Should I Keep Putting Money Into My 2001?

[RumHam26]

I have a had my 2001 4runner for the past 10 years. It had 70k when I bought it - now it has 241k. I absolutely love the thing - I use it as a daily driver and for camping and fishing trips all over the country.

It is time for a new steering rack, p/s lines, (way overdue) suspension, and a new muffler. In the past 5 years I have done a lot of my own maintenance thanks to this forum. New denso radiator, tundra brake upgrade, new cats, timing belt/water pump (at 231k), new brake lines to the rear (RUST), new fuel pump and overfill check valve, lots of attempted rust removal and prevention with POR15 (I live near Chicago), patched and painted holes in rocker panels from rust, LBJs, outer tie rod ends, trans dain and fills with new trans filter. changes diff fluids.

I am looking for advice about what issues I may expect coming up, and if you all think it is wise to keep putting money into it, or if it would be better spent toward a newer or lower mileage 4runner (I would try to find something under $15,000). I think the new muffler, tail pipe, steering rack and suspension with all related accessories will cost me around $1,400 if I do the work myself, which isn't terrible, but I worry about what's next. I worry particularly about wheel bearings and axel seals - they're original, and I'm not confident I can do those myself. Are they likely to go soon? Can I consider my car reliable on long trips anymore? I still have faith in the engine and trans for a while yet. Anything else I should look out for?

And as a side note - does anyone have a mechanic they trust in the Chicagoland area? If I pay someone to do wheel bearings, I want someone who really knows these trucks and will replace what they need to (such as LBJ bolts) and torque everything correctly, and I know many mechanics are likely to reuse parts and use an airgun to tighten things down.

I would really appreciate any advice.

 

[2001 Limited 285K]

I've had a similar dilemma here over the past few years, or since I hit 250K miles. I chose to keep putting the money into it for a couple of reasons.

First and foremost, is the overall reliability of the vehicle. I don't think that I can replicate the reliability anywhere else. The simple fact is, it's never let me down. It's never stranded me in the 18 years I've owned it. It's loyal to me, and I'm loyal in return by giving it the maintenance it needs and deserves.

Then there's the cost angle. No matter how I sliced it, it's still way cheaper to do the maintenance than to buy a new vehicle. I've probably put about $4K into over the last 40,000 miles or so. But the result is that I can get another 100K miles (and probably 200K) out of it with no problem. (Last thing on my list is LBJs, which may have been done once before; at least 10 years ago.) We also have a property tax on vehicles here in my state. The book value for property tax is about $4K, but the vehicle's worth at least twice that to me.

I could go on, but the bottom line is this: it's very hard to diamonds in the rough and most of these 3rd gen 4Runners are diamonds in the rough and much more. And with proper care they'll last almost as long as a diamond. Mine, I'm starting to think, might outlast me.

 

[spartacus]

That is a conundrum that all with 2 decade old cars have to deal with. I have decided that I will keep my 3rd Gen as long as possible so even with 400k+miles, I just fix it as it goes. Buying a newer used 4runner doesn't guarantee that it won't breakdown. You know your truck so will be your call.

 

[Brian.]

The devil you know vs the devil you don't....


Any USED rig is going to need maintenance done, probably a good bit of it too since enthusiasts who maintain things don't tend to buy new vehicles. So not only are you spending good money on just the purchase, but then there's More money (and plenty of time) just getting the thing to a comfortable baseline. If that's your idea of fun, and it is to some people so this isn't a right/wrong thing, then move that direction.

Or you may be more like me... in 2018 I sold 2 long term vehicles to buy new (never had a new vehicle before, won't make that mistake again either). I regret that decision Tremendously. One of those was a 2001 VW Jetta with 400k miles... I'd dearly love to have that vehicle back over the 2018 Mazda3 that replaced it... was just a better car. And the other was a 1997 Toyota T100 that I sold for less than I had to pay to buy my 4R, and was in Much better condition... I'd gladly eat the money difference if I could have my truck back. Owned those for 15 and 18 years, it was a HUGE mistake selling as neither needed Anything. Hindsight though, but maybe it'll help you decide. "New" isn't always better (actually, I'm pretty sure it's more frequently worse in our current world).

