100 Series are Expensive - Discuss!

[kevin2i]

These part prices are misleading. These are mostly aftermarket parts prices and a lot of those are known to have issues (ie: steering rack and radiator)

Denso radiator - from rock auto. (Disappointed it was 'made in china') . All my TB parts were factory. Denso compressor, denso alternator . . .
I try to buy factory OEM quality parts - like Denso coils, hitachi MAF. You can pay more from the dealer if it makes you want, but if you do some homework you can get the same part in a different box.

Anyways, I enjoy working on my truck. Also note that car dealers don't make nearly as much money selling cars, as servicing them. Local dealer sells 1 or 2 per year, I would rather do it myself than take my chances. Good news is I have a friendly parts guy, that will match any online price from any toyota dealer.

Lots of crap parts out there, agree with that idea. (Haven't replaced my steering rack, just the bushings - seems ok, leaks 1 qt every 100k.)

 

[davisfj62]

Lol, think you missed the point or I did not explain my self properly. Let me see I have had 9 LC/LX in the past 12 yrs, that being said I keep the 97 the longest as I love the 80, I do not drive it that much as it is not child friendly as it is lifted for expedition trip and I have 2 little ones. So currently the 570 and our sienna van are the one we drive most, just more child friendly. And we drive the 570 everywhere and put about 12k miles each year. I tow long distance and drive long distance and go off-road with it.

As for your statement of low miles vehicle and don’t drive to keep cost down, that may be the way to do it if yo do not drive much.

100k miles is not considered low miles for most vehicles unfortunately, none of the German built vehicle is considered low miles at 100k mark and required tons of repairs, but for LC it is considered low miles and needs minimal repair if any.

Just bought another 99 with 180k and another 97 with 300k miles lol Haven’t gone through them yet.

View attachment 2137540

Great line-up! Can only imagine what your fuel bill is—that Sienna is probably a life saver. Cost of ownership is definitely a conversation we have had in this house. I gave myself a $3,000 budget to get my '98 LC in perfect running order, which is defined as... if my wife and daughters go on a 2K mile trip or a trip to the mall they won't have a major breakdown or be stranded.
...
Here's what I plan to use the $3,000 for:
Background — This LC only has 113K on the odometer, Somewhere around 100K the second owner put on a complete 3" OME lift plus ARB front (with winch) and back bumpers.
...
Work needed and completed — My inspection of the rig uncovered the following:
1.) All major steering hardware and bushings were shot and needed to be replaced. To date I replaced the UCA, LCA, tie rod ends, ball joints, a stabilizer bushings
2.) the factory brakes, though in good shape, needed to be upgraded to handle the 500 extra pounds from the ARB bumpers and the 18X305 BFG/KOS tires. I upgraded all rotors to heavy duty drilled/slotted with ceramic pads.
The rig now drives and stops like a brand new vehicle.
...
To be completed next:
1. I have no way of knowing with 100% confidence that the timing belt has been done. I am replacing the TB, tensioners, thermostat and housing, water pump and all gaskets. Additionally, I'll replace the hoses and serpentine belt. While I'm at it I will take the radiator to a shop and have it inspected, cleaned, and reconditioned (if needed).
2. Starter — I have the dreaded "terminal starter syndrome" — so I will make on this repair at the same time I do the timing belt.
...
There you have it. With these repairs completed and some minor interior rehab my rig will be in perfect running order. My goal was to have a LC that could be a DD and a worthy expedition cruiser for under 20K and I am on budget. All the mechanical work was done by me and some friends over a weekend. Saved a ton of $$$ on labor by reaching out on IH8 forums and YouTube videos. The community has been very helpful... and patient with me. THANKS!
...
One final note on cost of ownership, After replacing plugs, wires, and coil packs (spent around $200. and an hour of time) the rig is purring and I'm now averaging 13.7 MPG (mostly HWY miles because I live in the country) on my LC, which is just 3.0 MPG under what I was getting out of my '13 Taco.
...
Once again, can't thank the IH8 community enough!

 

[davisfj62]

I think otherwise. Having the correct mindset to own an LC let alone a V8 literally is a money pit. My reason is simple: the quality, the experience of driving it is such a joy you just keep on going. It’s the smiles per gallon. Then comes the through the roof list of upgrades that just won’t end. You use it on-road, you think of “better creature comfort features”. You drive it off-road you think of making it go farther, higher, faster and in the process yes you break things. That’s why I consider this vehicle (and I say the same analogy to my wife) that this is a hobbyist’s car. When I was younger I thought building a straight N1 TRD Corolla or all-out Spoon Civic ground-up was expensive, the 4X4 Land Cruiser world was about 10x more Lol. I guess it’s a matter of understanding and sticking to your objective when you bought your LC/LX (factored-in you have a couple of thousand of bucks for unexpected repairs for 200k+ mile vehicle) with that said I think the cost of ownership of one is similar to much younger Toyota 4x4 like a Tacoma.

