Sell '05 vs. put money into it...HELP

[chrisw427]

I have a 2005 Sport Edition that has 105,000 miles on it. I have an offer from a used car dealer of $7500 for it. It needs tires and brakes at the moment. I'm torn on selling now because that sounds great for a 17 year old truck. I also know anything new these days is sky high.

Not sure if I should sell or put some money into it and keep it. If I keep it, I'm interested in replacing every interior light, including dials and controls. Any resources for that?

Thanks in advance. I really don't know what to do.

 

[JONBOY345]

You're gonna have to make that decision for yourself. But at 105k it's just getting started.

You'd have a hard time replacing it with something as reliable for $7.5k in the same condition.

Brakes are easy. Get some Akebono or OEM pads, and some cryo-treated rotors, and it's done for less than $450.

There are several threads on LEDs for the interior and HVAC controls, a search should find them pretty easily.

 

[swo life]

They’re not offering that much out of the goodness of their heart. They are offering it so you go buy a new car, and then they can still sell yours for profit, or at least break even. Toyotas are selling above MSRP now. Even if you need to spend $6k on repairs this year, it’s still cheaper than a new car payment.

 

[joec500]

Assuming you have a 4x4 and a non rusty frame, that car is worth 10-15k on the open market right now.

For point of reference I bought a v8 4x4 Limited for 15k from a dealer with 147k miles 7 months ago, which was considered a STEAL.

Personally if you love the truck, put 2-3k in maintenance if needed, and keep it for many more years.

 

[aemravan]

if you sell it what are you going to drive? If this is just sitting collecting dust and you want to walk away with a bit of cash, sure, sell it. But not to them.. private sale all day long. You'll get at least 40% more than they are offering.

My parents just bought a RX350 and were looking to trade in their 05 Sequioa. The dealer offered 4700, my brother sold it a week later via private sale for 15k after replacing the tires and cleaning it up some.

As far as keeping it and replacing the stuff you're talking about.. that is a walk in the park. 7500 bucks is way low for the mileage.

As far as replacing every interior light, what is driving this desire? Do you have multiple lights out? Are you looking to replace with OEM or are looking upgrade? Most bulbs are readily available online and are quick to replace. A decent set of tires isn't expensive, and a good brake job won't break the bank either. Even if you don't do the work yourself you could probably be in it all said and done for under 1000 bucks and have many more miles to go.

 

[chrisw427]

I thank everyone for their opinions thus far. Everything you guys are saying makes sense. The only real reason I was considering selling was I keep hearing now is the time to sell for top dollar. I agree that $7500 is too low. He started off on day one offering $5k and telling it's not worth a penny more. Every time I say no, he goes up another $500 and now sits at $7500. I think I'll keep it, as I have loved it over the years, and invest some money in it.

As for interior lighting, i have a few bulbs out, including most of the temperature control dial bulbs. I just ordered the full set of those from my Toyota dealership for $40. But I'd like to upgrade all the interior lighting, always found it a bit dim.

The dealership will install four new tires for around $700. Not sure on brakes...where to buy and what to buy.

 

[MikeinNH67]

Things are selling for top dollar which means whatever replaces it is going to cost top dollar. Unless you want a newer car or it is getting cancerous it's worth keeping. He's offering 7500 because he knows he can double his money in short order.

 

[Az4runnin]

Keep it for sure do not sell it with only 105K $7500 screw that crap

 

[Keros]

I thank everyone for their opinions thus far. Everything you guys are saying makes sense. The only real reason I was considering selling was I keep hearing now is the time to sell for top dollar. I agree that $7500 is too low. He started off on day one offering $5k and telling it's not worth a penny more. Every time I say no, he goes up another $500 and now sits at $7500. I think I'll keep it, as I have loved it over the years, and invest some money in it.

As for interior lighting, i have a few bulbs out, including most of the temperature control dial bulbs. I just ordered the full set of those from my Toyota dealership for $40. But I'd like to upgrade all the interior lighting, always found it a bit dim.

The dealership will install four new tires for around $700. Not sure on brakes...where to buy and what to buy.

All of this $7500 for 100,000 mile truck was very suspicious. But $700 for 4x truck tires, installed, that's VERY suspicious

What decent tire in 265/65R17 arrives for $150 at the till, to have a few dollars left to mount them?

