Potential first time owner. NEED advice. Total newbie. 2006 4wd 4runner. PPI attached below

Hey I've been wanting a used 4runner for a while. Never bought a used car in general. Not mechanic savy at all but this process is teaching me a little. Wanted a SUV that lasts a long time and i always thought 4runners were pretty cool in general. Want some feedback on a 4 runner i found

Came across a 2006 4wd 4runner V6 with 170k
12k price tag.
1 owner.
carfax says no accidents (doubt. probably a minor one in the back).
it lived most of it's life in south carolina and texas.

I had a mechanic run a pre purchase inspection on it and they gave me a detailed report. Since i have little experience with mechanics let alone 4th gen 4runners, I can't make out how good news/bad news the report was. Doesn't seem bad, doesn't seem great either. I have attached the PPI report to this post if anyone wants to look at it and give me some general feedback on what they think the state of the car is.

If you have even more time on your hands maybe answer some of these questions i have about my report after you look at it?

- Most urgent repairs?
- non urgent but needed repairs down the line?
- is that just surface rust in the engine bay? can you clean that? How bad is that? is there a service for that?
- most expensive possible repairs?
- estimated range of how much itll cost to keep this car basically running vs estimated range of how much itll cost in multiple repairs to get it in its best shape and make it last a long time? (besides regular oil change etc.)
- reports of some oil leaks and oil seepage. how bad is that? hard to say?
- why does the muffler look more rusted than the frame?
- report says they couldn't open cap of radiator or something. whats that mean?
- anything super concerning?
- how can i tell the difference between minor corrosion, major corrosion and just being dirty?
- says the boot is wet. whats a boot? is that bad?
- what do the OD II codes that popped up mean?
- transfer case is leaking which as i understand controls the transfer from 2wd to 4wd. if it's leaking can that be patched up or is that a sign that it's on it's last breath?
- how much do people usually spend on immediate repairs after buying one of these?

I know that's a lot. answer whatever you can. just trying to learn. i'm willing to put some money into repairs. i just need an idea of what im getting into. the dealer just got the car a couple days ago so im assuming some basic things will be fixed for state inspection before they sell it me. I also plan on negotiating the price down since 12k is already high for this car at these miles and it's in meh condition. Would love some help! thanks.

 

Just a few observations. Frame looks really clean and that’s a huge plus since rust is a known and pervasive issue with 4th Gens. But the instances of body rust are unusual and troubling, especially the hole. Been on this forum since 2014 and don’t recall seeing that before. Others may have, I don’t know. At a loss at what could have caused all that.

I didn’t see anything on the report about 4WD functionality. Make sure it works. People go years without using it and the actuators get gunked up and won’t work. Tough job to DIY and very expensive at a mechanic or dealer.

The dirty engine bay doesn’t scream “well cared for.” Battery issue could just be that it needs a new one but if that’s not it, electrical problems can be tough to identify. Leaks from engine, brakes, and diff (IIRC) - all causes for concern.

Boots are the rubber covers on various parts like axles, tie rods, etc. They have grease inside. Here’s a leaking one.



Tough call. I’d lean no if I had to make a call one way or the other. Kudos for getting such a comprehensive inspection before buying it.

 

You already got several answers here, including mine: https://www.4runners.com/threads/po...al-newbie-2006-4wd-4runner.35688/#post-529338

 

Hi, just wanted to see if you ended up buying this 4Runner. If not, mine (a 2007 SR5 with 4WD) is for sale at a similar price in much better condition. Message me for details or you can text me if its easier (704.989.4358).