Agreed! You can't put a price tag on smiles per gallon... though my wife might disagree.

 

[ranma21]

Great line-up! Can only imagine what your fuel bill is—that Sienna is probably a life saver. Cost of ownership is definitely a conversation we have had in this house. I gave myself a $3,000 budget to get my '98 LC in perfect running order, which is defined as... if my wife and daughters go on a 2K mile trip or a trip to the mall they won't have a major breakdown or be stranded.
...
Here's what I plan to use the $3,000 for:
Background — This LC only has 113K on the odometer, Somewhere around 100K the second owner put on a complete 3" OME lift plus ARB front (with winch) and back bumpers.
...
Work needed and completed — My inspection of the rig uncovered the following:
1.) All major steering hardware and bushings were shot and needed to be replaced. To date I replaced the UCA, LCA, tie rod ends, ball joints, a stabilizer bushings
2.) the factory brakes, though in good shape, needed to be upgraded to handle the 500 extra pounds from the ARB bumpers and the 18X305 BFG/KOS tires. I upgraded all rotors to heavy duty drilled/slotted with ceramic pads.
The rig now drives and stops like a brand new vehicle.
...
To be completed next:
1. I have no way of knowing with 100% confidence that the timing belt has been done. I am replacing the TB, tensioners, thermostat and housing, water pump and all gaskets. Additionally, I'll replace the hoses and serpentine belt. While I'm at it I will take the radiator to a shop and have it inspected, cleaned, and reconditioned (if needed).
2. Starter — I have the dreaded "terminal starter syndrome" — so I will make on this repair at the same time I do the timing belt.
...
There you have it. With these repairs completed and some minor interior rehab my rig will be in perfect running order. My goal was to have a LC that could be a DD and a worthy expedition cruiser for under 20K and I am on budget. All the mechanical work was done by me and some friends over a weekend. Saved a ton of $$$ on labor by reaching out on IH8 forums and YouTube videos. The community has been very helpful... and patient with me. THANKS!
...
One final note on cost of ownership, After replacing plugs, wires, and coil packs (spent around $200. and an hour of time) the rig is purring and I'm now averaging 13.7 MPG (mostly HWY miles because I live in the country) on my LC, which is just 3.0 MPG under what I was getting out of my '13 Taco.
...
Once again, can't thank the IH8 community enough!

View attachment 2167626

Fuel cost has not cross my mind much, it did bother me 15 yrs ago when I bought my first 80 series. Then I learn to drive slower, 70mph instead of 80mph+Lol and the sweet spot is 50mph, got 22 mpg with armor 80. Reliability and safety are priority to me as I know my family is well protected in the event of unforeseen accident. That alone is well worth the fuel cost.

Glad you got most PM sort out, enjoy. =)

 

[NickSonoma]

They are, and they’re worth it. This is not the kind of car you buy when you NEED a car today. You can negotiate the cost of required maintenance out of the purchase price, if you are willing to walk away.

The gas mileage is poor, but it can do anything:
-Fits 2 families of 4 with 4 car seats.
-Can fit all of the x-mas gifts from The extended family for an infant and toddler.
-Can tow
-Is likely the most comfortable car available
-Between a hitch cargo carrier and a roof rack, you can move a studio apartment in one trip.
-You can put a mattress in the back, set jack stands under the frame, put the ahc in low to rest the frame on the stands, and have a stable sleeping platform.

I recently saw a thread where someone said they gained 1mpg by going to an electric fan setup. That’s a 7% increase. That’s huge. Are you running premium gas? Stop that.

Many mods are unnecessary “masculine jewelry.” Odds are, if I am going somewhere that requires a winch, there are 30 guys with winches who have never gotten to seriously use theirs for a real reason. They would be pumped to tell their wife that they saved me, maybe then she would understand. Odds are a come-along or even me pulling with a block and tackle would do the job. An awning can easily run $700 to $1700+. A Costco instant 10x10 pop up canopy with walls is $230. You can strap it to the side of your 100 series or put it in grandmas backyard for the next family bbq. A roof top tent, what if the camp site you select has a tree canopy near the parking spot? There are modern instant up multi room tents that house 8 people and can be set up in 4 minutes. For the price of a tepui roof top tent, you can get a Cabela’s outfitter’s tent and a tent barrel stove.