The cheapest OE size tire rack has is the "Fuzion SUV", $171.81 each.

They must be stolen or something to give you 'em for that price. That whole place seems pretty shady dude.

 

[OnePuddleUnder]

Yeah, just wanna throw this out there... give us some more details on it. I am seeing 4x4 v6 for 9-10k usually, up to 14k if low miles. V8s are nearly guaranteed 10k in the current market. I would NOT sell it for 7.5k unless its in horrid condition or a 2wd. But even then... most 4runners on the market are 160k or higher, I think that would fetch you good money. I looked for a really long time. Found a super clean 200k, 4x4 one for 7k and snatched it in a heartbeat. And that was before the prices went up. If you have a 4x4 at 100k miles that has a good frame and want to sell it, I will buy it from you for more than he will.

 

[chrisw427]

Sorry, I wasn’t great with details. It’s a 2005 4WD V6 sport edition with 105k miles. In good condition other than needing brakes, tires and some paint work on the hood. Has the upgraded JBL sound system, remote start, aftermarket pioneer nav system.

 

[joec500]

I thank everyone for their opinions thus far. Everything you guys are saying makes sense. The only real reason I was considering selling was I keep hearing now is the time to sell for top dollar. I agree that $7500 is too low. He started off on day one offering $5k and telling it's not worth a penny more. Every time I say no, he goes up another $500 and now sits at $7500. I think I'll keep it, as I have loved it over the years, and invest some money in it.

As for interior lighting, i have a few bulbs out, including most of the temperature control dial bulbs. I just ordered the full set of those from my Toyota dealership for $40. But I'd like to upgrade all the interior lighting, always found it a bit dim.

The dealership will install four new tires for around $700. Not sure on brakes...where to buy and what to buy.

For interior lights I used these from Amazon, they are pretty cheap and easy to do.

Amazon.com: BRISHINE White LED Interior Light Kit for Toyota 4Runner 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Super Bright 6000K Interior LED Bulbs Package + License Plate Lights and Install Tool : Automotive

The temp control lights are super easy too.

For brakes you can never go wrong with OEM, but any name brand manufacture will do for our cars.

Powerstop, brembo or EBC, I have seen full rotor and pad sets for around 400-500.

 

[shiftmx]

You are getting lowballed. I'd keep it and fix what is needed then drive it until the wheels fall off. The current market is not a time you want to be buying new or used autos.

 

[Bluesky 07]

You could likely put your 4th Gen into tiptop shape and throw in a few mods too for less than the cost of a half-year of payments on a new vehicle. Between here and the 4Runner FB groups I follow, several people have posed this question and frankly, I just don't get it given the ridiculous prices on new and used vehicles. Someone said they saw 4Runners at $7K over sticker at one dealer. I wouldn't buy one at $7K under sticker so it's an easy answer for me.

 

[Jeebus]

Keep it, put money into it to keep it maintained and the car should last you up to 250k mi.

Brakes and LEDs should be a fun DIY (except for cluster guage light replacements, but lots of tutorials for LED replacements for reference), and you'll definitely get more cash if you sell privately instead of a dealership.

 

[woodman60]

One thing to think about with a 2005 is the potential for head gasket failure. Known problem that affects a fair amount of engines. Even with that repair, this is still worth keeping with only 105K on it. My 2005 just passed 230,000 and runs like a dream.

 

[Reinout]

I have a 2005 Sport Edition that has 105,000 miles on it. I have an offer from a used car dealer of $7500 for it. It needs tires and brakes at the moment. I'm torn on selling now because that sounds great for a 17 year old truck. I also know anything new these days is sky high.

Not sure if I should sell or put some money into it and keep it. If I keep it, I'm interested in replacing every interior light, including dials and controls. Any resources for that?

Thanks in advance. I really don't know what to do.

Does your 4Runner do what it needs to do for you or has it outlived it's purpose? At 105k it's just broken in and has plenty of life left in it as long as the South Jersey weather hasn't given it bone cancer (rust).

I'm seeing these trucks go for easily twice what the dealer is offering you which makes sense: they have to turn it around and sell it as well.

If you really want to get rid of it and get the best bang for your buck: sell it yourself direct to the next owner.

If you really want to get rid of it and not have to deal with the marketing aspect, talking to people, tire kickers, deadbeats, lowballers, etc: sell it to the dealer for $7500 and move on.