As for the work you need to do, wheel bearings aren't bad at all (and LBJ's are about a 2/10 in terms of difficulty), rear axle seals aren't something I've done and are a little more complex, perhaps plan a maintenance weekend with another few members here with someone who has done it and have the tools needed rather than hire it out. Mostly it's needed a press, the right attachments and being Very detail oriented when checking the sealing mating surface press depth (can't remember the name of that piece fo the life of me right now).

Unless your 4R has given you a reason not to trust it, there's no Reason not to trust it.

 

[3bears]

Im envious of you guys that have owned and know the history of your 4runners.
My 2000 was amazing to me and if I had not totaled it, I had planned to keep it for a long long time. ( I had only owned it 5 years, but it had excellent service records from dealer and clean carfax, I was 3rd owner) Having wrench twisting skills, timmys video's and this forum, I feel I could tackle any job these 4runners could throw at me. Wheel bearings, LBJ's etc are no big deal ( since you asked) I would much rather spend my money and time maintaining these great rigs rather than take on payments of a "newer" car that will have problems eventually, and a lot of the newer ones are not so user friendly.
The 2001 and 2002 do have some expensive parts compared to the 96 and up to 2001. Brake master cylinder and throttle body to name the 2 big ones I know of.

Now to be honest, and all that said, I bought a 2001 a few months ago. It had no service history. Carfax was minimal, It has not let me down in the months I have owned it. However it was....as they say....ridden hard and put away wet. Everyplace has an issue it seems, It was punched a lot harder in the front than carfax showed and the core support or something in there was not replaced correctly and now things like lights etc dont line up correct and wont adjust enough, tranny leaks , needs full suspension, everything is rotted and shot. Everything I have had to replace ( tune up etc) old parts were the cheapest trash you could find, like single electrode ac/delco plugs. ( I needed a car, it was mid winter with tons of snow, it was hard to get a good look at it) I think I am going to look for anohter...If I cant find one in the next month or two ( rare up here) than maybe I will keep it, start doing quality repairs and mods, as im starting its own new history

so basically, if you know it , the repair history and the "family" history, I would prefer keeping it to the newer idea

 

[wnc4runner]

This is a great question and one I've been asking myself recently. It's good to see other people's response but seems like a personal decision everyone has to make.

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[sugjavier]

Agree with the posts above. Also if u buy a newer car the insurance tends to be higher so it's not just the initial car cost you gotta worry about if you're buying one outright

 

[DED&DED]

If you are looking at discretionary spending and expendable parts (everything on a Toyota) I would keep it. If you really want the current improvements then let it go. I am facing the same decisions; but at 320,000 miles on a 1999 SR5. "I think I will keep her."

 

[MAD 69]

I was facing the same situation, my '98 runs great but needs suspension, a radio and a bunch of exterior parts. When done up right the 3Rd Gens are the best looking generation of 4Runner, but i dont have the time or space/tools and know how to do everything I want to so I broke down and bought a new '21 Off Road Premium that has so many features I don't need 3/4 of them.

I would have been happy having a totally rebuilt 3rd Gen - i gave up hope that the producers of Pimp my Ride would knock on my door. Im good for life now but I'll never get rid of my '98, ill use it keep low miles on my '21.

 

[jgue467]

...I absolutely love the thing - I use it as a daily driver and for camping and fishing trips all over the country.

It is time for a new steering rack, p/s lines, (way overdue) suspension, and a new muffler....

I am looking for advice about what issues I may expect coming up, and if you all think it is wise to keep putting money into it...

I'd say most of your answer is in the first quoted sentence, (Yes keep it running).

Those items are not too expensive and will last the rest of someone's life.

Main issues would be the engine & trans, we all gotta go eventually, right?

They are awesome vehicles in the size, design, handling and usefulness and they're just plain fun to drive, enjoy.