(Trigger warning-actual faith in reliability) When researching 100 series, I kept hearing that they were engineered to run for 25 years with limited maintenance on a deserted island. My steering rack is leaking, the area around my cv’s look like a cave formation of grease stalactites, but it has no other symptoms. I am not on a deserted island, I am in an area that aliens would definitely attack first when they invade. Maybe my cv will last another 50k miles. If it does or doesn’t, it will cost the same to replace it before or after it stops. Odds are they will display more symptoms before it actually breaks. TheOnly difference will be that I will call AAA. AfterThat I will use Turo or Lyft For day to day transportation while I repair it. Many people on this forum have no faith in the reliability of their vehicle. They want a $70k vehicle rather than the best suburban/explorer ever built. People are willing to spend money to fix sounds that aren’t even problems because they are self conscious about it.

 

[MongooseGA]

So...


Who wants to play a numbers game? Anyone added everything up? What's the number your wife sees vs the secret spreadsheet figure?

Just curious.

 

[ga12r1]

So...


Who wants to play a numbers game? Anyone added everything up? What's the number your wife sees vs the secret spreadsheet figure?

Just curious.

My wife tells me she doesn’t want to know. She knows better. Thank goodness!

 

[MongooseGA]

My wife tells me she doesn’t want to know. She knows better. Thank goodness!

Nice! From my brief time meeting you both, I could tell you got a good one.

Maybe a more interesting query for others: what's the delta only between everyone's wife-known-figure and actual number?

 

[cmck]

My wife tells me she doesn’t want to know. She knows better. Thank goodness!

3 words, “no car payments”! Also don’t add up “spouse dollars” or “cruiser dollars” they are both “loves”.

 

[thebeedeegee]

My 99 so far has cost me about $200 in a year of ownership (just rolled 180k miles, purchased at 175k). Heater Tees, new (to me) air box resonator , a couple new lug nuts and wheel studs. I still need to replace the diff bushings (she clunks) but I'm trying to figure out if I can do that without a press.

Also need to check the AHC pressures and adjust torsion bars to level out the driver side sag. So that's not expensive. The PO had the AHC flushed before I bought it as well as new front pads and radiator. If the AHC fails I'll rip it out and put in conventional suspension. I do my own work, but don't really want to go too crazy base lining every little thing. There is a fine line between preventive maintenance and "if it ain't broke don't fix it" At least on my budget.

The list of what I'd like to do now would probably cost me $300 to $500 (rear brakes, CV reboot, diff bushings, diff fluid change, wheel bearings. She runs fine now though so I've been hesitant to mess with it. Basically, less than 1 months car payment on a new truck.

The thing that scares me is that brake booster failing.....but even then , and even if you paid for a brand new system. If that's all you had to repair that year you're at like what $3500? For us working fools that's like 4 to 5 car payments on a new car.

I had been looking at new Tacomas, but really didn't want (and couldn't really afford) the payment for the model I wanted. I researched and came across the Land cruiser. I found an LX in good shape and borrowed off my 401k to get it. So instead of paying the bank interest I'm paying myself interest and I have the title.

If I can get another 100k out of the LX without spending $3k/year to keep it running I will be satisfied. This truck was purchased because I needed a vehicle I could carry the kids in if needed, and tow, and be my hunting/family camping vehicle. So far it has been perfect for that, and IMO is way cooler than a new Tacoma or 4runner.

My DD is the first new car I ever bought at 18 years old, a 2006 colorado regular cab with a 5 speed, manual windows and door locks haha. Needless to say I hate car payments. I'll drive both of them until the wheels fall off. People tend to forget how much money you throw away on a new cars depreciation. That being said doing at least some of your own work plays a big part in the savings

 

[Joshuak172]

"terminal starter syndrome"

What do you mean by this?

 

[BullElk]

Here is yet another reason why 100 series cost of ownership is low and why they are the best in my world.

Two years ago I paid $3400 including shipping for my ‘99 LC. Just like last year, I will put 32k miles on it this year.

32k divided by 13 mpg is 2461 gallons @ $2.20/gal is $5414 per year in fuel. This year I probably put another $1800-2000 in it including new tires. (Very little cost)

32k miles X .56/mile is $17900 that comes right off the top of taxable income.

For the second year now I have paid for my LC several times in tax savings. Not to mention, I could probably get $3000-4000 if I sold it.
Over the last many years, I have basically been driving each LC/LX I’ve owned for little to nothing in costs.

Of course most of that savings is due to mine being a company vehicle but in general, LC/LX ownership is super cost effective to own. No doubt about it.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Here is yet another reason why 100 series cost of ownership is low and why they Aretha best in my world.

Two years ago I paid $3400 including shipping for my ‘99 LC. Just like last year, I will put 32k miles on it this year.

