I'm most likely buying this tomorrow

Zachpins34

Zachpins34

New member
But having weird thoughts and not 100% sure on it, obviously til I check it out. He's asking $7k and says he's firm on the price because hes got a lot of calls. Is this price too high? According to other 4runners I've seen on Craigslist, this looks like a great deal, but Ive never spent this much money in my life! haha I think im just looking for some reassurance. Well, here's the ad:

1999 Toyota 4Runner 4WD

This is a good price right??!?! I read the buyers guide and will look for rust/pink milkshake etc, but is there anything else I should look out for? How can I test the 4WD to make sure it works fine without going offroad somewhere..?

Lol the guy keeps telling me the scoop hood is like a turbo and it cools the motor and makes it run better. I told him its just for looks and its sealed and we almost got into an argument about it lol so I just said "ohhh ok cool."
 
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ya that thing looks pretty clean, i would say its a good deal for the miles, seems about right, as far as the 4wd I've been looking for a new runner the past few weeks and when searching the first thing i check in the 4wd is the CV boots to make sure they aren't cracking or even leaking, then ill drive it up and down the street in 4hi and a short distance in 4lo just to make sure it actually works and isn't making any crazy noises, man i wish i was back in the lower 48 to buy a car I'm so limited up here in AK its a bummer good luck
 
THe last statment in the first post would make me not even look at it. It seem obvious that the guy has no clue on what going on under the hood. I think it wouldnt be too far off that it may have had a lack of maintenance. Even if he says it has. Once you open the hood its obvious that the scoop is fake. and a scoop isnt a turbo... Pull the vin pay for a car fax. I have seen nice 4runners pull up salvaged. Looking at a paper title isnt god enough for me. Put it in 4wd, put it in low range too. The light shouldnt come on unless the front diff actuated. You may be able to tell while driving because the steering gets tighter in 4wd. Be a smart buyer. Dont rush and dont fall in love with the truck. If somethings not right let it go. Prove the scoop is fake to him. Make some noises when you looking at it like theres something wrong. Hey you may as well try and get them down. Even if its bs

The last car i bought i told the guy it needed brakes and its about $300 in the shop. They were $60 at vato zone. and new tires which I got 15K more on them. he bough it and came down $800
 
I agree with tmaxxx. It looks clean, and the price is pretty much right. Definitely do the test with the 4wd. Also take a good look at much of the suspension components as well as the cv boots. Tie rods, bushings on shocks/struts, lower ball joints, etc. Check the rotor wear, look at the insides of the tires. Check valve covers to see if there is an oil film (gaskets shot). Also ask for the record that the timing belt has been done. Ask for all maintenance records. If there is a squeak to the engine, you can almost guarantee that it hasn't been done. These are all good things to go over on any used vehicle and there will be something wrong, it is almost impossible to find a 1998-2002 4runner for $7000 without anything wrong, but that doesn't mean you don't buy it. It just means that you gather as much information as possible, and make an educated decision that you are happy to live with. It is a 4runner and they are the best vehicles to own.

To go along with J-monney and the carfax idea. Go to toyota.com, look for the owners link. Click it and set up an account. Then input the vin number under manage vehicles. You will be able to view service that has been done at a toyota dealer (as long as they put it in).

That is hilarious about the hood scoop:lmao:

Good luck.
 
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make sure to ask for all the maintenance paper ALL OF THEM! make sure there is no weirdness in gear shifts, smell the atf for weird smell, good atf should smell sweet not burnt, check engine oil cap for any built up, check for discoloration in the coolant, and make sure they use red toyota coolant, carfax it, and in the end try to jew him down to 6500, bring 7gs but flash the 6.5 in his face, most people cant resiste that big stack of money, the thicker the better
 
wow thanks a lot guys I appreciate the help. You're all so right. im getting googly eyed about it and need to not fall in love right away with it. When I put it in 4 hi and 4 low, I shouldn't make any turns right? The way the ad is layed out I have a feeling this guy buys and sells cars all the time. But who knows, we will see once I look at it. Thinking about paying a shop to do a quick inspection as well. and thats a good idea about the noises and brakes/tires haha love it. He says hes firm but it cant hurt to try and get it lower. So what your saying is the 4WD light shouldn't come on unless I press the locker button? Sorry, im retaarrded and never used a 4WD before, mine right now is a 2WD
 
thanks Eric, I'll definitely check all that stuff. I'm making a list right now and will bring it tomorrow :) yea ill stash the 500 in the car and pull out 6500 haha
 
if its a limited or highlander it should have a push bottom 4wd transfer case shifter(on the fly no need to shift), the 4x4 light should be on the instant your transfercase engages, from the looks of the badge and the hood and the flares this model is the 1999 "highlander" model
 
and if it has a RR diff locker switch dont assume he has a diff lock crawl under the truck and see it for yourself,
hipinion_electric.jpg


and yes i highly recommend you take it to a mechanic place to check it out.
 
