question for all you owners
- Thread starter McG in SB
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
peter78
Super Moderator
I am guessing the re-call has not been done yet. I haven't got my letter yet. So if it hasn't been done, it can be done at a later time. The biggest weakness, well actually 2 of them, is price and ride. The price of a used 4Runner should be fairly high. The ride can be bouncy. There really isn't any big weakness. I would have it checked out, especially if it is 4 wheel drive. The inside of the chrome bumpers, if you have them, will be rusted a bit, especially on the back bumper. This happens to all of the bumpers, but look out for other rust and bent parts under the car. The 4Runners are know for thier reliability and if kept up, it should last you a long time.
phishman9
New member
Bouncy ride is the only thing I have to complain about mine, but hopefully that'll change soon with some upgrades.
They are pricey, but it may be worth checking out guys who do good rebuilt salvage. Bought mine for 13 grand with only 7K on the whole thing. Rolling on 34K right now and so far it's flawless. Keep them properly maintained and they'll run forever. You always have salvage on the title, but I plan on keeping mine until it rolls into the junk yard, so it doesn't bother me.
This doesn't really apply here at the 3rd gen, but a buddy of mine has an '86 with 410K, runs great and 4 wheel drive still works too.
They are pricey, but it may be worth checking out guys who do good rebuilt salvage. Bought mine for 13 grand with only 7K on the whole thing. Rolling on 34K right now and so far it's flawless. Keep them properly maintained and they'll run forever. You always have salvage on the title, but I plan on keeping mine until it rolls into the junk yard, so it doesn't bother me.
This doesn't really apply here at the 3rd gen, but a buddy of mine has an '86 with 410K, runs great and 4 wheel drive still works too.
Are you buying from a dealer? If you are it sounds a bit high. High gas prices not withstanding, I bought my '98 in '00 fresh off a lease, I paid $18k for a loaded Limited with 32k miles on it. There was much haggling with the finance company, though. But I think a lot of people are turned off to SUV's right now, so I would haggle like crazy!!
Absolutely love mine...
Mine's a '97 SR5 (3.4/4auto). Bought it in '02 with just under 100k/mi; now I'm over 150k & my only 'non-maintenance' repair item was replacing the rack & pinion unit.
Truck is amazingly smooth & quiet for its ruggedness & age/mileage; I run Mobil1 fully synthetic 10w/30, HD Bilstein shocks, & BFG AT's. The ride is firmer than when I bought it (then had stock Goodyears & stock Tokico shocks), but the performance tradeoff is worth it in my mind. The BFG's will take you anywhere you have clearance; there's a reason off-road racers run them.
I'd recommend a 3rd gen 4Runner to anyone without a second's hesitation!
Mine's a '97 SR5 (3.4/4auto). Bought it in '02 with just under 100k/mi; now I'm over 150k & my only 'non-maintenance' repair item was replacing the rack & pinion unit.
Truck is amazingly smooth & quiet for its ruggedness & age/mileage; I run Mobil1 fully synthetic 10w/30, HD Bilstein shocks, & BFG AT's. The ride is firmer than when I bought it (then had stock Goodyears & stock Tokico shocks), but the performance tradeoff is worth it in my mind. The BFG's will take you anywhere you have clearance; there's a reason off-road racers run them.
I'd recommend a 3rd gen 4Runner to anyone without a second's hesitation!
They're great trucks. Ride sucks and really can't be corrected easily/inexpensively, so drive a few of them for a while and really get comfortable w/ it. Other than that, they're pretty reasonable (for an SUV) on fuel consumption. They take almost zero repairs so long as you're not breaking them and even the maintenance is pretty easy, quick and cheap. I'm stoked on ours - the wife drives it daily (and I get the 'fun' car) and it always hold all of our crap, never gets stuck (well ok, one time in the snow), has good clearance and fording ability and it can tow. It's about the handiest SUV around and offers great 'bang for the buck', esp used.
I've owned my 3rd gen ('99) for about three months. This is my first truck and I love it. It feels pretty weird after this short time to ride in a regular car because I feel so high up in the truck.
Pros: reliable, fun to drive, sits up high (especially w/ a 3" lift)
Cons: low gas mileage 15-16 mph street driving), difficult to drive over 85 mph due to higher center of gravity - I should mention that you shouldn't be driving this fast anyway, eats up your money on mods b/c once you start, you can't stop.
Pros: reliable, fun to drive, sits up high (especially w/ a 3" lift)
Cons: low gas mileage 15-16 mph street driving), difficult to drive over 85 mph due to higher center of gravity - I should mention that you shouldn't be driving this fast anyway, eats up your money on mods b/c once you start, you can't stop.
4-Ruiner
New member
I love my 99 limited. I bought it with about 88,000. I had the timing belt and water pump done, so I expect it to be running strong for a long time. The 4runner has a great reputation for reliability. I had my mechanic check mine out before I bought it. As he put it, "These things are pretty much bulletproof."
grimpy
New member
I got mine 3 months ago and I paid a premium for it... It was in superb condition... had 79k miles 00 Limited 4wd for $18200 including tax and license.
Then again I am in Los Angeles/Orange County and the prices for nice 4Runners 4wd that aren't all beat are about in that range.
Then again I am in Los Angeles/Orange County and the prices for nice 4Runners 4wd that aren't all beat are about in that range.
daverunner
New member
I used to have a mercedes and my 2000 runner beats it in every catagory minus ride and fuel economy. I drive from panama city florida to gulf port mississippi all the time for work, set the cruise on 75 and sit back. Wouldnt trade for anything.
grimpy
New member
the cost of mine was $16,800 before tax and license and crap... At the time I was shopping around, Cerrito's Toyota had this big tent sale and they had two similar 4Runner limiteds that were 99's asking $16000 for but the interior of those were well worn/dirty...
The dealer was asking $18900, the kbb suggested retail was $19,600 or something... I managed to get him to go down to $16,800 and I felt I got a good deal on it.
The dealer was asking $18900, the kbb suggested retail was $19,600 or something... I managed to get him to go down to $16,800 and I felt I got a good deal on it.
