Pre-Purchase Info, Modifications, Write-Ups, Quick Links, and FAQ's

[Vcustoms]

LINK

A response like "hey have you checked google yet?" would have sufficed....

But I can't be too mad bc it was close enough to what I wanted... found the link on another page


https://www.toyota.com/owners/register

 

[YetiX]

A response like "hey have you checked google yet?" would have sufficed....

But I can't be too mad bc it was close enough to what I wanted... found the link on another page


https://www.toyota.com/owners/register

I hadn't had my coffee yet. :biggrin1:

 

[YetiX]

I found a 4th gen 2008 v6 sport with 133k miles. Price is $10k.

I ran a carfax report and the first owner had it serviced at Toyota dealership. The 2nd owner (the one selling the vehicle) has no service records on carfax. I checked with owner and he/she had a friend who was a certified toyota tech who did all the service for him/her.

According to the seller, the front wheel bearings and water pump were fixed under warranty. I can't see that in the carfax report though.

What are your thoughts on going ahead or not with this purchase? I've asked some questions r.e. major maintenance done on vehicle and still waiting for answer.

Thanks.

2008 was a good year. Anything built after November of '05 should be solid for the V6. Price sounds good for the mileage. Just check for frame rust and make sure 4H, 4Lo and the center diff lock all work. Those are the biggest things to look for.

 

[chrisd833]

2008 was a good year. Anything built after November of '05 should be solid for the V6. Price sounds good for the mileage. Just check for frame rust and make sure 4H, 4Lo and the center diff lock all work. Those are the biggest things to look for.

OK. Will look for those things. Thanks for the response YetiX.

 

[S2k0331]

I'm going to be checking out a 05 SR5 V8 with 177k this weekend. As far as things to look out for are the timing belt and water pump service (at least once), and I assume rust may be a concern thanks to these NJ winters. Any other tips or concerns, I don't have the VIN yet so I haven't been able to check service history. The seller is asking $5,500 OBO.

 

[Vcustoms]

I'm going to be checking out a 05 SR5 V8 with 177k this weekend. As far as things to look out for are the timing belt and water pump service (at least once), and I assume rust may be a concern thanks to these NJ winters. Any other tips or concerns, I don't have the VIN yet so I haven't been able to check service history. The seller is asking $5,500 OBO.

That seems very low for an 05 v8.... I'm also from Nj and have been looking around for a few weeks now and something like that is usually higher in price. I would check a car fax for accidents, location of where it was before (possible flood damage) and also make sure it can go into 4lo. If you have a jack bring it and see if wheels wobble when off the ground. Being also from Nj and the horrible roads I would make sure suspension is good. There's prob a billion other small things to look out for but those I think stand out the most for me.

 

[YetiX]

I'm going to be checking out a 05 SR5 V8 with 177k this weekend. As far as things to look out for are the timing belt and water pump service (at least once), and I assume rust may be a concern thanks to these NJ winters. Any other tips or concerns, I don't have the VIN yet so I haven't been able to check service history. The seller is asking $5,500 OBO.

I bought an '03 V8 Limited w 178k for my daughter last year for $5.5k and felt it was an amazing price. I did have to spend about $500 to take care of replacing the coolant hoses and other stuff but still felt $6k was a great deal. BUT it is a 2WD. You didn't mention whether the one you're looking at is 2wd or 4wd.

You've hit the two biggies, timing belt and rust. Good luck.

 

[gookies]

I'm hoping to pick up another one in that Salsa Red color, V8 4WD, but those seem to be too rare. Everything in my area is either a V6 with relatively low mileage or a V8 with high mileage.

 

[Macmaniac123]

Guys im plannng on buying a rearview camera mirror. Looking for recommendations, any specific ones that you guys have used that performs well. Tia


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[nuron]

Sorry for the huge image, I tried to resize but couldn't get it to work. Would you guys say that this is from a power steering leak?

