Prospective Buyer

So recently I bought my first house, and all of the sudden my 2019 Jetta just isn't cutting it for all my needs. I've been looking for a "beater" SUV and the 4th Gen 4Runner seems to be my top choice. Here are some of my questions/concerns I have and I'd like some opinions.

Keep in mind that budget it really being stressed here so a lot of the examples I'm considering are 2003-05 2wd models with ~200k miles. Luckily here in Houston, rust isn't so much of a concern (I grew up in the North). Also, I'm pretty handy at fixing maintenance items but by no means am I a mechanic.

I'm leaning V6 to avoid timing belt concerns (and more available options), but now the head gaskets have me concerned. Obviously I could try to budget more to get a 2006+ but I already have plenty of capital expenses with the house purchase. Does anyone have any clarity on if the HGs are really THAT bad or is it still a relatively unlikely problem? Obviously any purchase in the age/mileage bracket I'm in will be a bit of a wildcard and repairs will be expected over time. With that said, I just don't want to be stuck with major issues that I can't fix myself.

Any opinions are very welcome.

 

Patience is key, occasionally you can find newer models 05’ to 08’ reasonably priced, especially if it has high mileage.

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

With any high mileage vehicle, head gaskets will always be a concern if it hasn’t been replaced already. They don’t last forever and I wouldn’t be surprised at any engine needing a new one around 200k or over 10 years old.