Buying a 2010 4 runner sr5

Hi all, new to the group. I am from England and moved to PA a year ago, i had s cheap chevvy colorado and was looking for something more comfortable but still had towing capacity and trunk space. I dont think I have read a bad review about 4 runners.

So the 4 Runner i am buying has 189k miles so this was a hard decision as it also had 0 service history on the car fax which made me concerned to buy but i also know not all service centers report to carfax and i'd bet on a lot of 4 runner owners doing there own service.

However the car is in good condition and the underside of it looked good as i know these can have rust. I think I am getting a good deal as i used the fact it had no service history to negotiate.

That said what do people recommend i have done/have inspected to keep it going. So i have read some places that the timing chain should be inspected at certain intervals???

Thanks for having me

 

Always tricky to buy a car with no service history. If you are really interested in buying this, I suggest getting a complete Pre Purchase inspection done from an independent garage just to rule out nasty surprises later.

Also, be prepared to spend money on replacing parts due to age and mileage.

At that age, the suspension would be on its way out. The timing chain normally lasts the life of the car. All fluids should have been regularly changed including coolant, AT , drive shafts and TC. Radiator health.
Most importantly, the oil should have been changed regularly and should not be a sludge. If it has 4x4, make sure it engages properly. Turn on every switch including the AC/heater to ensure everything works.

 

Welcome from Wisconsin! Lc has a great list, I would add: make sure the heater/AC work and can be switched from defrost to the other positions on the switch. Wipers.

 

Welcome from Arizona!

 

welcome

 

Buying from a dealer or a private party?

 

The engine has no known issues. Being a 2010 it also avoids the Achilles heel of a secondary air injection system.

Look for rust. Broken fuel tank strap is common (tank resting on skid plate). Rusted out frame crossmember under the radiator is common, because it's covered in foam. Rusted out tow hitch crossmember is common. The spare tire and wheel if original would probably need to be junked. The neutral safety switch can go bad. Check all the PRNDS positions display correctly in the gauge cluster. Make sure 4low works. Make sure tailgate window rolls down.

For maintenance replace all the fluids (transmission, transfer case, front & rear diffs, coolant, power steering, brakes). Check fan clutch rotates smoothly. Replace fan belt, radiator hoses and all idler pulleys. Replace spark plugs and PCB valve.

 

welcome

 

Buying from a toyota dealer, they wanted close to 14 but I waited and now they're willing to sell for 12.

 

After working for a Honda stealership for 7 yrs., I shy away from any dealership like the plague. I do all my own maintenance and will never let them breathe on my rig for any service, free or otherwise. If there’re dropping their drawers for 2K right out of the gate that means there’s a lot of fat on the hog (profit margins) so they are motivated to sell it. You could hem & haw around for awhile for another 2K reduction or look for a similar private party vehicle in Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, Car Gurus, Truck Trader, newspaper, etc. I’d go private party, but that’s just me. Welcome to the forum!

 

12k USD? Damn some 3rd gens go for that price.

 

Welcome