2011 4R maybe buy? Erm. Ach. It sold

Morning folks,
Total noob here. Looking to buy a new to me 4Runner and have driven a fair few but not settled on one, mainly because pricing is bonkers. Saw on another thread here the recommendation for used to buy between 2014-2018 (as I too don’t need extra fancy gak presented in newer models).

Just this am saw a marketplace listing for a 2011 4Runner at a good price; don’t know levels of rust on undercarriage (a main concern given we live in the rust belt); ** UPDATE** vehicle sold. And. Not to me.
Any issues with this year -other than the rust question -? I think I know the answer to this, but putting feelers out there.
Cheerios

 

My 2011 has been flawless for 180K and counting. Other than replacing the normal consumables and regular servicing, I've had zero problems. I like the '11 because it has just the right amount of tech and none of the "nanny" stuff as the newer ones do. I really enjoy the Limited full time 4WD, and appreciate the leather and heated seats. Dual climate controls work great. I eliminated the XREAS system at around 150K when it started leaking. It's ridiculously expensive if you want to replace it. I went with an Old Man Emu suspension set up. My advice is to take your time, be super vigilant about frame rust, and find one that's set up close to how you want yours to end up. There's a lot of them out there that are fine specimens. Unfortunately the junk ones sell for almost as much as the good ones. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

 

Miles on the clock? Are there good service records? What has been repaired or replaced? As reliable as 4Rs may be vehicle that age could have a lot of things near or beyond the end of their useful lives.

 

Rust of course is a big concern, but the other one would be the level of maintenance that's been done on it. They're solid, but a 11 is now 13 years old. Depending on what's been done, you may have a bunch of old car deferred maintenance to catch up on. Diff and tcase fluids may need changing, and you may need to refresh steering and suspension components.

My friend spent a fortune on her 2012 in the 160k -170k range. I had to talk her down, she was so upset "I bought this because these were supposed to be reliable!", I explained that they're reliable in that they probably won't ever leave you stranded, but stuff wears out like any other vehicle.

I just hit 170k on my 13, I'm getting to that point now. I'm thinking I need to replace everything in the front end sooner than later. In the back of my mind I'm wondering if it makes more sense to just get rid of it.

 

Have a 2011.
Check frame and other things for rust.
Put a scanner to see if there are any pending codes.
Health of the engine will solely depend if prior oil changes and other maintenance has been done timely.
At that mileage you are looking to replace almost all suspension parts due to wear.Pads, rotors, all fluids, essential hoses, everything if not done recently.

A Toyota is reliable if it's maintained. And even then a 13 year old vehicle is a 13 year old vehicle. Parts degrade, hoses leak, electricals fail. It will ask for considerable time and money if a regular maintenance schedule has not been followed.

I am at a mileage where I am now looking at spending considerable funds to keep it in the shape I want. Just for an example, OEM lower control arms will run you close to USD600 in just parts.

 

Thanks for the help people. This really helps with perspective and not get too fazed by this glory of these beautiful vehicles. The 2011 has 238000 kms (Canuck here)

 

2010-2012 is the same engine all the way up to current model, with the exception of not having an additional air pump, which makes somethings a little easier-changing spark plugs, etc. One less thing to worry about breaking.