Would you buy a 3rd gen with 240k miles?

[cashflow50]

Almost 250k on mine. I drove it literally across the country 4 times last year. This truck has been to more states in less than a year than most people have been to in their entire lives. If it's been well maintained and you continue to take care of it you shouldn't have any problems. But it is still an old high mileage vehicle so things will need upkeep and maintenance, but not anywhere near as much as most other cars of the same age and mileage. Just look how many are still on the road nearly 20 years after the last one was sold. That shows something about these trucks.

Most recent clean picture I have.
20171126_161038 by Unner Unner, on Flickr

dude your truck looks tight man! i have a black like that but without the mods

 

[infantry503]

I paid 3K on a 01 at 189K miles odo. steal IMO. only thing wrong when i bought it was the infamous valve cover oil leak. purrs like a kitten. previous owner didnt know jack about fixing cars, so i coaxed him to lowering the price in grands due to the leaking oil. lol

Dude wanted $7000 for mine, I talked him down to 5200. Came with a superchaarger :wow:

 

[lockedlex]

240k is nothing on these trucks. The Engines and Trans tend to be robust.

I absolutely won't bat an eye with that many miles. If the rest of the truck is in decent shape, that's even better (if not, then I'd be a little concerned about the deferred maintenance it might need).

Just one thing, these trucks are going to command a premium if they are originally from the South West. For any truck in the snowbelt, expect it to easily go for less.

 

[3ngineer]

Thanks for the helpful posts fellas. This has eased my mind about high mileage 4runners!

 

[Kbuch1]

Yes, so fast it would make you dizzy!!
I have (2) 2000s in my driveway being driven by my older two kids. Looking for a third.
I had a 89 years ago, and always wanted to get back into a runner.
With what I learned from this site, and what I have done over the past three years of ownership, the following would be my items.
If priced reasonable, I would look closely at the frame for rust, and does it run?
Short of a compression issue, these things are easy enough to work on that for a couple thousand, you can't really go wrong even with 240K miles.

Good luck.

 

[meachh]

Looking for a 3rd gen soon, how much would you guys reserve in a budget for maintenance related things right after buying a higher mileage truck?

 

[Kbuch1]

Depends on the truck.
However, you can do a lot for $500 if you do the work your self.
OEM Lower Ball Joints should be high on your list if they are an unknown.
Just chip away at the typical tune up items listed in the buyers guide.

 

[sdwaltz]

All day.

Bought mine with 200k, up to 212k now. Haven't done a thing to it other than replace a fuel pump that s**t the bed last summer.

TB/WP coming up soon though.

 

[JZiggy]

Looking for a 3rd gen soon, how much would you guys reserve in a budget for maintenance related things right after buying a higher mileage truck?

Between $500 and $10,000.

 

[cbr900boy]

Is it the one in your sig? Limited with the silver flares? Looks great. Do you have a build thread?

Yes that is my rig. I dont have a build thread, i never got around to taking pictures while wrenching. It was bone stock when I got her.

 

[3ngineer]

Yes that is my rig. I dont have a build thread, i never got around to taking pictures while wrenching. It was bone stock when I got her.

Which rear bumper is that? Did it come with the spare tire + gas can mounts?

 

[cbr900boy]

Which rear bumper is that? Did it come with the spare tire + gas can mounts?

4x innovations, spare tire carrier, hijack lift mounts, and gas can holder were extra options.

 

[whyzee125]

Yes, as long as it was properly maintained. I bought my 4runner with 233k from the original owner and I have every single receipt for everything since the truck was new. Every oil change, every repair, every timing belt, etc. Over 75 pages in total. I will turn 250k this week and it's running like a dream. Long story short, these are old trucks and that mileage is pretty average. As you can see, tons are on the road with way more miles than that. the maintenance records I got with my truck are great for reassurance but are honestly overkill. Make sure it's clean, not rusted out, find out if the timing belt and water pump were done. Check trans fluid and rear axle seals and if all checks out buy with confidence.

 

[Ricktuk]

Bought a 99 limited with 250k. no rust, drive train and engine were in good shape. missing front bumper and dented front fender. Basically mechanically sound cosmetically not so good. 2k, good price around here. Biggest issue seems to be watch for rust. The timing belt had recently been changed. Fluids were all clean. worst thing I had to do was valve cover gaskets and new plugs. Any vehicle that old will need a little TLC. And preferably someone who likes to do their own wrenching.

 

[SeaBass8]

IMHO... on these trucks rust is the biggest concern. Find one with minimal rust and minimal general wear and tear. If the underneath is crusty and rusty I'd move on. Next thing for me is determine when the timing belt was last done. That's a 7-800$ job if you can't do it yourself. Otherwise I find these trucks to be fairly straight forward to work on yourself and pretty much EVERYTHING has been thoroughly documented on here and youtube. As others have said the drive train on things are rock solid. If you can do brakes, suspension and basic tune-up/maintenance these trucks are viable well over 200k miles. The key is to find one that's be fairly well loved throughout it's life to begin with.

 

[Ricktuk]

What are other things I should look for?

One thing I havent seen mentioned is the radiator. just plan on changing that if you dont know how old the existing one is. do a search on the forum. easy job