 

[Devbot]

Call me crazy but the way I see it buying another 4Runner will arguably set you back to square one. To explain, upkeeping vehicles is just part of owning them. My dad's kept his CJ7 since the early 80s and easily has serviced every single part twice, one of the first things he told me when I was getting swamped by this vehicle is "if you do it right, this should be the only time you do it for a while." With that said, I think it's a little bit silly to ditch a vehicle you've worked extensively on for someone else's rig that is, more than likely, far less maintained than yours (if at all) - all in the name of trying to save yourself work. Just sounds like a one way ticket to doing everything all over again for the sake of owning something shiny.
What WOULD be a very smart decision would be to set aside a rainy day fund for something like a new trans, engine, or diff. Not saying you should expect to replace them soon, they just don't last forever and can be quite a hit to the wallet if it's unexpected. And obviously their longevity is a gamble that only increases with age (your mileage ain't too far behind mine). It very much helps to look at it as "these things WILL go out, how can I be best prepared for when it does?" instead of losing hair every day thinking "errr I hope my trans lasts forever, please god..."
Parts availability for these vehicles is second-to-none so no need to worry there, and given their immense cult following the aftermarket isn't going anywhere any time soon. If anything I can see it only growing; take Jeeps for example like CJs and TJs and XJs, their aftermarket only gets bigger and bigger (and ours isn't nearly as big as theirs yet!). I can't speak for everyone or everybody's area, but when it comes to where I live 3rd gen 4Runners are one of the most popular and sought after 4x4s in the county, without a doubt.
You could also simply move out of the salt belt and watch the longevity of your vehicle suddenly triple :lol: Not enough money in the world to get me to move there

 

[snydmax]

On that axle seal, make sure your vent is in good shape... cheap preventative for one of the common failures


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[JoeT4R]

OP, I swear I thought you were writing this thread on my behalf, and I've also been dealing with the same thing as of late with my 01 SR5 4WD! I'm at 297K, and at the beginning of 2021 I started to have some issues. Stripped my transmission drain pan, tailpipe rotted from muffler, then a rear u-joint issue. All of which are easily fixable, just a pain in the arse. Ultimately, I have to agree with [MENTION=549924]Devbot[/MENTION] as he makes perfect sense with what he's saying. And quite honestly that makes me feel better about my rig, as I have every single maintenance receipt from the time it was purchased off the lot until now, and I'm the 2nd/3rd owner. I'm gonna drive the thing until something above my capabilities happens, like major engine or trans failure, but even then replacement parts are always an option. I've been blessed with this rig so I think it would be silly to get rid of it and start at square one. I've been stranded once in 8 years, as my battery had died about a year after I purchased it, but other than that it has never left me stranded otherwise. I say keep the thing and fix whatever needs fixing!

 

[Nonfactor1]

I have a had my 2001 4runner for the past 10 years. It had 70k when I bought it - now it has 241k. I absolutely love the thing - I use it as a daily driver and for camping and fishing trips all over the country.

It is time for a new steering rack, p/s lines, (way overdue) suspension, and a new muffler. In the past 5 years I have done a lot of my own maintenance thanks to this forum. New denso radiator, tundra brake upgrade, new cats, timing belt/water pump (at 231k), new brake lines to the rear (RUST), new fuel pump and overfill check valve, lots of attempted rust removal and prevention with POR15 (I live near Chicago), patched and painted holes in rocker panels from rust, LBJs, outer tie rod ends, trans dain and fills with new trans filter. changes diff fluids.

I am looking for advice about what issues I may expect coming up, and if you all think it is wise to keep putting money into it, or if it would be better spent toward a newer or lower mileage 4runner (I would try to find something under $15,000). I think the new muffler, tail pipe, steering rack and suspension with all related accessories will cost me around $1,400 if I do the work myself, which isn't terrible, but I worry about what's next. I worry particularly about wheel bearings and axel seals - they're original, and I'm not confident I can do those myself. Are they likely to go soon? Can I consider my car reliable on long trips anymore? I still have faith in the engine and trans for a while yet. Anything else I should look out for?

And as a side note - does anyone have a mechanic they trust in the Chicagoland area? If I pay someone to do wheel bearings, I want someone who really knows these trucks and will replace what they need to (such as LBJ bolts) and torque everything correctly, and I know many mechanics are likely to reuse parts and use an airgun to tighten things down.

