260K Miles 100 Series (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jul 8, 2021
Threads
2
Messages
14
Location
Florida
Hello,

I've read through the forums and don't see many posts about high mileage resulting in engine failure/rebuilds on the 2UZ-FE. Is it hard for the previous owners to really screw up this engine?

I am considering buying a LX 470 with 260K miles or a JDM HDJ81 with 170K miles. The LX is a much better deal financially and I am hopeful being ~10 years newer (with a good recent maintenance history) will be a big plus.

The LX looks clean, no rust, no ownership up north, no leaks, and appears to be well taken care of for a year 2000 truck. Other LC100/LXs in the same price range have been beat up although with around 200K miles.

Thanks

Gus
 
Hello,

I've read through the forums and don't see many posts about high mileage resulting in engine failure/rebuilds on the 2UZ-FE. Is it hard for the previous owners to really screw up this engine?

I am considering buying a LX 470 with 260K miles or a JDM HDJ81 with 170K miles. The LX is a much better deal financially and I am hopeful being ~10 years newer (with a good recent maintenance history) will be a big plus.

The LX looks clean, no rust, no ownership up north, no leaks, and appears to be well taken care of for a year 2000 truck. Other LC100/LXs in the same price range have been beat up although with around 200K miles.

Thanks

Gus
Just check it over like you would any other vehicle. Coolant levels, fluid condition, maintenance history, etc. At 240k miles you will have plenty of service to be done unless the previous owner has a record of it. Just because it's a land cruiser doesn't mean those parts that have been in service for 240k aren't worn out like any other vehicle.
 
Mileage doesn't matter for a 100. Maintenance does. These engines run smooth, cool, and forever.


I'm about to turn 285k in my '05 and I'd drive it literally anywhere at a moments notice without hesitation.
 
Mileage doesn't matter for a 100. Maintenance does. These engines run smooth, cool, and forever.


I'm about to turn 285k in my '05 and I'd drive it literally anywhere at a moments notice without hesitation.


Right but the two go hand and hand, with the high mileage comes high maintenance and if neglected it doesn't matter if it's the 2UZ or any other motor. So it seems crazy when people say oh don't worry about the 200-300k miles on the dash it's a land cruiser. Doesn't mean much if the previous owner didn't keep up with servicing it.
 
Right but the two go hand and hand, with the high mileage comes high maintenance and if neglected it doesn't matter if it's the 2UZ or any other motor. So it seems crazy when people say oh don't worry about the 200-300k miles on the dash it's a land cruiser. Doesn't mean much if the previous owner didn't keep up with servicing it.

I'll rephrase my post:

Buy one that's had the proper maintenance, don't sweat the mileage.

The oldest 100s are all over 20 years now so regardless of mileage, will require unscheduled maintenance, especially pertaining to consumables like plastics and rubbers all over. A cream puff with no miles is also susceptible to the effects of age.
 
Thanks guys. I stopped searching for "rebuild" and found a lot of helpful high mileage threads covering all of the other things to worry about. I will do some better research here so I can get the most out of my inspection.
 
Thanks guys. I stopped searching for "rebuild" and found a lot of helpful high mileage threads covering all of the other things to worry about. I will do some better research here so I can get the most out of my inspection.
Like mongoose and others will mention, maintenance is key and without a service history you may want to budget for dumping some money into it to keep it happy and trail ready. That being said even a neglected 100 series will be better in the long run than any other neglected vehicle.
 
Thanks guys. I stopped searching for "rebuild" and found a lot of helpful high mileage threads covering all of the other things to worry about. I will do some better research here so I can get the most out of my inspection.

Check my thread. I bought at over 200k and have done about 60k in the 2ish years I've owned it. The thread is very thorough and detailed on my maintenance for a higher mileage vehicle.
 
Thanks guys. I stopped searching for "rebuild" and found a lot of helpful high mileage threads covering all of the other things to worry about. I will do some better research here so I can get the most out of my inspection.
Searching "baseline" was better for my interests than "rebuild" FWIW
 
The best strategy is to buy a Hundy from a MUD member here. Then we know the truck has been baselined at least once a year :D
The inventory has not been great the past 4-6 weeks in Florida. Everyone knows that prices are high right now. However, I am not finding anything but 1998-2002 for $13-15K asking price and most have been trashed. The next jump are the $35K+ trucks and most of them are overpriced plus being out of my budget. There's been almost nothing in between except the 80s owners selling at a premium.

The LX I am looking at has no Toyota history for the past 2-3 years but the current owner has a long list of things he has been done recently. I am assuming it was DIY or maybe an independent mechanic. I'll need to look carefully.

There's a local overland shop in my immediate area that buys up all of the good LCs, builds them out, and then charges 2X NADA for them.
 
My 03 has 25x000 miles. I have zero concerns about the engine/transmission. Front end could use some work and my steering rack needs to be replaced, but I’d drive it to California tomorrow if I needed to.
 
I have owned a couple 100 series and love them, but they are not worth what they are going for today. You could buy a newer LR3 for half the price. A well maintained newer Land Rover is just as reliable as a 100 series with 200,000 plus on it.

I don't think these trucks going 200,000 plus is a matter of quality as much as a matter of passion. There is pride in a high mileage 100 series and therefore money is spent on maintenance. Not so with LR owners.

I'm thinking long and hard about cashing out on my current LX and going back to an LR3 or 4.

Jim
 
It is not that difficult to screw up the engine. Running it with not enough coolant or engine oil can screw it up quick.
That's obvious. I'm referring to the not so obvious things. Like the early 1GR-FE had a head gasket problem that was later corrected in the 4th gen 4Runners. It may have been less forgiving if you didn't change the oil and coolant on time.

Although, I haven't seen any high mileage LCs with the 40+ oil change records you'd expect on Carfax or the Toyota owner's portal. Not to say it hasn't been done but it's a crap shoot whether it's really been done often enough.
 
I have owned a couple 100 series and love them, but they are not worth what they are going for today.
Thanks Jim. I am beginning to reach the same conclusion as badly as I'd like to get one now.
 
I don't think these trucks going 200,000 plus is a matter of quality as much as a matter of passion.
 
The inventory has not been great the past 4-6 weeks in Florida. Everyone knows that prices are high right now. However, I am not finding anything but 1998-2002 for $13-15K asking price and most have been trashed. The next jump are the $35K+ trucks and most of them are overpriced plus being out of my budget. There's been almost nothing in between except the 80s owners selling at a premium.

The LX I am looking at has no Toyota history for the past 2-3 years but the current owner has a long list of things he has been done recently. I am assuming it was DIY or maybe an independent mechanic. I'll need to look carefully.

There's a local overland shop in my immediate area that buys up all of the good LCs, builds them out, and then charges 2X NADA for them.
Totally understand your situation 😂. What I meant was you can find some of the best conditioned LC/LX from members of this forum. Some members here are world experts on LC/LX100, know their trucks in great detail, way more than dealerships. The rest of us try to learn as much as possible from these gurus and do all the preventative maintenance even when not necessary 😂 Other than passion and love of our Cruisers, many of us have the mindset that next day we'll go on a long overland trip and want to make sure we never get stranded. This definitely helps to keep our trucks in top condition. For similar condition/mileage, I'd prefer buying from someone here to Craigslist :D.
 
For similar condition/mileage, I'd prefer buying from someone here to Craigslist :D.

Excellent point. I am checking out the classified section. Craigslist is proving to be a waste of time unfortunately. Thanks.
 

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