thinking about buying this 04 with low miles

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seekerIV

New member
2004 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4WD 50,000 Original Miles

Sorry for noob question. Thinking about buying my first runner...been reading up and test driving for a couple months and posted this link in new guy forum. Wanted to get your guys thoughts. Silver, perfect much inside and out with 51k miles. 2004 Sr5 with factory installed leather and moonroof. After market remote starter. Says its been kept in a garage and driven about 5k miles per year by soccer mom. No towing or offroad. Bought from dealer new, all records dealer records. Husband is Staty, (police) and they have a several cars and trucks, several with high miles. She is looking to go up to a Pilot which is what i have now.

Price is high but it looks and feels brand new! Pretty firm on price- says she is reluctant to sell, its her baby, and she turned down an offer for 13k.

I need somethibg nice and dependable for work, meeting with and driving around clients. Also like to camp and explore. thinking this car is a nice platform for maybe a suspension lift.

I've been reading about the dependability and I checked out some higher level trims and I like them alot I feel like the base for my needs especially with the options installed (leather, moonroof) get the job done.

She goes on the loft this week. I have a good mechanic. I did see some rust underneath, on rear axle etc...I guess its to be expected in a 10 year old car in NE.

Thanks for any thoughts advice etc!
 
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seekerIV said:
2004 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4WD 50,000 Original Miles

Sorry for noob question. Thinking about buying my first runner...been reading up and test driving for a couple months and posted this link in new guy forum. Wanted to get your guys thoughts. Silver, perfect much inside and out with 51k miles. 2004 Sr5 with factory installed leather and moonroof. After market remote starter. Says its been kept in a garage and driven about 5k miles per year by soccer mom. No towing or offroad. Bought from dealer new, all records dealer records. Husband is Staty, (police) and they have a several cars and trucks, several with high miles. She is looking to go up to a Pilot which is what i have now.

Price is high but it looks and feels brand new! Pretty firm on price- says she is reluctant to sell, its her baby, and she turned down an offer for 13k.

I need somethibg nice and dependable for work, meeting with and driving around clients. Also like to camp and explore. thinking this car is a nice platform for maybe a suspension lift.

I've been reading about the dependability and I checked out some higher level trims and I like them alot I feel like the base for my needs especially with the options installed (leather, moonroof) get the job done.

She goes on the loft this week. I have a good mechanic. I did see some rust underneath, on rear axle etc...I guess its to be expected in a 10 year old car in NE.

Thanks for any thoughts advice etc!
Click to expand...

Personally, I would be cautious.. That's just me. 04's are known for having headgasket issues, which if you don't repair yourself, is very expensive. There have been low mileage ones with the issue as well, but then others with no issue what so ever. If they would take $14k, it may be a good deal, but I would just exercise caution is all... But don't let me scare you :)

Oh, also make sure 4x4 and such engages within a timely fashion, check for leaks since it is an older vehicle (even though it only has 51k on it). Definitely check for leaks around the actuator.
 
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thanks that is very helpful. Is there any way to diagnose the head gasket issue? when does that kind of problem usually arise? I was thinking that at 50k the car has had a good break in...but also basically babied. Should I be concerned about undercarriage rust? Do you think the sr5 will be a well performing platform or should I be more closely considering other trim levels- with sport suspension etc? I stayed away from test driving a V8 because I couldn't find anything without pretty high miles and also I was afraid I would love it. I also didn't realize that the 2004 have the 4 speed transmission and not the variable speed 5 or whatever. wondered if anybody had an opinion about that.
 
seekerIV said:
2004 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4WD 50,000 Original Miles

Sorry for noob question. Thinking about buying my first runner...been reading up and test driving for a couple months and posted this link in new guy forum. Wanted to get your guys thoughts. Silver, perfect much inside and out with 51k miles. 2004 Sr5 with factory installed leather and moonroof. After market remote starter. Says its been kept in a garage and driven about 5k miles per year by soccer mom. No towing or offroad. Bought from dealer new, all records dealer records. Husband is Staty, (police) and they have a several cars and trucks, several with high miles. She is looking to go up to a Pilot which is what i have now.

Price is high but it looks and feels brand new! Pretty firm on price- says she is reluctant to sell, its her baby, and she turned down an offer for 13k.

I need somethibg nice and dependable for work, meeting with and driving around clients. Also like to camp and explore. thinking this car is a nice platform for maybe a suspension lift.

I've been reading about the dependability and I checked out some higher level trims and I like them alot I feel like the base for my needs especially with the options installed (leather, moonroof) get the job done.

She goes on the loft this week. I have a good mechanic. I did see some rust underneath, on rear axle etc...I guess its to be expected in a 10 year old car in NE.