32k divided by 13 mpg is 2461 gallons @ $2.20/gal is $5414 per year in fuel. This year I probably put another $1800-2000 in it including new tires. (Very little cost)

32k miles X .56/mile is $17900 that comes right off the top of taxable income.

For the second year now I have paid for my LC several times in tax savings. Not to mention, I could probably get $3000-4000 if I sold it.
Over the last many years, I have basically been driving each LC/LX I’ve owned for little to nothing in costs.

Of course most of that savings is due to mine being a company vehicle but in general, LC/LX ownership is super cost effective to own. No doubt about it.

Your cost of ownership doesn't have anything to do woth the 100 series! Your company can buy a new Ram 2500 with Cummins diesel and write it off the first year. Imagine the tax savings then! As it stands you drive an old car and pay a lot for the gas!

 

[MongooseGA]

Your cost of ownership doesn't have anything to do woth the 100 series! Your company can buy a new Ram 2500 with Cummins diesel and write it off the first year. Imagine the tax savings then! As it stands you drive an old car and pay a lot for the gas!

Mods Repairs are also deductible.

 

[BullElk]

Your cost of ownership doesn't have anything to do woth the 100 series! Your company can buy a new Ram 2500 with Cummins diesel and write it off the first year. Imagine the tax savings then! As it stands you drive an old car and pay a lot for the gas!

Incorrect. Although I may could write off the entire purchase price of a $40k Ram 2500, I would still have $40k coming out of my pocket then my tax savings will only be $40k X 25ish% tax bracket which is $10k

So I would have a net cost of $30k for the Ram and then NOT be able to write off the huge mileage advantage. I would only be able to deduct expenses. And the chances are great there would be lots of Ram expenses (cost of ownership).

That is a totally different and much more net expensive scenario you are suggesting.

Don’t forget that you have to “pay” $40k to save $10k.

 

[thebeedeegee]

Don’t forget that you have to “pay” $40k to save $10k.

Also, where can you get a 2500 for $40k? Most tacomas I looked at were damn near that

 

[BullElk]

Also, where can you get a 2500 for $40k? Most tacomas I looked at were damn near that

I actually have no idea what a Ram truck costs. That was just a guess

 

[ranma21]

Same here, write off part of our 11 570 purchase and fuel cost every year with business as well. Debating between a GS350 and 570 as I have other cruisers already, 570 wins as can’t write off tax on the GS.

 

[BullElk]

I have gone both ways on business vehicle scenarios... 1. Writing off purchase price and expenses OR 2. writing off mileage fee. The mileage works out far better for me.

Not to bore, but to be more specific about my posts above.....

For 2019, the best I can gather and document from bank statements, Amazon and ebay, my maintenance costs including oil changes, parts, new tires and even upgrading to LEDs was about $996 total plus fuel at $5400 = $6396 out of pocket.

Mileage write off is $17,900 X .25ish% = $4475 (net savings back in pocket)

$6396 minus $4,475 = $1921 cost to drive my '99 LC 32K miles in 2019

CORRECTION: "For the second year now I have paid for my LC several times in tax savings." That is not an accurate statement I previously made. Instead, the tax savings each year has paid the purchase price of my LC for only two times now. However, the bottom line is that It actually does cost me to drive it each year.

 

[hickuptruck]

Trigger warning: my Lx470 has been one of the least reliable and most needy vehicles I have owned. 02 with 170k miles when I bought it 2 yrs ago. Put about 20k on it. 2013 Fiat 500 that I bought with 115k on it for gas savings, and have put almost 30k on since has been far far more reliable than my LX.

Yeah sure there's the 25 year built to last saying (I don't believe a single word of it). Well at 150-200k or so, most of the rig has to be overhauled except for the trans and engine. Yes these are incredibly well built vehicles, amongst some of the best but....

Master cylinder failure ($2500) - I don't know who and how people are saying 100 series aren't expensive when they haven't had this failure

CV's - $400+ each, yeah others reboot them

Timing belt - costly if you don't do your own labour

Every door lock actuator has failed and had to be replaced. Sure it's a cheap fix because of this forum and cheap eBay motors, but I can just imagine how expensive that would be if you didn't know. $200 per door x 5 plus labour

Steering rack - yeah these only last about 100-200k miles tops. Bushing is weak too.

That's tip of the iceberg of repairs I've needed to do. Every bit has to be OEM in the 100 series. Getting aftermarket really you will do the labour twice.

100 series are expensive. The newest ones are 12 years old and no matter how clean the ppi might show, you'd never find one 100% sorted because those that are, the owner is keeping it for many many years to come.