Thoughts on this 4Runner

Hello!
First time posting and I'm looking to buy a 4Runner and have come across this 1998 4Runner for $4,800 and wanted some input on the price and condition it is in.


Video Provided: https://youtu.be/DHwNNUKrYKo

I see the rust underneath and some of that bubbling is concerning to me, but hopefully someone on here has a better eye and opinion on the matter.

Any feedback helps. Thanks!

 

Welcome to the forum,

That would be too much rust for me in regards to the pictures posted.

I would pass on this one and continue searching.

 

Yeah that is what my gut feeling was too. To quote the dude. Bummer haha.

 

The Dude abides!

 

I've also stumbled upon this one too, but it seems like one of those pricing too good to be true things:

 

The price is good and looks good...it's worth looking at, it want last long if it's legit so act fast!!

 

It’s the upper rear shock mounts?

 

Rockers are gone here:



I would avoid this one.

 

Came across another one I see rust underneath. Not nearly as bad as the first one, but still doesn’t look great. Again priced very low. Thoughts?

 

Pass, the rust you see is only a little bit of the rust it has, these frames rust from the inside out so when you see rust at all the seams/joints there's a lot of rust on the inside you can't see!!

 

It looks as if someone decided to cover up some of the rust with fresh undercoating. I would pass.

 

Frame is in great shape.

I suspect it's priced low because the transmission is going out due to the strawberry milkshake issue afflicting this generation of 4Runners. That or the oil leak is severe (like needing to add a quart of oil a week). Nearly quarter-million miles.

 

Lol no, that's the oil leak described in the listing.

 

Yeah I talked to the guy and he just bought another car and doesn't need it anymore. He mentioned a mechanic said the valve cover gasket is where the leak is coming from.

I am also going to take a look at another one tomorrow. A '99 with 197K on it and stated only issues sunroof and rear window don't work and the rear bumper has some dents. He stated no rust underneath, but will confirm tomorrow ( ).

I appreciate the quick response and help from everyone so far! I can definitely say that is something you don't come across on most car forums.

 

So as this journey continues. I looked at the one mentioned above (1999 with 197K) this morning and took a couple of pictures. Definitely rust underneath and was poking around but didn't notice any particular weak spots. There was a hole from rust noted in the images on the body, but not the frame.

Guessing this is another one I should probably steer clear from? Might need to bite the bullet and increase the price range I'm looking at if I'm looking for longevity and durability for longer trips.

 

You need to take a few trips to NC. It's not that far and you will get seriously rust free cars.

Anyone north of VA who claims "rust free" is a lying sack of shit.

 

Yes the large hole in the rocker will only increase with time. Many of these 4Runners had standard running boards in lieu of mudflaps. Over the years the rocker and pinch weld areas are blasted by road spray.

If you're looking for reliability for longer trips, anything older than 10 years (i.e. 2013) will need a lot of maintenance and part replacement to be trustworthy. I bought my 2010 4Runner as a daily commuter and already threw $2000 in parts at it for reliability.

 

That makes total sense. I am going to look at one more that is up in PA. This car was apparently a southern car for most of its life so supposedly very minimal rust.

As for the reliability, I kind of saw that coming, but if these things could be reliable for 2-3 long trips a year and that is pretty much it I am all for it. Especially given the large jump in price for any 4Runner 2013+. They seem to start around !~$25k with 130+k miles on them.

 

That frame has been patched in several places, you can tell in the couple photos by the sloppy welding job done on the patch work!

 

nothing but trouble...how are the trailing arm brackets/tabs? I had one in a bit better shape from Wisconsin and it required constant attention. Look south....not north.

 

they say rust is actually much worse than what you can see. I'd pass.

 

So this past weekend I went to look at another 4Runner and seemed like it is in great condition. Minimal rust and took it for a test drive. Only concerns were around 70-80 the wheel shook a bit. Owner mentioned low tire pressure or potential alignment issue. Any thoughts? Also, seems like the interior is in immaculate condition. Almost too good to be true and I was wondering if they were covers or redone at some point.

 

It's missing the 4x4 badge on the back. Missing badges are often signs of repair work. Double check.

Otherwise the pics look super good. No rust to speak of.