100 Series are Expensive - Discuss!

[LXJake93]

Much like the rest of you, I upkeep a Google Drive spreadsheet to track ownership costs on my '99 LX. After discovering this thread I checked the log and realized I've still not hit $10k - including purchase price! TB/WP was the only needed maintenance service about 20k miles ago, everything else (brakes, greasing, oil/filters, plugs/coils etc. has been DIY'd. BUT it's gonna need a new steering rack and possibly some new rotors all around in the very VERY near future. Still won't quite be at $10k after that's all said and done though

 

[Shortpencils]

... I've still not hit $10k...

You're not trying hard enough.

 

[thebeedeegee]

Much like the rest of you, I upkeep a Google Drive spreadsheet to track ownership costs on my '99 LX. After discovering this thread I checked the log and realized I've still not hit $10k - including purchase price! TB/WP was the only needed maintenance service about 20k miles ago, everything else (brakes, greasing, oil/filters, plugs/coils etc. has been DIY'd. BUT it's gonna need a new steering rack and possibly some new rotors all around in the very VERY near future. Still won't quite be at $10k after that's all said and done though

The DIY part is the key. Maintaining any car is expensive if you take it to the shop for everything.

Hell, I could spend $6k a year to maintain this thing and it wouldn't even equal what a new truck payment would be

 

[ramangain]

I will admit one solution to keeping maintenance costs low is to wedge it in a tight garage space and let it sit on a trickle charger.

Just sayin'

 

[Somebodyelse5]

I will admit one solution to keeping maintenance costs low is to wedge it in a tight garage space and let it sit on a trickle charger.

Just sayin'

Or just not having one….

 

[Loaferoatan]

Paid $15,000 for my 2001 105 with 160k miles. It is in pristine condition. So far I've had the bumpers painted, installed some Rigid fog lights, painted the wheels, snorkel and some other minor stuff. Right now I'm having an Ironman Stage One Foam 2inch lift installed and an Ironman Hybrid roof rack on the way. New Goodyear 285/75 16s next week and some Kut Snake fender flares on the way. I could have left it the way I bought it and had a great 105, but with the customization it's gonna be a kick ass over lander the way I like it. I expect to spend about $30k before I'm done. Bumpers, winch, tent, awning, storage, and other overland stuff coming. Before and after (so far) pics attached.... Only issue is that my wife is calling it "her car" now.

 

[OwnerCS]

I do a lot of preemptive maintenance during a given upgrade sprint. This occurs on used vehicles that I've purchased with 150,000 to 200,000 miles. The 100 series was at the high end of mileage at 235,000 when I bought it. Success has come so far by inspecting parts and looking for wear items that, while still working, may cause trouble within a given maintenance cycle.

I started this over 11 years ago with used vehicles for my kids. I wanted to give the vehicle a mid-life refresh that would set it on a course for 5 years of trouble-free operation. It is like maintaining a piece of equipment with an expected life/maintenance cycle. While the expectation was initially 5 years, I have vehicles that have been running with minimal unexpected maintenance items for 10 years. The vehicles are all over 20 years old at this point. I spend a lot on the initial refresh and do most of my own maintenance. The reward from trouble-free operation and years of service over that initial cost keeps the total cost of ownership very low over a now 10-year run.

 

[unleashd]

IMO, anyone that has an objection/aversion to one or more of the following
- MPG being less than 20
- Mileage cannot be more than 100K
- OMG, there is surface rust or a headlight is burnt out
- I don't want/know how to use a 10mm socket
etc.
should not be buying a used car that is more than 2 years old.

Owning any vehicle that is past the factory warranty requires some level of DIY skills in order to keep the overall ownership cost low. The last new car that I bought was a 2003 Honda Odyssey that gave me absolute joy for the 10 years that I drove it. I realized within a year after buying that vehicle that I would never buy another new car and that I need to start learning to wrench on my own. About 7 years ago, I went a different direction and bought me a Diesel truck that was 15 years old. I learnt to fix things on it, but it was just a bit too much for me at that time and I ended up spending a lot of $$ at the shop to keep it going. I sold it and got another diesel truck that had better maintenance records and a lot less problems. Lesson learnt from that first truck was to not feel intimidated and do my own maintenance.

FF to '21. I sold the diesel as my intended plans for the truck would not materialize and got this '01 LX. I bought it knowing very well (1) most of the problems that it had, (2) what it needed to be baselined, and (3) a proper build plan to suit my needs. With my prior vehicle builds & maintenance, I did things pretty haphazardly and kept sketchy records of what I spent on them as the $$ numbers would be pretty daunting and worrying. This time around, I started with a fairly low cost vehicle, but the numbers are adding up as I see in my spreadsheet. But with an appropriate budget in mind and a build plan in place for its intended purpose, I feel much more confident. The $$ may feel excessive for some. But the benefits of buying the right parts and installing them yourself are far greater!!

JMHO. YMMV.

 

[TriumphToys]

Welcome Toyota / Offroad financial hell. Hope you enjoy your stay!

100s aren't awful, it seems like parts last 100-200k and replacing all of the wearable items can add up, like any vehicle.

My advice to anyone wanting to "build" a vehicle.... buy a nice one that's already built and save thousands. In the end, only the person spending the money can determine if a good value was purchased. I'm established and drive the cars I like (LX and 2005 4runner), but don't spend wildly more than I would if I had 2 Honda civics (minus fuel).

