Opinions Wanted: Should I buy this 4Runner

Yo guys! New member here and looking for some expert opinions on picking up an 02 4Runner.

Posting is here: As you can see this thing looks pretty damn clean. It has everything I want, 02 model year, black, 4x4, toytec lift, etc.

Most everything on it seems on the up and up, but I have a few concerns:

1) Recently replaced evap system. Not sure why'd you do this or what other issues might be surrounding it.

2) Seller says the MPGs dropped and is suggesting it needs a new injector. I think it threw a code on him (right bank lean?), but he said his mechanic was able to clear it and told him to just take it easy on the throttle and it'd be okay. He also mentioned he had the compression tested as well as a "smoke" test for any leaks and it passed with flying colors.

3) Transfer to California. Given the above potential SMOG issues I'm worried about transfer of title to CA. He's working on getting is smogged though so if that passes I think it'd be okay, but not 100% sure.

4) Rust. Car was in Virginia and North Carolina. Not sure of they even get enough snow to salt the roads, but in one of the pics I can see some rust. I'll check this out in person before pulling the trigger, but figured I'd throw it on the list while I'm here!​

Last note, I've read the buyers guide on the forum and have a running list of things to check for: Rust and strawberry milk shake being the two primary check points, but if ya'll have any specific things you'd check out on this 4runner specifically please let me know!

 

Nope.

 

Quick and dirty, thanks beedee!

 

Price seems high. I am not even close to a mechanic (although I am learning some things) but "take it easy on the throttle" does not sound right.

 

Without detailed photos of the frame, there's no way to tell if it has rust issues. That's almost all that matters.

 

While the third gen is my favorite gen, I would pass on this. Plenty of 3rd gens without the engine issues listed on this one. Need pictures of the frame, depends on how long it actually spent in NC for rust issues.

 

Thanks for the quick feedback guys. I let the seller know this wasn't going to be the right car for me. Search continues!

 

I would have bought it.

If you have good compression, everything else is easy to fix.

Evap systems start leaking after 20 years. That is not surprising for him to replace and actually is a huge positive.

NC\VA cars are all clean and solid underneath. It's just going to have surface rust at most. Maybe a northern VA car gets a bit more salt.

The lean issue might be a bad AF or MAF sensor. Again, this is common after this length of time.

 

All totally fair points. There’s a good chance it would’ve all worked out and been fine, but at the end of the day it was looking like a $10k + state transfer fees + major service + injectors at a bare minimum. I decided it wasn’t the right rig for me at an estimated $12k+ investment and somewhat unknown future maintenance needs.