New member here needs some advice!

J

jaredking733

New member
Greetings everyone from Tennessee!

I am considering pulling the trigger on a 97 4Runner and need some input and advice. Not sure whether to do it or not.

I found a guy who is selling one locally and it looks to be in good shape. The body appears to be straight and no visible dents or dings are noticeable. It looks pretty clean.

It has 171,000 miles on it and is a SR5 model. It has the 3.4L V6 and is 4x4 with the automatic transmission.

In the last year it has had the coolant flushed, the power steering fluid flushed/changed, the a/c refrigerant charged, valve cover gaskets replaced, timing belt, and alternator replaced, and rear axle seals replaced. Some time in the past couple years has had the transmission fluid flushed as well.

The current owner is the 2nd owner and has owned it for 5 years. It has never been wrecked as far as he knows and before I hand any money over it, I will run a CarFax on it. I always do that anyways.

From all the reading I have done here, it seems the "strawberry milkshake" affects these particular trucks. I asked the owner if the radiator was the original one. He has owned it the last 5 years and he has not replaced it. Could very well be the original, and if it is, I would get it swapped out IMMEDIATELY after purchasing to prevent this dreaded issue from happening to me.

I have also read through the 3rd Gen 4Runner's guide and everything looks in order there and I'll have plenty to check out tomorrow when I go look at it and take it for a test drive.

So, with all that said, are there any dead giveaways or red flags I should be on the lookout for when I go take a look at it tomorrow? Things to test or check for some obvious problems that would be a deal breaker?

This truck will be my every day driver if I end up buying it and I need a good reliable vehicle to get me to work every day.

Also, what is an acceptable price range to pay? I have checked KBB and it says $2600.

Thanks all for any help guys and I appreciate any input in advance.
 
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look for rust! one the frame, axel housing, etc. Also I am am not 100% sure but i think KBB is a little off with the $2600. KBB usually is very specific for the descriptions for certain pricings and although the truck might match part of the description, it may not match all the description. I am pretty sure that I am right but I would wait for others' responses just to make sure
 
Did you check underneath it for rust. I would think it would be ok if it spent all it's life in Tennessee. I live in Kentucky and it would be priced in the $4000+ range. It's hard to find one with all the maintenance already done like that one has.
 
jnat306bg said:
Did you check underneath it for rust. I would think it would be ok if it spent all it's life in Tennessee. I live in Kentucky and it would be priced in the $4000+ range. It's hard to find one with all the maintenance already done like that one has.
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I will definitely check the rust tomorrow when I go look at it. Obviously there will be some rust, but I guess I should just be concerned if it looks excessive?

I'm originally from Kentucky, btw. Go Wildcats!
 
yeah KBB loses all reliability when it comes to older vehicles, especially highly sought after ones, they all seem to flatline on value, in other words a 4runner in good shape is always going to bring "x" amount of dollars....that being said, you may replace the radiator now only to find out the damage to the trans has already occurred...why is he selling it? and of course like everyone said, check for rust/possible hidden issues...
 
4yotaguy said:
yeah KBB loses all reliability when it comes to older vehicles, especially highly sought after ones, they all seem to flatline on value, in other words a 4runner in good shape is always going to bring "x" amount of dollars....that being said, you may replace the radiator now only to find out the damage to the trans has already occurred...why is he selling it? and of course like everyone said, check for rust/possible hidden issues...
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Don't know why he's selling it.

So, steer clear?
 
I say get it, if it looks good to you. I am learning these things are extremely durable and fairly bullet proof, yet rather easy to work on. This site has an extremely large amount of info and people that are very knowledgeable to help you out if you have some issues pop up. My wife and my daughter both are now wanting a 4Runner. Looks like I will be buying a couple more in the next few months.
 
What's he asking for it? With all of that work recently done its certainly worth a hard look.

Chris
 
definitely Car Fax and any other service records. $2600 sounds a bit low. Does it have a locker? You can go through all the stickers on the truck (Toyotas have them on every body part) and make sure all the VIN's match. Check the suspension, spare tire and jack pieces. I neglected to do that like most folks' and it only happens once. If all that work has indeed been done to it, I'd buy it for $2600, provided you've checked all of the above advice. If you're worried about the milkshake, replace the Rad and install a B & M trans cooler. $70 shipped from amazon. Or, wait until you find one without questions and less miles. Good luck -
 
Wow, where in TN are you? I'd consider driving up from Birmingham for that. Been looking and haven't found anything comfortable with pulling trigger on.

Chris
 
check inside the engine blow-by hose that is attached to the intake hose as shown in the following pictures (simply pull it out). If it has lots and lots of oil, engine is worn out.

You can also pull the engine oil dip stick while engine is running. Look for any kind of smoke.. oily vapor. If you see any of these, it is a bad engine!
 

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YEEEEEESH.. i might drive from vancouver Canada to grab that.. from what i have read (and not seen) that is a killer deal. In my experience working at an auto auction for a lonnng time those who do maintenance like that listed above take care of their trucks.. personally on these things i would never do the valve cover seals unless they were pissing oil. Looks like it has had good owners and at 2900 bucks i am speachless.. this would be upwards of 7 grand here and that price would be firm.
 
From your story, I hear no red flags.

Why is he selling it? Probably because it's 15 years old, he hasn't had a car payment in years, and is ready to upgrade to a more modern vehicle.

Check the VIN stickers on every panel. If it's not there, ask.

Create an account on Toyota Owners Official Web Site: Service Coupons, Owner's Manuals, Service Scheduling And More and register the VIN of the vehicle. Sometimes there is a lot of good maintenance history on there.

Check for rust. If the undercarriage looks too good to be true, take a wrech or other hard object and lightly hit the frame/other parts... If it crumbles, obviously a no-go.

Sounds like you did your homework and found a sweet deal to me... Congrats/welcome!
 
A.Wilson013 said:
Why is he selling it? Probably because it's 15 years old, he hasn't had a car payment in years, and is ready to upgrade to a more modern vehicle.
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The only thing that scares me about buying it is being a 15 year old SUV.

On the other hand, if 300,000 isn't uncommon, it's got a solid number of years of life left in it for me.

I'm so torn. I couldn't sleep last night lol
 
nissanh said:
check inside the engine blow-by hose that is attached to the intake hose as shown in the following pictures (simply pull it out). If it has lots and lots of oil, engine is worn out.

You can also pull the engine oil dip stick while engine is running. Look for any kind of smoke.. oily vapor. If you see any of these, it is a bad engine!
Click to expand...

good god man, your advice is horrible. Do you know what the PCV system does?
 
A.Wilson013 said:
From your story, I hear no red flags.Why is he selling it? Probably because it's 15 years old, he hasn't had a car payment in years, and is ready to upgrade to a more modern vehicle.

Check the VIN stickers on every panel. If it's not there, ask.

Create an account on Toyota Owners Official Web Site: Service Coupons, Owner's Manuals, Service Scheduling And More and register the VIN of the vehicle. Sometimes there is a lot of good maintenance history on there.

Check for rust. If the undercarriage looks too good to be true, take a wrech or other hard object and lightly hit the frame/other parts... If it crumbles, obviously a no-go.

Sounds like you did your homework and found a sweet deal to me... Congrats/welcome!
Click to expand...

yep, that's solid advice. Pretty much what I was thinking.
 
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