over 231k :)

[Jerrydog]

I think that maintenance is freaking cheap for that many miles, he may have paid more for bearings but thats his choice, you could do it yourself for cheap, or grab a full axle from a junk yard but for that many miles I hope thats all the maintenance I have to do lol

Im right at 100k and just normal maintenance, about to do a tranny fluid change but thats just preventative maintenance for me-

We all come from our own experiences and from mine in 304k miles on my last SUV my biggest single repair is a set of 4 tires at $700 with life time balance and alignment. Sure I've bought exhaust a few times that rusted out and brake pads and shoes, struts belts, timing belts but never calipers or catz, tranny, ujoints, cv shafts... not even an alternator or starter.... So for me some of those pricey items makes me cringe!

 

[Metzbower]

I so hope I get that life from mine. I bought a 2007 SR5 V6 4wd new almost 4 years ago and have 86k miles on it. No repairs yet, just maintenance. And the brakes have over 75% of their life left, due to a lot of highway driving. When it hits 90k, assuming I have the parts in hand, I will swap out the springs and shocks from a set from an FJ. Hope this is a good choice, definitely not a 'need' but something I want to do while I have the money.

 

[macoyle]

I guess we all have different interpretations of what costs too much-

 

[Jerrydog]

I guess we all have different interpretations of what costs too much-

The day I have to make a $1000 repair before 300k miles is the day I lose faith in Toyota "reliability" and the last toyota I ever buy.

Put a $3800 tranny in my wifes Deville at 92,000 miles and before that warranty was up that POS was SOLD. We will never ever buy another Cadillac (or american made brand) again because of it, same goes for any car or truck. Just my opinion.

 

[boston_kevin]

The day I have to make a $1000 repair before 300k miles is the day I lose faith in Toyota "reliability" and the last toyota I ever buy.

Put a $3800 tranny in my wifes Deville at 92,000 miles and before that warranty was up that POS was SOLD. We will never ever buy another Cadillac (or american made brand) again because of it, same goes for any car or truck. Just my opinion.

Got 75k miles on my '04 and here is my expense list:

4 new rotors at 50k miles, 2 new calipers...
3 Oxygen Sensors (2 under warranty, 1 at 40k miles)
Tires at 30k miles (Dunflops suck in the snow)
Rims - 4 broken down and re-sanded due to corrosion at 65k miles

Total cost to date (excluding tires) $1200

This was my first (and last) Toyota I'll buy. They aren't making them for winter weather any more.

 

[audiness]

If ya'll think a Toyota is a lot of maintenance, you have never owned an Audi or BMW. Most people set aside $1-2k per year for maintenance on one with higher miles . (ask me how i know)

 

[macoyle]

I hope you never own a powerstroke if you think a 4runner is high maintenance or expensive lol

 

[8086bruce]

I hope you never own a powerstroke if you think a 4runner is high maintenance or expensive lol

No joke!

 

[Jerrydog]

If ya'll think a Toyota is a lot of maintenance, you have never owned an Audi or BMW. Most people set aside $1-2k per year for maintenance on one with higher miles . (ask me how i know)

And thats what one expects if they do their homework which is why we just bought my wife a Honda not a nice used BMW. $1200 wheel bearings at 100k miles or similar repair in cost on a honoda toyota nissan mazda..... unacceptable IMHO. Brakes, exhaust that rusted out, ball joint, hoses, belts, sure....

 

[galactic_04]

The 4runner is by far the cheapest thing I've owned other than my MR2.

The MR2 All I've done is the Alternator (an existing issue when I bought it), although it's engine is out of a 98.

My 84 Porsche 944 was bought in 92 and had it till 2005. I put over $16k in repair bills over that time and it had 128k miles when I sold it.

My 02 Jetta TDI (Supposed to be cheap to run) had 99k miles when sold. I ddi an $800 timing belt, brakes for $250 (parts only), $1200 warranty for the air conditioning compressor and condensor and brake booster...