 

[hlpressley]

Lots of great info in this thread. Thanks!

I just started shopping for a 4th gen the last couple of weeks and had no idea the V-6 had head gasket issues. From what I have seen on here I should be OK with a V-6 in a 2006? There is a pretty nice 06 Sport with the V-6 about 3 hours from me that I was planning to check out but wanted to confirm for sure that the head gasket issue was resolved by 06?

 

[mikeD4v]

I'm going to be checking out a 05 SR5 V8 with 177k this weekend. As far as things to look out for are the timing belt and water pump service (at least once), and I assume rust may be a concern thanks to these NJ winters. Any other tips or concerns, I don't have the VIN yet so I haven't been able to check service history. The seller is asking $5,500 OBO.

Just bought my 03 V8 Sport with 191k a month ago from PA so I'm fresh from shopping:

If it's been serviced at the dealer they put a sticker on the intake manifold cover which states when the belt has been replaced. Most of the other stuff you won't be able to tell until running the VIN through toyota but clean fasteners or nicked up bolts are usually an indicator of maintenance. Check the 4hi/lo and diff lock.

These things seem to be rust magnets so check the frame thoroughly. My rear plate screw holes were rusty, had to retap. Check the bottoms of the doors on the pillar/hinge side where the trim collects water, some are eaten up with rust.

Check the HVAC vent actuator by cycling the vents from defroster, regular, floor boards, etc. The "heater blend door" may need to be replaced if it won't cycle or makes weird buzzing noises. $30 part at rockauto.

Turn on the headlights and check for dead dash and console bulbs. All the other interior lights can be easily switched out with LEDs for $10-$20.

Exhaust leaks at the header sound like puffing/ticking; lower the windows and find somewhere with a fence/walls/etc to let the sound bounce back then put some load on it and listen for the leaks. Should be able to hear it then. Mine idles fine and you can't hear it while revving in place but I can hear it in my concrete wall work parking lot. Doesn't seem to be affecting mpg or performance so I'm inclined to leave it for a while. Aftermarket OE style replacements start around $500 and go up from there. Who knows, being a 31 you may like the machine gun noises?

The rear cargo cover probably has the "ears" messed up. These are the ends that keep the cargo cover stretched and covering your cargo. I will find a budget fix for this. Some trucks still have the flip up cargo ledge in the back. I didn't know what it was as I'd never seen it on another one.

If the prev owner/s never put a front license plate on the factory holes will be further apart than the license plate.

Cycle the rear glass all the way down then all the way up if your rear wiper isn't working.

The cup holder thing is probably broken. $35-50 for a used replacement.

The battery in mine was replaced and the thing arrived dead, wouldn't jump, but would randomly fire up instantly. Turns out the OEM battery post is a larger diameter than the newer battery post so even fully tightened down, the clamp wasn't getting enough pressure on the post. Bought a cap to fatten it up at the auto parts store and it hasn't failed me yet.

There is a dash recall to replace cracked dash covers.

There's a ton of these, everywhere. Nickel and dime stuff you may be able to pick up at a yard, clist, or fleabay. I found two front end collision limited trucks within an hour from me so I'm gonna pirate those.

 

[AuSeeker]

Just bought my 03 V8 Sport with 191k a month ago from PA so I'm fresh from shopping:

If it's been serviced at the dealer they put a sticker on the intake manifold cover which states when the belt has been replaced. Most of the other stuff you won't be able to tell until running the VIN through toyota but clean fasteners or nicked up bolts are usually an indicator of maintenance. Check the 4hi/lo and diff lock.

These things seem to be rust magnets so check the frame thoroughly. My rear plate screw holes were rusty, had to retap. Check the bottoms of the doors on the pillar/hinge side where the trim collects water, some are eaten up with rust.

Check the HVAC vent actuator by cycling the vents from defroster, regular, floor boards, etc. The "heater blend door" may need to be replaced if it won't cycle or makes weird buzzing noises. $30 part at rockauto.

