Hello everyone!! As usual, when I'm looking to buy any vehicle or other toy, I go to the main forum for information prior to purchase. I'm looking at buying a 2001 4Runner SR5. 58K. Local one owner. The service records show that the owner took it to the dealer for EVERYTHING. It was an older lady who owned it and I personally think the dealer took advantage of this lady. Coolant flush at 23K and timing belt/water pump at 57K. She even bought new tires at 58K from the dealer. Asking price is 9300. Any thoughts on price or what I should be looking for on this model. I'm pretty handy with vehicles, so I can do most work myself. Thanks for any advice and I look forward to being an active participant on the forum. Take care gents!
Possible 1st time 4Runner owner
- Thread starter kozman01
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A 4Runner is definitely worth the KBB price from a private party. You could even pay a little more and win. I would decode the VIN and make sure you get a solid KBB value on it. Just a few missed options makes a big difference in the value. I'm more familiar with the 2nd gen T4Rs, but do the usual: check the hoses, belts, look for leaks, get underneath it, drive it and hit every button, then check it again while it's hot. You can also get a form bill-of-sale that gives you X number of days to have your own mechanic give it a good look. Some of the other guys around here can give you a lot more specific things to look for. Good luck bro.
I got an 01 with 185k on it for 3700. The mileage is a huge difference and is honestly ridiculous how little it was driven. The timing belt doesn't surprise me. The car is OLD. Rubber is biodegradable and it should have been replaced when it was even though it hadn't hit the mileage marker yet. Check all of the rubber hoses. It should be about time to replace most all of them. Suspension bushings and shocks and struts will need to be replaced as well due to the age. Anything rubber needs to be checked or replaced. It sounds like a clean jewel but that age still makes a huge difference and the price should reflect it. Options will quickly drag the price up. If you get one with very few options and closer to 130k miles you could be spending half as much. If this is like my sr5 and is already bare bones options then I can't see spending that much on a 13 yo car no matter how little the mileage is. A rebuilt engine will cost 3k for one of these. Is the price difference greater than replacing the engine in a similarly aged car? Not worth it then.
