Need some help .......

[hamdog]

I'm still in the process of looking for a 2004-2006 4runner. I have not had any luck of finding anything that is in decent shape here in Vermont. The long winters and salt takes a toll on vehicles up here.

Anyways the local toyota dealership took in a 2006 4runner SR5 sport edition with 62K miles on it. The exterior and interior is in great shape, no surface rust or dents, etc. It has a front brushguard that is all rusted because the paint flaked off but other than that not in bad shape, or that is what I thought. On sunday when they were closed I took a ride over to the dealership and crawled underneath the rig (forgot my camera to take pics) and the skid plate (it looked to be a skid plate) is all dented bad, oil and grease covering the underside of the skide plate (assumed it was from changing the oil but not 100% sure). The front lower control arms were all banged up and rusted. The undercarriage looked really beat up.

The 4runner is a 2 owner vehicle with no maintenance reports on carfax besides manifold replacement. I'm assuming one of the two previous owners took this rig off road, in which is what they are made for. But I do not want to drop serious money into something that has been used heavily, cant afford it.

The purpose of purchasing a 4runner is to meet my hunting and fishing needs, tow a small camper, atv trailer, boat, and be able to take the dogs with us during trips.


What are your thoughts? Should I ignore the dents and assume that the skide plate did its job, or should I expect some major wear on front end and other mechanical parts?

Thanks!

 

[NWSKIUrbanRunner]

In my honest opinion i would seriously pay $100 or so to have this car checked out. Additionally get on to Toyota Owners and input the VIN into there and see if there are any maintenance records. If not, just the way it sounds, it would appear the past two owners abused the the living crap out of the 4Runner. I would say keep searching and take your time on getting one here. Took me months to find the right one that was well taken care of and for the right price.

 

[krupnation]

Anyways the local toyota dealership took in a 2006 4runner SR5 sport edition with 62K miles on it. The exterior and interior is in great shape, no surface rust or dents, etc. It has a front brushguard that is all rusted because the paint flaked off but other than that not in bad shape, or that is what I thought. On sunday when they were closed I took a ride over to the dealership and crawled underneath the rig (forgot my camera to take pics) and the skid plate (it looked to be a skid plate) is all dented bad, oil and grease covering the underside of the skide plate (assumed it was from changing the oil but not 100% sure). The front lower control arms were all banged up and rusted. The undercarriage looked really beat up.

I'd first question that fact that it's a SR5 Sport Edition. I'm pretty sure its one or the other. If it is a SE then I'd have the XREAS checked to make sure it's operating properly. In fact, with what you mentioned, I'd probably just walk and keep looking. Winter time is tough to find a car but there's deals out there for runners in better shape. Maybe do a search for cars down south? FL? Just a thought.

 

[EDness]

IMO skip it...don't risk it.

Unless the car's dirt cheap...how much do they want for it? CPO?

 

[DC runner]

My personal opinion is this: There will always be another vehicle. Therefore, you have the ability to be very picky. Always assume to worst.


Get it checked out.. but honestly. There will be more out there. If it doesn't sit right with you... don't get it.

 

[hamdog]

Thanks guys. The car is not a certified pre-owned toyota but supposedly it has been thoroughly checked by there toyota service group. They are asking $22,000 for it.

I'm going to take your recommendations and continue to look for another vehicle. The issue is finding a dealership that will accept my trade (this makes it difficult to look outside of new england).

I will keep searching and hopefully I find what I'm looking for. Thanks!

 

[krupnation]

$22k for a beat up '06? I don't know, sounds a little bit much. I'd just walk, there's better runners for a better deal out there.

 

[DC runner]

Just throwing this out there.

This is what I tend to do when car shopping: Set up to sell your car locally, private party. You will, in general, get more than you would at trade in.

If you are willing to work a bit harder, a good, non-rusty runner can be had. It will involve some travel and leg work. I use autotrader and ebay to scope out runners in non-rusty states. TN. Northern GA, Arkansas. Texas. These are areas that don't get much snow and are away from the beach... so those trucks are as pristine as can be. Having been raised in TN, I can tell you, it is very easy to find a pristine 20 year old truck. It snows 1 every 3 years and most roads don't get salt.


