will be buying my 1st 4runner, what to look for?

[firebirdguy]

hi, first post here. been reading through the threads & getting some good info on 4th gen 4runners.

im looking to buy my 1st 4runner & will be going to look at an 07 v6 sport this week. im in the midwest & know there can be frame rust issues on these 4runners, what are the areas i should be looking at to determine if there is an issue? it has 120k miles & is a one owner vehicle that was serviced by the dealer regularly so im hoping there isnt any issues with frame rust.

any other problem areas i should inspect on an 07? i may be going to look in a day or 2 so any info is appreciated. thanks!

 

[grave]

what you should really look for when buying a 4th gen 4runner is the thousands of other threads just like this with tons of info on what to look for when buying.

having said that, always check the CVs, sway bar end links, wheel bearings, brake rotors. ask for maintenance records and get the VIN & join www.toyota.com/owners to see what services have been performed at a dealer.

 

[AuSeeker]

Usually the first piece of the frame to give up to rust is the radiator support/crossmember, not really all that structual but it's usually the first to go and a good indicator of other major frame rust, also check the powersteering lines mount behind the same crossmember, another place is the top of the frame in the front passenger side wheel well close to the firewall, this is where the AC condensation drains and drips down on the frame.

But all and all closely inspect the entire frame for rust, minor surface is not an issue but if you see any scaley rust to a major degree you should walk away, what you see on the outside of the frame is just minor preview what can be happening on the inside of the frame rails!!!

When inspect rusted areas a big screwdriver and hammer is your friend, don't be afraid of giving any suspected areas a good whack with the hammer on the handle of the screwdriver, if you drive that screwdriver through the frame RUN away!!!

 

[firebirdguy]

thanks for the replies. yes i have been reading threads & searching untill my eyes hurt!

i gathered some good info but just wanted to ask for specifics regarding frame rust like AuSeeker detailed. i know to check other wear parts like CV's & brake rotors etc... those are all relatively cheap & easy to replace, frame rust is not! i plan to bring a screwdriver & do some poking, just wanted to be armed with details like the known bad areas of the frame etc.

i read enough about the head gasket issues to know to look for later than 11-12/05 build dates as well as dash crack problems. being it was dealer serviced im hoping things like that were dealt with in recalls. i will ask for the vin & see what history the dealer has or the toyota owners website.

any other info or suggestions are welcome. thanks again!

 

[firebirdguy]

i got some pics from the seller of parts of the frame. this looks to be surface rust on the weld seams, rest of the frame is still factory black & looks solid in these areas. i will inspect it fully when i go see it but does this look "normal" or acceptable? it is an 07 with 120k miles.

if the frame is still solid is it a good idea to wire brush the rust & paint or undercoat it?

 

[L8Shift]

i got some pics from the seller of parts of the frame. this looks to be surface rust on the weld seams, rest of the frame is still factory black & looks solid in these areas. i will inspect it fully when i go see it but does this look "normal" or acceptable? it is an 07 with 120k miles.

if the frame is still solid is it a good idea to wire brush the rust & paint or undercoat it?

I am no expert, but to me from what I see, that frame looks acceptable..:hungry:

I use this 3M stuff on rust. https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...p-Rust-Converter/?N=5002385+3293083284&rt=rud

POR is another brand.

 

[Inv4drZm]

i got some pics from the seller of parts of the frame. this looks to be surface rust on the weld seams, rest of the frame is still factory black & looks solid in these areas. i will inspect it fully when i go see it but does this look "normal" or acceptable? it is an 07 with 120k miles.

if the frame is still solid is it a good idea to wire brush the rust & paint or undercoat it?

Looks good to me. Not too late for it, just wire brush or buff it off and spray paint or coat over top. Might want to check the front radiator support/crossmember as that is another problem area but it probably isn't bad.

