Wanted - Toyota 4x4 for recent college grad under $10k (don't laugh too hard)

[Fuge]

So my son's car is finally falling apart and he'll be in the market soon. He was hoping he could limp it along until he got his grown up job in a year or two but that plan didn't work. He has been wanting a 4x4 since he moved to Prescott 4 years ago but was being prudent which I applaud. His budget is small so this is a long shot here but looking for some help if anybody has a lead on a Toyota/Lexus 4x4 that runs well under $10k (probably closer to $6k but I could help him some for the right vehicle). He isn't picky as long as it's 4wd and works. I recommended to him any Toyota as you all know they age well. My 100 has 250k and running strong. Didn't see anything in Mud classifieds. Auto trader nothing. Marketplace has some sketchy looking ones, Craigistlist didn't see anything. Worse case he found an Exterra for $5k but I don't know much about them and I do Toyota. Thanks for the help.

 

[Fuge]

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So I found this one on FB Marketplace in Winslow. The guy sent me a vehicle report and agreed to let me take it to a mechanic. Minus the head gasket issues of the 3.0 on the 2nd gens, what else should I be looking for? He said there is no smoke in the exhaust and the oil is not milky so that's a good start. I'll check all the normal stuff and am going to have the mechanic to a compression check and check all the normal stuff too. He says the rear tailgate along with the rest of the truck are rust free. Don't really care about the cosmetic issues. He says AC works. I am thinking about doing a preemptive head gasket replacement since that seems to be the number one issue according to the forums besides being slow. Any idea what that should run me for someone else to do it? I did that once on a boat a long time ago and don't remember much about it other than I didn't want to do it again unless I had to. I had a 95 Surf (right side drive 4Runner) when I was stationed in Korea so somewhat familiar with how it will drive and pretty excited for him if this is a good truck. Not seeing any 3rd gens in his price range that don't have over 300K. It just needs to last a couple years and I will probably buy it from him when he is done.

 

[TheGrrrrr]

I think I might be channeling my dad, but I think he would say "Toyota? If it has oil pressure, shifts through all the gears, maintains temp, the frame isn't rusted to hell and the interior doesn't smell... and you can pay cash... its a great buy". More than that wasn't much of a possibility when I was a kid, so that always kinda stuck.

 

[msahr]

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So I found this one on FB Marketplace in Winslow. The guy sent me a vehicle report and agreed to let me take it to a mechanic. Minus the head gasket issues of the 3.0 on the 2nd gens, what else should I be looking for? He said there is no smoke in the exhaust and the oil is not milky so that's a good start. I'll check all the normal stuff and am going to have the mechanic to a compression check and check all the normal stuff too. He says the rear tailgate along with the rest of the truck are rust free. Don't really care about the cosmetic issues. He says AC works. I am thinking about doing a preemptive head gasket replacement since that seems to be the number one issue according to the forums besides being slow. Any idea what that should run me for someone else to do it? I did that once on a boat a long time ago and don't remember much about it other than I didn't want to do it again unless I had to. I had a 95 Surf (right side drive 4Runner) when I was stationed in Korea so somewhat familiar with how it will drive and pretty excited for him if this is a good truck. Not seeing any 3rd gens in his price range that don't have over 300K. It just needs to last a couple years and I will probably buy it from him when he is done.

Run a Carfax on the VIN and see if it's ever been to a Toyota dealer for the head gasket. There was a program (not a recall) to replace the head gaskets a while ago. You could possibly talk a Toyota service advisor to check the VIN in the Toyota system internally, too. Not everything like this is reported to Carfax. I saw the ad and it looks decent, $5500 is a pretty good price.

 

[Fuge]

Run a Carfax on the VIN and see if it's ever been to a Toyota dealer for the head gasket. There was a program (not a recall) to replace the head gaskets a while ago. You could possibly talk a Toyota service advisor to check the VIN in the Toyota system internally, too. Not everything like this is reported to Carfax. I saw the ad and it looks decent, $5500 is a pretty good price.

It’s on the short list. We have a plan to go look at it Monday unless we find something in the valley before then. I wish I could find a 3rd gen 4Runner or Tacoma but those are more expensive without a lot of miles. Is over 250k or 300k and ridiculous amount of miles to consider for 3rd gen. My 99 100 has 250k and not even remotely worried about it but don’t know enough about 4Runners and Tacomas to make that assessment.

