Toyota Newb / should I buy??

Greetings! As my username suggests, I am brand new to Toyotas. I've seen them on the road, I've rode in a few but never owned one. I've always heard about the reliability and am hoping to experience it first hand. I'm looking forward to learning!

I do have an initial ask and am hoping for some insight. On Tuesday (in 2 days), I'm planning to buy an 04 SR5 2wd. I did a pre-purchase inspection that revealed some issues that need to be addressed but none of the issues seemed critical. The most pressing issue is finding out how many miles are on the engine. The current owner had mentioned the engine had previously been replaced but couldn't provide much information. During the inspection, it was found the vin tag on the engine is different than the vin on the vehicle. I did a vehicle history on the engine VIN and see it came out of an 03 4runner, which was in an accident and last reported had 122k. On the report, I found a number for a salvage yard that is somewhat local (I think they purchased the engine after the truck was wrecked) and will be calling them first thing in the morning. Both the current and previous owner said they never had any issues and I know the vehicle has been across the country (from NC to Oregon) and back, twice. Aside from contacting the salvage yard and trying to chase that lead, does anyone have any insight?

During the inspection there were 2 leaks from the engine and one from the transmission. 1 leak was coming from what seems to be between the engine and transmission (I'm thinking the rear main seal). The 2nd leak was coming out of the water pump - it seemed to be oil so I'm not quite sure how that works (is happening). The transmission leak was coming from the tail shaft of the transmission, where the driveshaft connects. - I'm not sure if these are indications of engine life but thought I'd at least mention them.

I'm not sure if my 'initial ask' is okay to have in my intro post or if it needs to go somewhere else. Please let me know and I'm happy to delete and move.

 

Welcome

If the price is not right, and your gut feeling is “iffy”, keep looking. You might find a 4Runner instead of a 2Runner for a better price, and a V8 as an added bonus

 

At a certain point, while the core design and construction may be solid when it rolled off the factory floor, it’s still a twenty-year-old vehicle and how it was treated in that time will be a bigger factor than Toyota’s quality. So anything can happen and it won’t necessarily be a Toyota issue.

It seems like a lot of issues if you’re looking for “Toyota reliability” even if it’s for a fire sale price so I don't think that’s the place to start if you’re not looking for a fixer-upper.

 

Welcome

 

Welcome

 

Welcome to the forum from North Carolina.

What is the asking price for this 4Runner you are looking at?

 

welcome

 

Welcome from Arizona!

 

Welcome to the forum!

I'd recommend to keep looking for one that's not been engine swapped and is currently leaking, especially if reliability is your main goal.
That Toyota reliability can leave the chat quickly if someone replaced the engine hastily. Plus, it sounds like we're not sure where that "new" engine came from.

You should be able to find one that is in better condition. Hopefully with 4WD.

 

Hard pass, keep looking, be patient, there’s one out there with your name on it! The V8 option, previously mentioned, is a very good idea that I would personally search for. Welcome to the forum!

 

I too suggest keep looking. Especially if this will not be a project vehicle you can tinker with as a hobby.
Also 4WD are always in strong demand that can only go up in value.
Its regulations forcing small turbo engines and zillon speed transmissions to be marketed. Not reliability or drivability.

 

Checking back this morning to see a LOT of responses. Apparently, I've not been signed up to receive notifications when people responded. : ( ... I'll have to figure that out.

Thanks for the welcome and responses from everyone! There's more to the story than just looking to get a 4Runner. I've been in a situation where my daily driver was going downhill fast and this opportunity came up. I did some more digging and found the online auction site where the wrecked vehicle was selling with accurate miles. I also spoke with the salvage yard that received the engine, they confirmed the mileage (which matched the auction site) and let me know the engine tested good. Between that information and speaking with the current owner and the owner they bought the vehicle from (yes, I tracked it back that far), I decided to pull the trigger. While I didn't get a steal of a deal, I feel like I got a fair price. The intent is to hold on to this long enough to get my truck back up and running and I'll sell the 4Runner. However, 24 hours in and I'm really happy with it so my plans may change. We'll see....

Do people refer to 4Runners as trucks? Or SUV? Saying '4Runner' or 'SUV' is a lot of syllables. Just curious.

 

Hope it works out well for you, Newb. Congrats on your purchase.

 

1st leak is a timing cover oil leak. Pretty much every 4th gen V6 has it to varying degree. You can ignore it if the leak isn't severe to the point of lowering the oil level on the dipstick between oil changes.

2nd leak is just the driveshaft seal on the end of the transmission. Relatively cheap and easy to replace that seal.

 

Welcome from Wisconsin! Initially I was going to say keep on looking, but since you bought it lets concentrate on the fix. The leaks your experiencing are not serious. Like the above post stated, they are simple leaks to fix.. Send us a picture! Thanx.

 

I've seen both often enough, I even use "car" to refer to mine sometimes. (blasphemy!)

 

Thank you! I'll keep an eye on the dip stick and leave it alone unless it gets worse. I'm assuming if it does get back I just need to change the seal / gasket on the timing cover? - I don't know how the timing cover is 'sealed' nor how involved that job is.

Good to know on driveshaft seal! I'll do some searching to find how that's done.

There is also a leak from in between the engine and transmission - I'm assuming that's the rear main seal but I imagine I wouldn't know for sure until I started digging into it.

 

I mean ... it does have 4 wheels and drives on the road. lol

 

The gas station attendants call it a jeep.

 

Walk before you run away.

 

That's funny! Where do you find "gas station attendants".. anymore? Unless you mean cash register attendants? I remember them though!

 

I think there are a few states that gas station attendants are still a thing - like it's illegal to pump your own gas in certain places. The last time I was in NJ, this was the case.

 

Yes cash register attendants. "Which pump are you at, the one with the red jeep?"

 

When I started driving we had 'gas pump attendants', usually some of who we knew, gas in the area (rural small town Wisconsin) was about .60 cents, I would pull up to the pump, see my friend Stacy, and ask him for $3.75 worth! The response was priceless!

 

https://abc7ny.com/gas-station-gasoline-self-serve-new-jersey/11611389/
"I wouldn't know how to do it, and I don't think I'd want to do it," motorist Mary Ann Bacs said.
"I'd rather someone pump my gas for me, because I've lived in Jersey my whole life," motorist Justine Myack said. "I don't know how to pump gas."

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiZKKrsADwQ/

 

In New Jersey. When I went to Florida, I just walk in to the gas station store and announce I’m from NJ. Someone always laughs and comes out to help me. But in PA, I eventually figured it out.