Turn on the headlights and check for dead dash and console bulbs. All the other interior lights can be easily switched out with LEDs for $10-$20.

Exhaust leaks at the header sound like puffing/ticking; lower the windows and find somewhere with a fence/walls/etc to let the sound bounce back then put some load on it and listen for the leaks. Should be able to hear it then. Mine idles fine and you can't hear it while revving in place but I can hear it in my concrete wall work parking lot. Doesn't seem to be affecting mpg or performance so I'm inclined to leave it for a while. Aftermarket OE style replacements start around $500 and go up from there. Who knows, being a 31 you may like the machine gun noises?

The rear cargo cover probably has the "ears" messed up. These are the ends that keep the cargo cover stretched and covering your cargo. I will find a budget fix for this. Some trucks still have the flip up cargo ledge in the back. I didn't know what it was as I'd never seen it on another one.

If the prev owner/s never put a front license plate on the factory holes will be further apart than the license plate.

Cycle the rear glass all the way down then all the way up if your rear wiper isn't working.

The cup holder thing is probably broken. $35-50 for a used replacement.

The battery in mine was replaced and the thing arrived dead, wouldn't jump, but would randomly fire up instantly. Turns out the OEM battery post is a larger diameter than the newer battery post so even fully tightened down, the clamp wasn't getting enough pressure on the post. Bought a cap to fatten it up at the auto parts store and it hasn't failed me yet.

There is a dash recall to replace cracked dash covers.

There's a ton of these, everywhere. Nickel and dime stuff you may be able to pick up at a yard, clist, or fleabay. I found two front end collision limited trucks within an hour from me so I'm gonna pirate those.

The dash "Warranty Enhancement Program" ended last year on May 31, 2017, if a bad dash wasn't inspected and approved by that date you're out of luck and thus no longer covered by Toyota, and it was only for 2003, 2004, and 2005 models. you can still have a dealer replace the dash for $1200 minumum, but probaly more than that and unless thay just happen to have the correct dash left over from the program it would have to be ordered and it could be a long wait.

 

[4RunnerPossibility]

This is a REMARKABLE thread. I felt a 2003 4Runner V8 with 100k miles was a risk. After seeing this site and also being able to pull the actual service records, my mind has definitely changed!

 

[traildog]

This is a REMARKABLE thread. I felt a 2003 4Runner V8 with 100k miles was a risk. After seeing this site and also being able to pull the actual service records, my mind has definitely changed!

"100k", it's just broken-in.

I picked up a 2008 Sport with 66k earlier this year. Like new, loving it.

 

[STR956]

Just bought my 03 V8 Sport with 191k a month ago from PA so I'm fresh from shopping:

If it's been serviced at the dealer they put a sticker on the intake manifold cover which states when the belt has been replaced. Most of the other stuff you won't be able to tell until running the VIN through toyota but clean fasteners or nicked up bolts are usually an indicator of maintenance. Check the 4hi/lo and diff lock.

These things seem to be rust magnets so check the frame thoroughly. My rear plate screw holes were rusty, had to retap. Check the bottoms of the doors on the pillar/hinge side where the trim collects water, some are eaten up with rust.

Check the HVAC vent actuator by cycling the vents from defroster, regular, floor boards, etc. The "heater blend door" may need to be replaced if it won't cycle or makes weird buzzing noises. $30 part at rockauto.

Turn on the headlights and check for dead dash and console bulbs. All the other interior lights can be easily switched out with LEDs for $10-$20.

Exhaust leaks at the header sound like puffing/ticking; lower the windows and find somewhere with a fence/walls/etc to let the sound bounce back then put some load on it and listen for the leaks. Should be able to hear it then. Mine idles fine and you can't hear it while revving in place but I can hear it in my concrete wall work parking lot. Doesn't seem to be affecting mpg or performance so I'm inclined to leave it for a while. Aftermarket OE style replacements start around $500 and go up from there. Who knows, being a 31 you may like the machine gun noises?

