Should I have a Toyota dealer inspect before buying?

Hey everyone!

I am new to the forum but I am hard on the lookout for a good 3rd gen. I found 1 or 2 in PA with "minimal" rust, but I am curious to know people's thoughts on asking the seller/dealer if I can bring it to a local Toyota shop to have an official Toyota mechanic look over the truck before I buy it.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Welcome from Austin!!

I’ve always been told when purchasing a used car, always hav the vehicle inspected (by someone of your choosing).

life would be no fun if you purchased said 4runner and, after driving off, you find a slew of issues.

These are Toyota’s, but neglect is neglect!! To ease your mind, there are many topics on what to watch for when purchasing a 3rd gen, so, I absolutely believe you should have the vehicle inspected!!

cheers!!

 

Thank you Mohoman! I just hope that the seller/dealer is ok with my brining it to a Toyota shop for inspection.

 

by all means, bring someone..if it puts your mind at ease. However, you can educate yourself via this forum..main warning flag that plagues many 3rd gen 4runners, is rust, rust, and rust. in and around the frame...plus look at bottom of fenders, etc...also focus on engine area, is it clean ? excessively oily ? tires ? interior ? good luck with the potential purchase

 

Absolutely my dude! This link should provide you with everything you should be looking for in the 3rd gen.

 

I would definitely have a trusted mechanic-not necessarily a dealer shop-look it over if you're not comfortable checking in yourself.

 

Thanks everyone this is super helpful! When I saw it last weekend I took some pictures (attached) and I just looked at them again and I think the rust is too much for me. I may start looking further south.

Any opinions on how bad this rust looks in the pics?

 

That actually doesn’t seem too bad for a 3rd gen in the rust but but, stick with your intuition.

As the search for affordable near mint 3rd gens wanes, being patient will hopefully pay off!! I buy and sell 4runners pretty regularly (my wife hates it). What I find is, I’ll search and purchase, within a week or two, a better one becomes available.

Remember, purchasing vehicles is a serious task for most Americans, take your time and you’ll find the right one.

Ps: I lived in NC for about 5 years and you may want to start there. Although the roads sometimes get salted, it’s not an actual part of some city budgets. Food for thought

Cheers!

 

That is awesome advice thank you! I actually just inquired about a 2WD limited in NC, so let's see.

You know, I did actually see 4 different 4Runners last weekend up around my neck of the woods, and the one in the pics above was the best one for rust (and also felt the best to drive).

I may take this one to a dealer and see what they tell me about the rust (and everything else) - I guess that way I will know for sure.

 

By the way, are there any other specific differences between the 2WD and the 4WD, other than the obvious drivetrain differences? I think weight is one, but anything else that is not so obvious? Like maintenance differences, etc.?