Get real if you think $1000 over 100k miles is expensive. You have unreal expectations on what labor/parts cost if you think that's expensive. If you look at the price of parts it's right in line with Ford/Chevy as far as the cost... and don't tell me they don't have their issues. I had a 93 Blazer full size and it needed a belt, brakes and a front axle which I paid over $400 for those parts too! Everything worked on that truck.. to some extent, but nothing worked really well but the engine.

Boston Kevin, everything you named is a WEAR ITEM on any car except the unnecessary rim refinishing which was for aesthetics.

 

[Mellow77]

You havent' owned a German car then... try a $1300 timing belt every 60k

+1, I love the German cars but can't believe the cost to properly maintain them! :dammit:

 

[KB084RUNNER]

Regardless he has had some expensive repairs compared to what Ive paid in 13 years on a differant import suv....I'd be livid if i had to dish our 1200 for wheel bearings!

You are lucky. Most wheel bearings are engineered to last 150k.

 

[RallyeFan43]

Yeah... I have to agree that the repair items the OP mentioned aren't much for that many miles. I'm only at 51,000, but have had 0 issues (knocks on wood). I expect to get some good mileage out of this vehicle.

For some examples of other vehicles, I came to the 4Runner world from a 1999 Ford Explorer. When I traded it it needed new timing chains (at least a $5000 job because they have to pull the motor), transmission needed rebuilt, cat converters needed replaced, plus some ongoing door assembly issues that I had already spent over $200 trying to fix.

My dad had a '94 Chevy Silverado in which the engine blew at 75,000 in 2003 (piston rod failed). My ex-gf had a 2001 Jetta which ran good for 154,000 miles but needed a new timing belt ($600), water pump, brake work, etc. My friend bought a used BMW 3 series but sold it when he realized how much maintenance was going to run him. I could go on and on haha.

I honestly don't know anyone with a Toyota (old or new) that has had many issues with their vehicle. I still believe it's one of the best quality car makers out there and I believe this truck will carry my butt around well into the 200's

 

[KB084RUNNER]

The day I have to make a $1000 repair before 300k miles is the day I lose faith in Toyota "reliability" and the last toyota I ever buy.

Put a $3800 tranny in my wifes Deville at 92,000 miles and before that warranty was up that POS was SOLD. We will never ever buy another Cadillac (or american made brand) again because of it, same goes for any car or truck. Just my opinion.

Well if 300k is your mark I would bet to say you will run out of car manufacturers soon. My mark used to be 160k but now I am going to 200k. But the mileage issue really depends on your driving style and where you live etc. But Toyota quality/reliability is definitely not what it used to be. I am on my 4th Toyota product and this 4runner has the most issues. My wifes Lexus ES350 has 106k on it and it runs like brand new. But 300k is another thing all together.

 

[Jerrydog]

The 4runner is by far the cheapest thing I've owned other than my MR2.

The MR2 All I've done is the Alternator (an existing issue when I bought it), although it's engine is out of a 98.

My 84 Porsche 944 was bought in 92 and had it till 2005. I put over $16k in repair bills over that time and it had 128k miles when I sold it.

My 02 Jetta TDI (Supposed to be cheap to run) had 99k miles when sold. I ddi an $800 timing belt, brakes for $250 (parts only), $1200 warranty for the air conditioning compressor and condensor and brake booster...

Get real if you think $1000 over 100k miles is expensive. You have unreal expectations on what labor/parts cost if you think that's expensive. If you look at the price of parts it's right in line with Ford/Chevy as far as the cost... and don't tell me they don't have their issues. I had a 93 Blazer full size and it needed a belt, brakes and a front axle which I paid over $400 for those parts too! Everything worked on that truck.. to some extent, but nothing worked really well but the engine.

Boston Kevin, everything you named is a WEAR ITEM on any car except the unnecessary rim refinishing which was for aesthetics.

My most expensive repair in 304k miles has been a set of $700 tires all together if ive spent 2k on my truck in 300k miles id be surprised, most of that was on tires brakes belts hoses and rusted cat back exhaust....Im living a very REAL situation with my last, current (still have and drive it daily) SUV. Ive had none of the expensive repairs others have mentioned with their 4runners. I just bought a 2005 4r and from what Im reading vs. what I've just lived for 13 years with my Nissan...the 4runners are expensive to repair and need it more than what Im used to. Thats very very REAL. Ive also had a few honda's that didnt need the kind of repairs Im seeing here.... Im seriously worried about buying this 4r, not that its not a great suv but that Im going to be faced with expensive repairs when they are suppose to be reliable and cheap to own....ie, like my previous nissan's and honda's....