It is harder and it takes more work. But, you will save a ton of money and it will be as non-rusty as possible. Lets be honest... any truck from your neck of the woods is going to be rusty.. It just is. Southwest tickets are cheap..

Also. Cost of living in TN and GA is much lower, meaning relative prices are lower. Expect to save several thousand dollars on a comparable vehicle from down there... this will help buffer the gas/ticket price.

This is how I do it. I prefer non-rusty vehicles...

 

[EDness]

$22k for a beat up '06? I don't know, sounds a little bit much. I'd just walk, there's better runners for a better deal out there.

I know right! I'd sell mine for $22k and mine's in amazing shape with 43k miles on it. Mine's also CPO till 2013.

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

CarMax.

I went there, and the transferred my truck from North Carolina to Gerogia for free. No rust on it.

You could go there, and a truck transferred from Georgia or Florida, but since it's a longer drive for the trucker it may cost money. Don't know, you would have to check with them. They have great trucks, I had no hassles, and the staff were great. Even gave me a full tank of gas and detailed it before I left the lot! (I think most dealers give you a full tank of gas)

Took me 4 months to find it, but glad I waited and didn't give up.

 

[ClockWork]

Walk away.

 

[hamdog]

I'm going to try and sell my car outright but it is difficult to do especially a 6 month old car. I will continue to look around, thanks guys for the help!

 

[DC runner]

Wait. A 6 month old car, as in newly bought?

I am assuming financing. Oh god. Why? I have to imagine you are underwater on the car loan. Gap insurance doesn't cover selling the car, which means you will have to eat the difference.

Now I get "accept" trade in comment you made earlier. You realize that most dealers would of had to roll what you owe into your new purchase, which would have then automatically made you EVEN further underwater on this purchase, on a used vehicle.

YOu should really prepare yourself to lose money. A new car losses most of its value the second you drive it off the lot, and as a result; the first 2 years of a car ownership are the worst. You have almost no equity ownership in the car, and your car is significantly less valuable than when you bought it.

Usually by year 2/3 ish, you have paid down the loan value enough and the depreciation has stabilized to the point it isn't so terrible to trade it in.


Is this correct, or did I misread the situation? If the car is brand new and you bought it outright, ignore me. Few people do that is why I am assuming you financed.


Also. if you decide YOU MUST do this; I do suggest a private party sell. It will help you close the gap. You are going to eat money. Be prepared for that. Under no circumstance should you allow a dealership to ROLL the loan into your new one. This will put you in a horrid financial situation. If you need any math help, please feel free to ask.

If.. I misread.. ignore me.

 

[hamdog]

Wait. A 6 month old car, as in newly bought?

I am assuming financing. Oh god. Why? I have to imagine you are underwater on the car loan. Gap insurance doesn't cover selling the car, which means you will have to eat the difference.

Now I get "accept" trade in comment you made earlier. You realize that most dealers would of had to roll what you owe into your new purchase, which would have then automatically made you EVEN further underwater on this purchase, on a used vehicle.

YOu should really prepare yourself to lose money. A new car losses most of its value the second you drive it off the lot, and as a result; the first 2 years of a car ownership are the worst. You have almost no equity ownership in the car, and your car is significantly less valuable than when you bought it.

Usually by year 2/3 ish, you have paid down the loan value enough and the depreciation has stabilized to the point it isn't so terrible to trade it in.


Is this correct, or did I misread the situation? If the car is brand new and you bought it outright, ignore me. Few people do that is why I am assuming you financed.


Also. if you decide YOU MUST do this; I do suggest a private party sell. It will help you close the gap. You are going to eat money. Be prepared for that. Under no circumstance should you allow a dealership to ROLL the loan into your new one. This will put you in a horrid financial situation. If you need any math help, please feel free to ask.

If.. I misread.. ignore me.

DCrunner,

You are correct. I purchased the car brand new in May 2011 its a 2012 Ford Focus 5 door. I put down $6,000 when I financed it so I won't be rolling over any of my trade but will be losing a lot of money. Unfortunately things have changed and I need a SUV because me and my fiance just got another dog and I need a vehicle for hunting and fishing (more importantly haha). Also this car really does not handle good in the winter (that is another topic). So I figured a 4runner would be a good choice and I have owned many toyotas in the past and should have never veared away from them.