 

[peacesells63]

Personally, I would not pay even half that for a well sorted (head gaskets done correctly) 3.0 powered truck. The 3.0 motto is “the power of a 4 cylinder and the gas mileage of a v8”. Still better than any non Toyota motor of the era, but not great.

You can find a 3rd or 4th gen 4runner with the much better 3.4 or 4.0 for that price - just have cash on hand and be ready to go get it as soon as the ad is posted. Anything that is a decent deal will be gone within 24 hours. Generally it is a big red flag if something has been for sale for 5 months and is still available.

I am in the same boat now trying to find a tundra for my brother. It’s crazy the prices people are willing to pay for a truck that needs 10k worth of maintenance/repairs. I can only assume it’s because people believe that just because it’s a Toyota, it will last forever.

Currently the best value in 4wd Toyotas are 4th gen 4runners. I see them in the 5-7k range frequently, and they are really good trucks (especially with the 4.7). Next would be 3rd gen 4runners. In pickups, 1st gen tundras with the 4.7 are the best value. Tacomas are all extremely overpriced, even 2wd.

 

[peacesells63]

Is over 250k or 300k and ridiculous amount of miles to consider for 3rd gen.

No, not as long as it has been maintained. I have seen many over 400k that were still solid. They are light duty compared to a land cruiser, but if they were not used as an offroad vehicle they last a long time. I would look at the 4th gen 4runners if I were you, they have much beefier front end parts and the best drivetrain ever put in a 4runner, plus the awd is the best in winter weather. We sold my wife's 04 v8 4runner with 285k on it for $9k a few years ago. That was lifted on 33's with sliders, a big brake kit, and a bunch of nice accesories. We owned it for 9 years and never once did it have an issue. An engineer I work with bought it from us, he has been using it to pull a horse trailer for the last 20k miles and has continued being flawless. They are the same chassis as the fj cruiser, gx470 and prado 120 series. They also use the same front end parts as the 5th gen 4runner, so you can find free or cheap takeoff parts.

 

[peacesells63]

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[HokieCruiser]

Tacomas are all extremely overpriced, even 2wd.

I've been watching the market on these Taco's and it is INSANE. You have to drop almost $20K for a good condition 22RE Taco with a 5spd. Its NUTS.

 

[sdnative]

what about a 4runner? Not local though.

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Good, 1999 Toyota 4Runner, SR5 4WD 4dr SUV, 3.4L V6 , Automatic 4-Speed, is one of the best SUVs in the market. Looks great inside and outside, provides convenient driving and a great multi use vehicle. Some of the features are: Cruise control, power steering, power window, power door, moonroof...

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[DSRTRDR]

Run a Carfax on the VIN and see if it's ever been to a Toyota dealer for the head gasket. There was a program (not a recall) to replace the head gaskets a while ago. You could possibly talk a Toyota service advisor to check the VIN in the Toyota system internally, too. Not everything like this is reported to Carfax. I saw the ad and it looks decent, $5500 is a pretty good price.

you can check any VIN in the Toyota and Lexus systems if you create an account and claim that VIN as owner, temporarily - you can delete the vehicle once you have the info on the service history, as available in the system

 

[Fuge]

So after more research we are going stay away from gen 1 and 2 4Runner. I’d like gen 3 and gen 4 is an option. 4.7 Tundra is too. Tacoma but those are hard to find cheap. Don’t tell anyone but a Nissan Frontier, Xterra or Pathfinder might be options too just based on price and availability. Lexus GX is a contender too. LX gas mileage is too bad. I know from experience. Mitsubishi Montero is a maybe. But 3rd gen 4Runner specifically 96-98 if I had my way.

 

[Fuge]

Update: Thanks for the help everyone. I really appreciate it. My son found a car. Unfortunately it wasn't a Toyota but he found a really good car. He got a 2000 Mitsubishi Montego Sport Limited with 192k on it. He bought it from a mechanic with extensive maintenance records and all the big work recently done. His budget ended up being more like $5k than $10k which really limits the Toyota options. If you have the tools, time and know how you could get a pretty good steal on a 300k 3rd or 4th gen 4Runner but most in that price range weren't great. However if you are looking for one and have $10k you can find some pretty good 3rd or 4th gen 4Runners or even a few LCs. Tacos will be a bit more from what I found.