I would really appreciate any advice.

It is kind of funny seeing this thread pop up, as my wife and I have had this discussion a couple of times.

The way I look at it is, in order to get a vehicle that is just as capable or more then capable then the 3rd gen, you would need to spend a decent amount of money in order to make it happen. If you end up getting a new 4R or Tacoma, you are looking at what $350-500 a month or more in payments for 3-5 years.

I recently had to get my transfer case replaced, and I let a shop do it just because of time and no space (I normally work on everything myself and I am replacing my 3rd member here very soon). It cost $1000 out the door, but it was a certified replacement and should last at least another 100k miles or more. But it sucks because it is a huge lump payment, unless you want to throw it on a CC. I justify it based on if it costs me $2000 in a year for major parts to keep it running and on the road, with no payments and cheaper insurance, that is cheaper then the $4,200 (assuming $350/month payment) in a year that it would cost to have a new vehicle.

It definitely sucks when looking at it as a lump sum huge payment, but at the end of the day you are still spending less then half (in my example) in a year then you would just to have the chance to own something new. Not worth it to get something new in my opinion. Besides wrenching on your own vehicle can be beneficial since you don't need to take it to a mechanic (saving money) and you can do work for other people and make money on the skills that you learned. I did a timing belt job for a guy, he bought everything, and I made $350 on it. Not bad for spending a Saturday doing something I like, helping out another 3rd gen owner, and making cash also.

 

[MtnT4R]

My brother loves to give me shit when I have to fix something on my '02 and tell me how awesome his brand new Tundra is, but here's the thing- he's paying like $700/month for a new $60k vehicle, and I paid off a $9k($230/month) loan on my 4Runner a few years back. Including fuel and regular maintenance, my costs are maybe $3k/year. His new car payments run around $8k per year. For a totally stock truck by the way.

When you run into expensive maintenance costs, you have to weigh the inconvenience and limited one-time costs vs. the extraordinarily higher cost of 'upgrading' for a new car loan, higher insurance, higher registration fees, and no guarantee that the new one wont break down soon anyways.

I heard something on a podcast a little while ago that was pretty eye opening. The average payment on a new car is anywhere from $500-$800/month, usually for 60 months, right? If you took that same amount and invested it in index funds, by the end of the same timeframe you could have close to $100k sitting there if your fund hits close to the ideal range of 5-7%. Even if you stuck $800/month in a cash account earning zero interest you would be sitting on $48k. During that same amount of time you might have to spend a few grand keeping your old Runner on the road.

Personally I'm gonna choose to fix the 4Runner every time

 

[Sawdog]

Funny how relevant this thread is. I'm in a similar boat, and I'm sure all of us 3rd gen owners have these conversations with ourselves dealing with 20+ year old vehicles. I love mine, it does everything I want it to without costing me a car payment, so its a pretty simple decision.

State inspection time, the guys at the garage are being especially picky this year it seems, but oh well. I knew most of these were on the horizon, thought I'd skate through another year. Tie rods, leaking rear axle seal, brakes, leaking valve cover gaskets, and now a starter that is recently acting up. They want $2000+ to fix it all.

I'll do some myself, use it as a chance to do a few other things I've been putting off, mainly LBJ's. So throw in LBJ's and UBJ's, all inner and outer tie rods, a starter rebuild kit - do half the work myself and let the shop handle a few things for time sake. I'll still cost run me between $1200 and $1500 but well worth it.

 

[calimobber]

Can you take it to another shot? They say you need to fix all that before they will pass you?

God im glad I dont live in a inspection state, its just an easy chance for shot to pressure you into fixing things that may not need to be fixed so they make more money. Such bullshit if you ask me.

But to the point how is the starter acting up? mine started making a weird noise and it was just the washer was getting pushed up and hitting the flywheel.

I will always push to fix you current car, car payments blow and such so much money from your income. plus you learn so much about your vehcile its a great bonding experiance .

I have 260k miles. I replaced the alternator(wanted to upgrade), lower ball joints, suspension, trasnfer case(I took it under water and broke 4wd motor), front differencial(gear chiped a took and punched a hole in case). All things replaced myself lots purchased from junk yards used.