The rear cargo cover probably has the "ears" messed up. These are the ends that keep the cargo cover stretched and covering your cargo. I will find a budget fix for this. Some trucks still have the flip up cargo ledge in the back. I didn't know what it was as I'd never seen it on another one.

If the prev owner/s never put a front license plate on the factory holes will be further apart than the license plate.

Cycle the rear glass all the way down then all the way up if your rear wiper isn't working.

The cup holder thing is probably broken. $35-50 for a used replacement.

The battery in mine was replaced and the thing arrived dead, wouldn't jump, but would randomly fire up instantly. Turns out the OEM battery post is a larger diameter than the newer battery post so even fully tightened down, the clamp wasn't getting enough pressure on the post. Bought a cap to fatten it up at the auto parts store and it hasn't failed me yet.

There is a dash recall to replace cracked dash covers.

There's a ton of these, everywhere. Nickel and dime stuff you may be able to pick up at a yard, clist, or fleabay. I found two front end collision limited trucks within an hour from me so I'm gonna pirate those.

Great info. I'm looking for a 4th Gen and your post helps me out a lot!
Thank you for sharing.

 

[prion27]

CA Only - Doug Thorley Header Special Offer!!

Doug Thorley needs 30 individuals from CA ready to purchase a set and will commit to us directly for us to move forward on the CARB testing. Approval looks to be a lock in the sense of passing and getting approved, but the cost is high for the test. To all CA residents interested the costs will be:

$725.00 (headers)
$58.00 (Tax)
$783.00 (total)

Easy bolt-on horsepower!!!

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Very Respsectfully Submitted,
Micheal Johnson | Sales & Shipping Manager | Doug Thorley Headers
1280 Graphite Dr. Corona, CA 92881
Phone: (951) 739-5900 x 800
Direct: (951) 273-3602

 

[poulintech]

https://bit.ly/2JvUF2f

Going to look at this car tomorrow. What should I be looking for? Questions I should ask?

Thanks!

 

[jsells]

New purchase

Thanks for putting this together. I have it bookmarked for future use! I am looking to purchase a 4th gen at the moment and trying to do as much research as possible. I am brand new to the world of 4runners and would love it if someone could point me in the right direction with the following purchase that I am hoping to make. Here are the stats:

2004 4Runner Limited V8
$13K
73k miles
Clean CarFax with 1 owner

I am trying to convince my girlfriend that it will be a good first car to start off with after we get married in a few months but all she sees is 2004 and 73k miles. She would be more happy with a newer Civic with less than 10k miles. For those that own the 2004 4Runner Limited V8, what are some of the things to watch out for maintenance wise when I'm test driving and also after a purchase? Thanks

 

[YetiX]

Thanks for putting this together. I have it bookmarked for future use! I am looking to purchase a 4th gen at the moment and trying to do as much research as possible. I am brand new to the world of 4runners and would love it if someone could point me in the right direction with the following purchase that I am hoping to make. Here are the stats:

2004 4Runner Limited V8
$13K
73k miles
Clean CarFax with 1 owner

I am trying to convince my girlfriend that it will be a good first car to start off with after we get married in a few months but all she sees is 2004 and 73k miles. She would be more happy with a newer Civic with less than 10k miles. For those that own the 2004 4Runner Limited V8, what are some of the things to watch out for maintenance wise when I'm test driving and also after a purchase? Thanks

2WD or 4WD? That's nothing miles-wise. My daughter's 2003 V8 has 199,755 on it right now and runs like new. The only thing you need to consider is that Toyota recommends replacing the timing belt every 90k miles or so. Here in San Diego that runs around $900 iirc.

I wish I had waited for a V8 when I got my 4Runner. It's an amazing engine and super reliable.