Hi all, I'm very interested to buy a 2011 SR5 V6 with about 190,000 miles. The body and interior are very clean. The maintenance is here and there, not always done at Toyota dealer.
I plan to use this as my daily driver but will I be doing a lot of repairs in the next 10,000 miles or so? I've been doing some research and I can tell that if well kept and maintained they can last a long time - but since I'm buying it from a local dealer as is, is it more likely that I will be buying a car that I will have to spend thousands of dollars on to keep it running?
Looks like that vehicle is coming up on it’s half life! Taken care of properly, yes, they last a very long time. Sounds like that rig was taken on a lot of road trips! What are they asking for it? What’s the KBB for that config with that many miles?
Bringing it to a good reputable independent shop to give it an inspection is a really good idea. They can listen for any interesting sounds coming from various points on the vehicle and give you an idea of what may need to be done immediately or down the road.
Acustrip makes a very good line of fluid diagnostic strips. If you can’t take the car to a reputable mechanic to have it given a once over, see if you can get some of these strips to test fluid. Most fluids are easy to get to and check. The exception is the tranny fluid. You’ll find some good info here on how to do that.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/155572-transmission-fluid-change.html
Otherwise, get under the vehicle and inspect things like the suspension, bushings for wear, tell tale signs of abuse or cover ups like old oil buildup around gasket seals, etc. Make notes.
When you drive the vehicle, make sure the salesman shuts the hell up and keep the radio off so you can hear the engine and transmission. Listen for any shunts in the shift points, whining coming from the tranny. On a straight road put the truck in 4wd and see how easy it engages. Engage 4wd low.
Better yet, takes pictures and post here!! I’m sure people will be happy to give their advice on anything and everything you’ll “need” to do to it.
If all checks out, you’ll have a s great ride that should last another 200,000 miles.