"You can check out any time You Like, But You Can't Ever Leave!" We spent more than 10x what the OP did for an '02. I Still swear it was worth every penny, as damn near Everything on the vehicle is Like New...heck even my A/C recharge guy was slobbering all over it, drooling and asking if I'd "RESTORED" It? Then he saw the miles & I thought he was gonna have a coronary? I know how I'm going, from now on. Bolt-on's & upgrades are nice but the CORE VEHICLE needs to have perfect records, garage kept & driven Rarely, preferably NOT on salty roads. Aside a possible starter, everything is performing flawlessly (knock on wood) & I can't bring myself to just start swapping out perfectly performing parts, whether PS Pump, Alt., Starter, etc.? I'm BUYING them, OEM as I see good deals just b/c it makes sense, they WILL be needed & walking over pulling off a shelf is much more emotionally rewarding than waiting in line, or doing the 'rock auto' scene then furnishing transport for the days until 'it' arrives?. Our 3 "Biggie" purchases have been roof rack basket, rr swing out spare & jerry cans bracket towing bumper & front winch bumper. Swapping off road LEDS/HID'S off another truck being canibalized that was a rust bucket from VT (Not a Yota). The whole 'package' of front/rr/top were acquired fm a guy looking to sell on other coast, now doing the 'raptor liner' update so they look as new as the rest of the truck. PPL pay 6K+ for these 3 bolt ons....I'm cheap, pd less than $2.3k for the whole package (Not including a winch). Don't really have any desire to set a daily driver up for Serious rock crawling or months off road, as I don't see that in our future. I Do Like the additional protection for her driving, front & rr. If I get 100-200k out of parts, I'll be thrilled, that's So Much Better than most other maker's comparable models? (Nissan, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Audi, Volvo, Infiniti, Mazda, Dodge, etc.)

 

[yj668]

OEM parts for a Japanese made hundy with Japanese parts are a lot cheaper than an America made Sienna running Mexico, Canada, US/NA parts that can only be sourced from local stealerships, not Partsouq or Impex.

I’d argue that a hundy costs less to maintain than my 2nd gen Sienna. And boy, the Sienna eats tires with the uneven wear with grandpa style driving, needs frequent alignments while the hundy does not.

All things considered, I’d say 100 R&R costs are on the fair side of things.

 

[NE Snowman]

I currently have a 05 V8 4Runner(230k) and loved it since I got it. Wife liked mine so much I got her an 08 V8 Runner(180k). Both of us constantly get complements on how nice both are, then we tell them the age and mileage and their expressions are great.

Both 4Runners got about 1-2k to baseline after purchase, most done by a friend with a shop (I was time limited). Replaced Xreas on mine about 2 years later. I got 10k in mine purchase/parts/some labor. Hers is about 12k total, my mk4 Jetta/mk5 GLI set me back more and we’re worth less in the same amount of time. Plus I couldn’t drive through blizzards

Now I’ve been looking to replace it with an 100 LC/LX for more room… well I test drove one and it blew me away how much ‘nicer’ they actually are. Even after some of the worse case posts about being $$$ I believe you get what you pay for and will continue my hunt for a Hundy!

P.S. I don’t believe Dodge/Chevy/Ford are even close to the quality or reliability vs Toyota. I have an uncle that has put 3 engines in a 2500 and another 2 in a different 2500, both under 130K…. They also love their new jeeps that are always getting fixed .

And yes we have to replace rubber parts, hoses, cv boots, etc, it’s just amazing seeing how long some of you mudders are taking these rigs, and with regular (not OCD) maintenance.

 

[trdcorolla]

I currently have a 05 V8 4Runner(230k) and loved it since I got it. Wife liked mine so much I got her an 08 V8 Runner(180k). Both of us constantly get complements on how nice both are, then we tell them the age and mileage and their expressions are great.

Both 4Runners got about 1-2k to baseline after purchase, most done by a friend with a shop (I was time limited). Replaced Xreas on mine about 2 years later. I got 10k in mine purchase/parts/some labor. Hers is about 12k total, my mk4 Jetta/mk5 GLI set me back more and we’re worth less in the same amount of time. Plus I couldn’t drive through blizzards

Now I’ve been looking to replace it with an 100 LC/LX for more room… well I test drove one and it blew me away how much ‘nicer’ they actually are. Even after some of the worse case posts about being $$$ I believe you get what you pay for and will continue my hunt for a Hundy!

P.S. I don’t believe Dodge/Chevy/Ford are even close to the quality or reliability vs Toyota. I have an uncle that has put 3 engines in a 2500 and another 2 in a different 2500, both under 130K…. They also love their new jeeps that are always getting fixed .

And yes we have to replace rubber parts, hoses, cv boots, etc, it’s just amazing seeing how long some of you mudders are taking these rigs, and with regular (not OCD) maintenance.

Welcome to mud! I came from a 04 4Runner V8. That was a rocket compared to my 01 LX. The paint on the 4Runner was trash, my LX still looks brand new and my 4Runner fender flares and roof were badly faded.

 

[jLB]

Welcome to mud! I came from a 04 4Runner V8. That was a rocket compared to my 01 LX. The paint on the 4Runner was trash, my LX still looks brand new and my 4Runner fender flares and roof were badly faded.

Yep, I traded an 04 T4R V8 Limited 4WD (owned from new) for my son’s (used) 00 TLC. Probably the best used car deal that I’ve ever done (even trade). Coming from a 94 80 series, I never really “loved” the 4Runner. The 4Runner was more “car like”, but seemed to be built “just good enough” when compared to an “overbuilt” Land Cruiser. The cheap ass cracked dash was ridiculous.

 

[smileyboy]

LOL this thread title should say click bait