Other than like the Lower ball joints and making fixing somthing that making noises most things that break on thisn car dont leave you stranded or randomly die on you. get yourself some kinda volt meter to have on your dash so you will know when the alternator isnt making 13v+ anymore cause that one will creep up on you.

 

[Sawdog]

Can you take it to another shot? They say you need to fix all that before they will pass you?

God im glad I dont live in a inspection state, its just an easy chance for shot to pressure you into fixing things that may not need to be fixed so they make more money. Such bullshit if you ask me.

But to the point how is the starter acting up? mine started making a weird noise and it was just the washer was getting pushed up and hitting the flywheel.

I will always push to fix you current car, car payments blow and such so much money from your income. plus you learn so much about your vehcile its a great bonding experiance .

I have 260k miles. I replaced the alternator(wanted to upgrade), lower ball joints, suspension, trasnfer case(I took it under water and broke 4wd motor), front differencial(gear chiped a took and punched a hole in case). All things replaced myself lots purchased from junk yards used.

Other than like the Lower ball joints and making fixing somthing that making noises most things that break on thisn car dont leave you stranded or randomly die on you. get yourself some kinda volt meter to have on your dash so you will know when the alternator isnt making 13v+ anymore cause that one will creep up on you.

Inspections in PA are a pain, but at this point we're half way through the process, emissions are done and pending a few items I mentioned to get it through. I do as much as I can myself as time permits to keep the costs down.

Starter isn't required for inspection, but has been acting up just recently- click but no crank for a time or two, then will engage. Might as well do it now. I'm going to replace the contacts and will hope that does it- sounds pretty common. I replaced my alternator a year or two back and checked it, all good there.

As far as the other stuff, certain garages- especially the chain shops, which this is not one- will nickel and dime you for little parts that wear out like tie rods, etc. I've been using these guys for years, and they actually helped me rebuild it when insurance deemed it totaled, so I'm not going to write them off even though they seem a ticky tack this time around. They are usually pretty straight forward and are good with me taking it home and doing things myself.

LBJ's were on my soon to do list at 175k, even though they say they are good, I'm under there so I'll do it all at once this weekend. I'll splurge on OE parts and save the labor. Been smelling burning oil and seeing some seepage from the VCG's so this forced me to take care of that as well. Front brakes no problem and no surprise.

I'm letting the shop handle the rear axle seal and the rear drums as I'm on a time crunch. Don't mind doing the rest of work and the truck will get a nice refresh. Easy decision for me to keep her alive. Until they start making them again with a manual trans/e-locker combo, I'll keep fixing this one.

 

[cl4Rk]

We don’t have regular inspections here in KS. Makes it easy to decide for yourself what needs fixing and what can wait.

The only inspection is a one-time VIN check upon first registering the vehicle. This is just to verify that the vehicle you’re registering is indeed the vehicle you’re driving.

They also have you pop the hood for a quick visual check, but you don’t even have to start the engine. I guess they figure if you made it to the patrol station, it must be road-worthy. LOL.

It’s a one-time thing that takes about 5 minutes.

EDIT: sorry wrong thread! How embarrassing!!

 

[3bears]

We don’t have regular inspections here in KS. Makes it easy to decide for yourself what needs fixing and what can wait.

The only inspection is a one-time VIN check upon first registering the vehicle. This is just to verify that the vehicle you’re registering is indeed the vehicle you’re driving.

They also have you pop the hood for a quick visual check, but you don’t even have to start the engine. I guess they figure if you made it to the patrol station, it must be road-worthy. LOL.

It’s a one-time thing that takes about 5 minutes.

EDIT: sorry wrong thread! How embarrassing!!

i too am in a non inspeection state, so if I do indeed have a bad cat....its just gonna get roto out and put back in,
however the cops can pull you over if things are not working correct, and you have x # of days to fix, and honestly I have seen cars on the road that should not be and have to be dangerous and some putting out so much smoke its hard to beleive they are not throwing a quart of oil in every few miles. So at times I do wish we had inspections.