 

[firebirdguy]

well that 07 4runner deal fell through, seller said he couldnt find the title & drug it out for 2 weeks then quit replying.

so im looking at a 06 sr5 with 150k now, its from the upper midwest so am concerned with frame/rust issues. its a couple hours away so seller sent me pics on a lift. has a little more visible rust than the 07 pics, lots of surface rust on the skid plates that could be deceiving, lots of what looks to be surface rust in nooks & crannys, one side of the radiator support looks pretty rusty but he says the metal is all solid. & the rear axle is very rusty, but these werent painted or protected were they?

i can wire brush the frame & coat with something like POR-15 or other heavy paint. its priced below book value & seems to be a decent deal based on prices ive been seeing for 06-08 4runners with 150k or less miles. any opinions on this one?

 

[07V8]

#walkaway

 

[MattAK]

That's looking pretty bad, though not as bad as some I've seen on here. It might be structurally ok but if you have to fix anything dealing with all those rusty bolts will be a giant PITA. I'd keep looking.

 

[Rodtheviking]

Nope

 

[mjotrainbrain]

Definitely better than mine, but I'd keep looking (I should have). Rust isn't anything you want to deal with, it's so much more work than it seems like.

 

[Jdevtac]

The 04 I just bought with ~120k on the clock looked just like the one above with 150k and ended up having a shitty spot at the passenger trailing arm mount area. Still kicking my ass about that because I know better but getting it fixed this weekend. Regardless, if it’s got significant rust, run the hell away. Like people said, even if the frame is still solid it will make maintenance a pain, especially dealing with potential broken bolts, etc.

 

[firebirdguy]

yeah i was kinda thinking the same thing. it spent most its life in iowa & minnesota so i knew it would have some degree of rust, didnt expect that much though. i will see what they do on the price & go from there. ive been looking for awhile & its hard to find what i want within my budget!

thanks again for the replies.

 

[TowMeOut]

If you haven't done so yet be sure to shift that sucker into 4Hi-Lo and diff-lock several times and make sure it works. This is another Achilles heel of this generation. That silly actuator will seize up from lack of use. Some people have been able to resurrect it through a variety of means. If not....it's a $2K trip to the dealership or at best a $600 used T-case swap.

 

[firebirdguy]

update on my search for a 4runner. looking at #3 candidate & the overall condition of the frame is far better than the last one i posted above, that one was from a local dealership & after i had them put it on a lift to get pics their service department deemed it "unsafe" to re-sell due to the major rust, but they said they sent it to auction & a week or 2 later i see it for sale at a smaller shady used car lot! definitely inspect your used cars, auctions allow crappy unsafe vehicles to be kept on the road!

this one is a 08 sport with 143k miles, rest of the 4runner looks to be in nice shape & the underside is much cleaner than the one shown above, but i am concerned with 1 area shown in this pic... if you look towards to top left of the pic there is a square'ish area that i assume is the frame rail with rust & what looks like scaling or a loose layer of something that is coming off showing rust color underneath. is that just the paint/coating coming off? the seller says the metal is still solid but im curious/concerned what that area is & what could cause that type of rust. its the driver side front area of the frame near the crossmember.

i have other pics i can post if needed but mainly want to see what you guys think of that area i mentioned.

 

[firebirdguy]

edited pic to show area of concern. any opinions on this??

 

[mjotrainbrain]

Can't really see it very well in the pic, overall the pic hardly shows frame at all. I can't really say if it looks good or bad, but given the condition of the components I can see fairly well I'd say this one looks pretty good. I'd check specifically on the passenger side top of the frame rail in the front wheel well behind the shock mount where the AC drain drips and all around the rear lower trailing arm mounts; they tend to be hot spots for rust.

 

[firebirdguy]

yeah the pic isnt the best, but depending on your monitor & brightness it shows the rusted area & what looks like a layer of something flaking off. hard to tell what this area is in the pics but seems to be the main frame rail as it comes down from the engine bay area. but i could be wrong which is part of my questions... what is this area & what do you think the rust is?

i will definitely check the other areas you mention when i go to look at it, but im a few hours away so just trying to get some opinions from members/experts here before driving all that way to see it.

 

[firebirdguy]

any opinions on that area pictured? hard to tell in pics & im not too familiar with these frames... is that just a coating flaking off or deeper rust issues?