My expectations are based on my experiences, btw did I mention in 13 years Ive never been towed and its never not started?

 

[GreatZen]

Got 75k miles on my '04 and here is my expense list:

4 new rotors at 50k miles, 2 new calipers...
3 Oxygen Sensors (2 under warranty, 1 at 40k miles)
Tires at 30k miles (Dunflops suck in the snow)
Rims - 4 broken down and re-sanded due to corrosion at 65k miles

Total cost to date (excluding tires) $1200

This was my first (and last) Toyota I'll buy. They aren't making them for winter weather any more.

There are a lot of reports of stuck calipers (usually front) from winter-weather driving T4R 4G drivers. That's definitely one of the most common complaints. The other major complaint of winter drivers are the CVs causing problems in the 100k range.

But the 4 rotors @ 50K sounds more like a driver abuse issue or a dodgy mechanic issue. If you heard something like "warped rotors" you've been had. It seems unlikely you would wear down your rotors to minimum depth in that time. A large number of forum users, including those in bad winter weather, are consistently reporting rotor life 100k+, and my rear rotors, for example, made it 250k.

As for the O2 sensors, I'm not sure how this could be a winter weather related issue. Were the leads to the sensor corroded?

Which rims were these?

All told, $1200 at 75,000mi is well in the mid-range of auto repair costs. It's just terribly high for a Toyota.

 

[RickC]

My most expensive repair in 304k miles has been a set of $700 tires all together if ive spent 2k on my truck in 300k miles id be surprised, most of that was on tires brakes belts hoses and rusted cat back exhaust....Im living a very REAL situation with my last, current (still have and drive it daily) SUV. Ive had none of the expensive repairs others have mentioned with their 4runners. I just bought a 2005 4r and from what Im reading vs. what I've just lived for 13 years with my Nissan...the 4runners are expensive to repair and need it more than what Im used to. Thats very very REAL. Ive also had a few honda's that didnt need the kind of repairs Im seeing here.... Im seriously worried about buying this 4r, not that its not a great suv but that Im going to be faced with expensive repairs when they are suppose to be reliable and cheap to own....ie, like my previous nissan's and honda's....

My expectations are based on my experiences, btw did I mention in 13 years Ive never been towed and its never not started?

Why didn't you just buy a Nissan pathfinder then instead of the 4runner? I have owned several Nissan's, (4 to be exact), and they had their issues too. Try looking up the 3rd gen Maxima and see what you find. I think think you will get good service from the 4runner if you take care of it. I do agree though that Toyota quality/reliability has fallen off over the last 10 years. My biggest complaint about Toyota is when they have an issue, they never fix it or they wait too long to fix it. But I think the 4runner is a much better vehicle than any other SUV in it's class.

 

[RickC]

For the original poster:
Have you had the transmission fluid flushed? I have been wanting to have mine done, but then saw some posts where people started having transmission problems afterwards, so I have been reluctant to do it.

Thanks!

 

[Jerrydog]

Why didn't you just buy a Nissan pathfinder then instead of the 4runner? I have owned several Nissan's, (4 to be exact), and they had their issues too. Try looking up the 3rd gen Maxima and see what you find. I think think you will get good service from the 4runner if you take care of it. I do agree though that Toyota quality/reliability has fallen off over the last 10 years. My biggest complaint about Toyota is when they have an issue, they never fix it or they wait too long to fix it. But I think the 4runner is a much better vehicle than any other SUV in it's class.

Because the new Pathfinder body style is FUGLY, my folks have one, I've driven it and its a nice vehicle but has looks only a mother could love. I like the traditional looks of the older Paths and the 4R up to the latest body style.

 

[RickC]

I agree. The previous body style was much better, especially in the Infiniti version. I actually like the 3rd gen body style 4runner better than the 4th gen. But it rode much harsher.