Thanks for any thoughts advice etc!
Click to expand...

its a good deal if its clean. surface rust shouldn't be a big issue, nearly every new england vehicle has it, if you keep it clean it won't get worse. negotiate but thats a good price, i paid 13,495 for mine with the same options and 94k

jonesmw10 said:
Personally, I would be cautious.. That's just me. 04's are known for having headgasket issues, which if you don't repair yourself, is very expensive. There have been low mileage ones with the issue as well, but then others with no issue what so ever. If they would take $14k, it may be a good deal, but I would just exercise caution is all... But don't let me scare you :)

Oh, also make sure 4x4 and such engages within a timely fashion, check for leaks since it is an older vehicle (even though it only has 51k on it). Definitely check for leaks around the actuator.
Click to expand...

meh..... they aren't "known" for it, there are enough with the HG issue that it isn't coincidence, but i wouldnt ignore a model year entirely because a small percentage had HG issues that mostly stem from overheating
 
seekerIV said:
thanks that is very helpful. Is there any way to diagnose the head gasket issue? when does that kind of problem usually arise? I was thinking that at 50k the car has had a good break in...but also basically babied. Should I be concerned about undercarriage rust? Do you think the sr5 will be a well performing platform or should I be more closely considering other trim levels- with sport suspension etc? I stayed away from test driving a V8 because I couldn't find anything without pretty high miles and also I was afraid I would love it. I also didn't realize that the 2004 have the 4 speed transmission and not the variable speed 5 or whatever. wondered if anybody had an opinion about that.
Click to expand...

the HG issue usually arises when the vehicle gets overheated. theres people who have 200k+ and have never had a problem. if it is surface rust i wouldnt be worried, sand it off and paint it with rustoleum and you'll be good to go. if i was you id stay away from the sport model, it has xreas suspension and can be tricky and expensive to fix/replace, the transmission difference really isn't a big deal either, you probably wouldnt notice
 
hearno said:
That was quick, ad is gone.
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I guess she figures its a done deal...b/c its a work car and tax write off I told her if my mechanic signed off I would meet her price. Maybe I was being a little soft. She seemed really nice and laid back and the car was a gem. Plus she had a dog like mine who recently passed...
 
You are out of your mind of you will pay $15k for that. Yes the miles are low, but it is still 10 years old and if you drive it, the value falls like a rock. As it is you are paying about $1,000 extra for every 10k not driven. It wouldn't be worth it to me. $12K sounds more reasonable. Don't be suckered in with the "I really don't want to sell it" line. If they didn't want to sell it, they wouldn't.

Also, they won't have a lot of people beating down their door to buy it. Most people don't have $15K sitting around and you would have one hell of a time getting a bank to go that much on a private sell. You are in a much better position as a buyer with that vehicle.
 
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Thanks. I really appreciate the feedback guys. Just seems the car has been so beautifully maintained that it might be worth it. I got my Honda Pilot when it had about a hundred thousand miles for about 13000 so it seems like for about two thousand more I'm getting twice as much car...I mean the car looks and drives like its brand new
 
I'm thinking that for about the same amount of money or more I can get a dealership car a few years younger with twice as many miles and less options like no sunroof leather remote starter...is that really a better idea?
 
seekerIV said:
I'm thinking that for about the same amount of money or more I can get a dealership car a few years younger with twice as many miles and less options like no sunroof leather remote starter...is that really a better idea?
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I think this one looks really good. If it has a clean carfax, there isn't really a lot that can go wrong with a 4.0 V6 4Runner in 50,000 Miles. Seems like a great buy, I wouldn't wait on this one.
 
Thanks I'll definitely keep you guys posted. My mechanic is set to look at it saturday morning...owner has no carfax (apparently it sustained some minor front bumper damage that was repaired) but it she gave me the VIN from her auto policy.
JTEBU14R940022754. I know there's a hot link on here that will help me decode that...
 
seekerIV said:
Used 2003 Toyota 4Runner For Sale | East Swanzey NH

Another horse has entered the race...a 2003 with low mileage and a V8. I'm heading up to check it out this weekend....they say it was one owner and bought at auction in New Jersey. what do you guys think? Are the problems with the 03 AC and clutch legitimate?
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I bought my 06 from them and looked a a bunch of 4th gens there before eventually purchasing the one I got at Grappone in Concord. They always treated me fair and the trucks weren't too over priced.

Watch out for anything coming from NJ though. I looked at one there that was also from a NJ Auction and it had a MINT interior and exterior but the underside was rusted like it sat in a foot of salt water for a long time... made me wonder if it was a Sandy flood car or something.

That one looks very clean and decent price for the mileage, even at that age.
 
Be very leery of a NJ auction vehicle... Sandy cars and trucks are still popping up. Get up underneath the truck, look up under the gas tank and in the frame rails for mud and debris...

I looked at an 2010 Audi A6 prestige August 2013, only had 18k miles (MA Audi dealer). they gave me the carfax (clean, no issues) and noticed it came from Long Island. (original owner) Pulled out the trunk carpet and spare tire...lower trunk was filled with dried mud and crud. Then had dealer remove lower back seat, even more crud...

Also, 13k is a good price but if the truck checks out... 11k is more reflective of the going price. I paid 10K for an SR5 with 48K miles about 8 weeks ago from local MA Toyota dealer. they had been asking 12495.00... sometimes cash talks!
 
delz05 said:
Also, 13k is a good price but if the truck checks out... 11k is more reflective of the going price. I paid 10K for an SR5 with 48K miles about 8 weeks ago from local MA Toyota dealer. they had been asking 12495.00... sometimes cash talks!
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10K is a great deal for 48K.
I've been looking in the Boston area for months, can you post a pic of your 4runner somewhere? I just wonder if I've seen yours for sale along the way.

Someone, hopefully someone on this forum, bought a V8 Limited with 44K from Herb Connolly Acura outside of Boston just as I was driving down from Maine to buy it myself...they go fast!

Good luck OP. Would love to see you score that silver one if it all checks out.
 
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