omg thanks I just saved that pic and will look under the truck and compare. The ad makes me suspicious because of how its layed out. Also, hes a middle eastern guy and from my experience a lot of middle eastern guys buy and sell cars for profit. (I'm not racist people). He keeps saying its "special edition" lol. I guess I cant really judge until I look at it. I just REALLY dont want o buy someones problem. And so the 4WD shifter should look liek this then right?

<a href="http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b175/zachcobras34/?action=view&current=90_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b175/zachcobras34/90_.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
yep thats the one, and trust me im know about middle eastern guys. trusting is not the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "middle eastern car salesman"
 
and it is a special edition "highlander" im free till 6pm tomorrow so if you got any question you got my number
 
I am going to say something is fishy about this as well. If you ever see the caravans down the highway where 3 or 4 are towing cars? This is a business where people take slightly to moderately damaged cars fix'em and sell them to unsuspecting buyers. It's a BIG business and craigslist IS their friend. Be careful and buyer beware. The comments you've made so far would have me running not walking away.
 
i would be careful on this one, definitely have a shop look it over, possibly a mechanics shop and a body shop to check for both issues. secondly nit pick every little thing wrong with it, i saw some scratches and what looks like some damage to the front left(drivers side) bumper area... the shifter 4 the 4wd should be the old school J shift pattern(like COB said) not the newer awd multi-mode set up. im sure they had the truck detailed inside and out. to test the 4wd put it in 4lo and drive in a figure 8 pattern as tight as possible you should be able to feel the transfer case binding as you do so, and the tires chewing at the pavement(find a parking lot somewhere that is fairly empty. there should also be a green indicator light on the dash that lights up the 4wd diagram in the dash. it doesnt look like it has a locker, i didnt see the switch in the dash for it. but if it is there make sure you crawl under the truck to look for it perturbing out from the drivers side of the rear diff. also make sure that it has the rear cargo cover, and that its in good shape, as it is a $700+ dealer item, that is getting harder and harder to find. show up in your runner so the guy will be less inclined to BS you, show him you know what you are looking for. hell if you want to be a d1ck, as soon as i get in the truck for a test drive id turn on the AC(maybe even let it idle for a few min before and after as well) and tell him the there is a leak, and point to all the water dripping down on the ground under the motor in the back passenger side. idk its your call. just dont let him know you want the car. $7k isnt a bad price, but it isnt a great price either, its fair
 
Love the 'Special Addition' part ha!

For me, its kind of hard to tell on this one as to whether it's a private sale or not based on the ad. I would lean toward private but who knows. Do the usual due diligence that you would when buying any used vehicle and follow your trusty 3rd Gen buyers guide!

Also, the whole hood scoop/turbo thing could be just down to the fact that he just has no idea. There are plenty of people who just take their vehicle into Toyota (or whomever) as soon as they're supposed to or if something is acting up and never ask questions, they just get the service/maintenance done, pay up and they're off. If this is the case, he should have a fistful of maintenance receipts. There's also a good chance he's never even examined the hood scoop assembly and wouldn't know what a turbo looked like even if he did have one.

Good luck and keep us posted on how it goes!
 
The only other thing I would comment on is when he said he had a lot of calls on it. In my area, a good 4runner sells super fast. Why hasn't it sold, or do the others know something perhaps? Not sure how fast they sell in your area, but a good one around me sells fast, it sure doesn't take many calls.

Caution is recommended, although it may be a perfectly good 4runner.
 
At the end of the day your looking at a USED vehicle that is almost 13 years old, the price and mileage seem right but I would have it checked out to make sure it doesn't have anything major going on with the driveline. With that said I have never bought a used vehicle that didn't need anything so expect to put a few bucks into it somewhere.
 
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