Anyways the plan is to trade our car in for a 4runner knowing we will lose our shirt, then buy an older Toyota Corolla ($3-$4k) for driving to work (min 100miles/day, sometimes more). Thanks!

 

[hamdog]

I took another look at the 2006 sport edition today. The body is in great shape and attached are pictures of the underside. What do you guys think by looking at the underside? Also the first 20K miles the car was in Kansas and then the last 40K it was in Vermont where it was serviced every 5K miles by the looks of the car fax report.

By looking at the pictures what do you guys think of the shape and how this rig was driven? Unfortunately I have to go through a dealer that will take my car in trade. They have other 4runners with V6 that are in great shape with low mileage but I have not convince myself to get the v6 unless it is a 5th gen (don't have money for 5th gen right now).

Thanks!

 

[hamdog]

Some more pictures

 

[TSO]

I wish I would have taken more time to inspect the undercarraige of the '03 I just bought last month. Granted, I took a quick peek for drips & leaks while running, during my test drives.... but I must have just been using my "stupid" eyes that day, because I didn't even think to consider or notice the rust. Like I showed in another thread recently, my tow hooks are rusting completely off in the front, and the radiator support portion of the frame looks really bad.

Now, I'm considering selling this and looking for something else, maybe even a Sequoia... I've been looking at an '03 Sequoia that's about 150 miles from me (online) but from what I've been reading lately, the Gen-1 Sequoia's had a Frame-Rust epidemic (like the Tundra's which were recalled due to frame rot), and until I can inspect or at least see pictures of the frame on that Sequoia, I can't justify making the drive for the purchase.

WITH ALL THAT SAID (and back to topic)... do an intensive inspection for rust, and like was mentioned, check the suspension, and the power steering too. My '03 has a "Ghost" in the PS that is causing me some issues. If it's the 4.7L, you must know that the 90,xxx maintenance schedule recommends the Timing Belt & Spark Plugs be replaced.... that will not be a cheap visit.

Finally, $22k seems to be overpriced anyhow.

 

[hamdog]

There is some surface rust underneath as shown in the pictures. The first thing I would do is bring to a shop to undercoat the bottom.

I'm just looking for some help to figure out if my first assumption of this 4runner in true or maybe the underneath is not that bad when compared to other 4runners.

It was -2F yesterday so I did not spend to much time crawling underneath vehicles comparing. I looked under a 2007 4runner V6 with 100K miles and it looked approximately the same condition minus the dents on the front skid plate. Maybe this sunday coming up it will be a little warmer and I can compare it a little better.

Thanks !

 

[T4Rget]

My 4R has some surface rust on the undercarriage due to the salty roads here in NY. However, mine has never been abused and you can see how there are no dents whatsoever. A little bit of rust isn't bad, especially if you're in VT; you're going to get it rusty from the salt anyways. What is more important is that everything is mechanically sound. Everything on mine works and feels almost like it's brand new, so I'm fine with the inevitable rust. But you shouldn't go for that one in my opinion. If it looks like that just from quick inspections, you shouldn't take the chance that there could be more wrong with it, especially with a financial situation like yours. There is always going to be a car out there that is better and cheaper, it just depends on which one is right for you. Don't force it if it doesn't feel right.

 

[MikeInNH]

There is some surface rust underneath as shown in the pictures. The first thing I would do is bring to a shop to undercoat the bottom.

This is NOT a good idea. Rust proofing will NOT get rid of rust that's already formed.

You must first get rid of the rust...then then have it rust proofed.

From the pics the only rust I'd be concerned about is the rust on the bottom of the floor pans. The rust on the frame is just surface rust..and will take YEARS AND YEARS to have any adverse effect. The floor pan is much thinner metal and the rust MIGHT eat it's way through in a few years.

To save yourself some time and money...Get under there with a wire brush and remove any rust with the brush....Then spray or paint on a product that converts the rust to an inert paintable surface. Believe it or not those products do a decent job of killing and stopping rust. After this has dried then spray on a Truck-Bed liner. More durable then rubberized undercoating and will help prevent any more rust forming.