNC said:
I go through this frequently as well. But it’s the same engine transmission / drive train in the 5th gen

I’d see what features the new ones have you want and see what you can do. Ie might be worth it to look into professional polishing, painting or vinyl wrapping. Upgrade seats, head unit.

Sometimes shiny new toys are fun too. It’s different for everyone - some will keep their car for ever and you can put a lot into it for the savings on a new one. Others don’t want to have to deal with potential fixes or want a new platform and enjoy having a newer car

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I can't lie I wouldn't mind a Off-Road Pro though!!:heh: They come factory how I want my 4th when finished... need skids, lights, Nerf, TRD BLACK RIMS!! man! I actually thought about sand blasting the factory rims and powder coating black...
 
Drcoffee said:
The best part of owning an older truck, I dont worry about it like I would if it was new. And no car paymant.

Sold my Lexus IS350 2014 last year to get rid of the $350 monthly.

For me the best part, I spent a total of $13,000 and bought a ‘07 4runner Sport $6500 and 21’ Rinker ski boat $7000. And have no loan payments on either. Both are in very clean condition.

I’m Never going to buy a new vehicle again.
Click to expand...

yup there's that as well I can drive into the woods and if i get trees grinding down the side its hurts less... still hurts a little though...
One thing that might be helpful scotty kilmer? whatever his name is YouTube always talks about that AT-205 ReSeal
Amazon.com: ATP AT-205 Re-Seal Stops Leaks, 8 Ounce Bottle : Automotive
its out of stock ATM but... It's actually a stop leak but if you put it in a spray bottle and spray all your rubber components cv boots, intake hoses, weather stripping anything rubber even if its dry and cracked hit it with a spray of that and the next morning it will be like brand new! For Real it works awesome I hit all my door seals twice a year and it worked wonders on my CV boots...
I would never use stop leak for its purpose unless i was trying to hide a blown 7-series BMW head gasket before selling to some poor kid....
 
I do think about this once in a while when people ask me about my mileage. It runs great and has currently 273k miles.

When I do have a major issue what will it be? Will it be the trans or an engine failure that takes it out? At that point how much is it worth? That's when I think about trading up to a newer lower mileage 4Runner and sell this one while it is running great. I am not saying that I doing that, but it is something that I often think about.

With that said, I am getting ready to go out to Colorado and Wyoming later this week for about 2 weeks. :cheers:
 
The Simple Engnr said:
This just comes down to how you want to spend your money. You're currently driving one of only a handful of vehicles with a engine/powertrain that generally requires very little beyond regular maintenance even well beyond 250k miles. Personally I like spending car loan money elsewhere :biggrin1:

That being said, even if it were to start really showing it's age, you can afford a lot of maintenance and repair work for the price of a car note.

As others have said, it's the same bulletproof engine and trans in the '22, with a more modern interior and exterior. If esthetics and more modern features like Toyota safety sense are important to you then maybe it's worth it. A modern HU can make up for a lot of that in a 4th gen though.

To answer your questions more specifically; with your current attention to maintenance and a new HG, I would think you could easily get 350k reliable miles out of the engine, and possibly more. The HG is the only major problem the 1GR-FE has from 2003-2005/6 apart from some cracked exhaust manifolds, but I think that's more of an issue on the V8.

There's not much else I can think as far as pre-emptive work you could be doing apart from staying on top of oil changes, coolant flushes at recommended intervals and not regularly using the top half of you tach unless you actually need to. Just keep doing what you're doing. I love my '03, I think Toyota really outdid themselves on the 4th gen 4R. In my biased option, it's the best midsize BOF suv ever made.
Click to expand...


Agreed. The 4th Gens are rock solid all around. I just bought an 07 with 141k. Maybe I’ll hand it down to my son when he gets his license. He’s currently 5.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Toystory2 said:
Agreed. The 4th Gens are rock solid all around. I just bought an 07 with 141k. Maybe I’ll hand it down to my son when he gets his license. He’s currently 5.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Oh man, an 07 with 141k is just starting to be being broken in! Congrats on the new ride. I think it's definitely reasonable to plan on keeping it running for 10+ more years. Any plans to install a new suspension or other upgrades?

As reliable as these things are, I know my '03 won't last forever and my needs have been shifting towards the tundra for a while now so that's what I'll likely be in next. But there's always this temptation in the back of my mind to just buy a 07-08 4R with relatively low miles as you've done. I know I'll miss mine once it's gone.
 
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