4-Runner Reliability

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J

jeffreyprince

10 Year 15 Year
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Mar 30, 2006
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Guys, I've been in the market for a while and on these boards looking at 80-Series Land Cruisers, but I wanted to get some insight about 4-Runners from any owners (esp. if you have both a 4-runner and a Cruiser).

How have your experiences been with reliability? Maintenance and cost of ownership? I don't know much about the 4-runner engines.

I'm looking at some 98-01 models around Austin.
 
jeffreyprince said:
Guys, I've been in the market for a while and on these boards looking at 80-Series Land Cruisers, but I wanted to get some insight about 4-Runners from any owners (esp. if you have both a 4-runner and a Cruiser).

How have your experiences been with reliability? Maintenance and cost of ownership? I don't know much about the 4-runner engines.

I'm looking at some 98-01 models around Austin.
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That's the third gen 4Runner.

They run the 5VZ-FE v6 and the 3RZ-FE I4.

Both are awesome motors.
You can't go wrong either way.

Reliability is excellent.
It's a Toyota!!!
 
i second that,i've got 97 runner with 120K miles,still runs perfect,also have a 91 runner with 302k miles on it,its weak but still runs pretty good,its in storage now for my son turning 16 next year,i too am looking for an 80 series crusher for myself
 
I had two of those. Drove them cross country and back several times.

The ONLY things I ever did was some transmission sensor (needed a screwdriver to install) and a throttle position sensor.....also needed only a screwdriver, both were diagnosed using codes...

Hard to go wrong as long as it has been taken care of.

No worries.
 
A buddy of mins has a 1997 with a 4 cylinder and a 5 spd that he bought new off the lot.

He's got over 275,000 miles on it
Still runs as strong as the day he bought it, and to say he's beaten the s*** out of it is an understatement.
 
i personally think that the 4runner could be Toyota's #1 vehicle overall. The cruisers are nice, i like them alot too.....but the 4runners especially the 1st gen(84-~89) where great. A good driver could take a stock 4runner anywhere they wanted just like the 40 series. In fact i thought i read somewhere that the 4runner was invented to replace the 40 series here in america(not sure about that though).

The later 4runners i have very little knowledge on becaue i have never driven any. I expect them to be reliable just like all other toytas and will give you close to 300k miles withoutmuch fuss, just routine maintenece.

lunyou
 
I had a first gen 87 turbo 4R A/T(IFS) and now own a 94 FJ80 and added a supercharger. I liked both for different reasons. If you do off roading, the 80 is big, as in yuge. The 4R would go almost anywhere you could fit a jeep, the LC is a more capable in terms of traction (dual solid axles vs IFS front), but it is too big to be much more than a rock climber (IMO).

For towing and hauling, the LC wins hands down. I regularly tow/ed a tandem axle trailer with both, the 4R worked a LOT harder. The 4R turbo had more pep and go than my LC, but the supercharger seemed to have taken care of that.

Really, you can't go wrong with either one, and it really depends on what you are going to do with it. For offroad ability, I'd go 4R, for street, comfort and towing, the LC wins. During my overlap year with the two, I would grab the keys to the LC more often than the 4R. With all the NWOR toys to reinforce the front end (skid plate, control arm stress bar), the 4R was a stiffer chassis, but the ride has always gone to the LC.

HTH

Scott Justusson
'94 FZJ80 Supercharged
ex:
87 4Runner turbo A/T
 
I have a 98 4runner Limited... awesome, never had any problems, 138K miles. Put brakes on it 5K ago, flush and fill tranny, both diffs, radiator, etc. Drive it forever. V6 can get better than 25MPG if you're careful with it. I routinely get better than 20.
 
LukeZero said:
I have a 98 4runner Limited... awesome, never had any problems, 138K miles. Put brakes on it 5K ago, flush and fill tranny, both diffs, radiator, etc. Drive it forever. V6 can get better than 25MPG if you're careful with it. I routinely get better than 20.
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iv been looking for a 1st gen for a while (just need to sell the jetta so i can have cash in hand) im looking @ a 4cyl b/c of mileage but iv never seen anyone claim more than 22 even w/the 4banger

is your v6 2wd?? or are you just really good at keeping your right foot under control??

(any kinda computer chips/mods/ fuel upgrades anything like that at all done to it??) hell if i could get 18mpg out of a 6cyl id opt for that over the 4cyl any day!

(and while i have everyone elses attention as well) is the 3.0 found in the 1st and 2nd gens really all that bad?? iv heard it goes through headgaskets and that it gets the mileage of a v8 w/the power of a 4cyl, i drove a 95 3.0 once and it didnt seem to have any get up and go (i was comparing it to a honda passport 3.2 v6 which i LOVED! if i could find another one id love to have another one.... oh the things i took for granted in my youth.... all she needed was a water pump... :crybaby:)
 
The early V6's 88-89 were not under the head gasket recall like the later ones, but if you're not a mechanic you may not want one. They are underpowered, there's not a lot of mods for them because most prefer the 4 cylinder... They are torquier than the 4, and that can be fun! :D
 
I have had my 93 4 runner 3.0 slow they call it for over ten years, all I have done is keep the oil and fluids changed, minor brake stuff the usual maintnance and love it, almost 200,000 and still going, fast no, but I know if I have to go 4 low it will go any where. Lots of room for gear and family, no complaints.
 
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