What To look for Used 22 SR5P

Checking out and test driving a 22 SR5P tomorrow. This would be my first Toyota and want to know if there is anything specific to look for. It was a rental and has 40k miles on it, the price is great for my local market and it has a clean title/no damage reported.

Thanks for any help and advice!

 

Rust on the frame and undercarriage in general is paramount to look for. If a lot of rust, run. If no rust, try out the 4wd in all modes. Everything else would be the same you would look for on any used car purchase.

 

Besides rust nothing.

 

Yeah I'll be looking for rust. My BIL has an undercoating business and I'll be taking it to him asap for the full treatment.

 

A rental? Most people would tell you to run away just based off of that. However I have bought a couple past-rentals for my driving school, and they have been excellent vehicles with no more issues than the other non-rental cars in my fleet. So with that being said, check for the usual suspects. Fluid condition, look under the oil cap for varnish, rust, etc, Definitely either check the Carfax report or Toyota Service History (its free on the Toyota Owners site) for frequent service.

Theres folklore of people romping on rentals, redlining them constantly and such, but lets be honest - who is going to rent a 4Runner to abuse it like that? If I was going to abuse a rental car, I'd be renting a Charger, Mustang, etc etc....

 

Would you suggest to check;

- if 4WD engages? Some people never exercise 4WD on SR5/TRD ORP/ Pro and the diff actuator get stuck? Especially since its a rental.
- service records since rental companies try to do very minimum services?
- curb damages to wheel even though 17in has lot of rubber?
- any signs of abuse under body and ifs components including vibrations, out of align feel, etc ?
- moonroof leaks since they are always parked outside?

I bet more technical people will give a big list of things that's mostly needed to check in pre-purchase inspection.

 

I had 2 vehicles that had accident and did not show on Carfax even though I repair them under insurance. My 4Runner had major accident where I fight to total the car but in carfax it was reported minor when dealership listed to sell. (I had nothing to do with it since I did not accept the vehicle after repair since it didn't feel fit to be driven.).

 

Its meant to be a guide, but not gospel. People crash their vehicles all of the time and pay cash to have them repaired, it wont go on Carfax in most cases.

 

Not to be an ass but most of the stuff is basic checks. If you have to ask that on ANY used vehicle you should not go alone.

I assumed OP was asking about 4R specific issues.

I never keep service records. Never had an issue selling a vehicle. If someone doesn't want to buy it because I don't keep records then on to the next.

 

The rental related concerns are valid. It went into the fleet may 2022, so hopefully it's not too abused as I definitely would think a 3 row 4runner was more a people mover.

It has a 30 day return policy, so if I go with it I'll be taking it to my local Toyota for a complete look over.

 

Yes, I was looking for 4R specific issues.

I don't expect to be provided with any service records.

 

We bought a 2012 Sequoia that was a rental with 16k miles. Now at 180,000 miles, it’s been a great car with no issues. People on these forums like to tell scary stories. Look it over good like you would any other used car and go for it.

 

Buying a rental is like marrying a hooker. You never know what kind of hidden problems are lurking.....

Don't do it man.

 

Tbh, really goes for any used car. Sure, there are rare ones out there. Ive never found one.

 

True, but rental cars are generally ridden hard intentionally. Hell, when I was younger, I would rent them just to fuck them up on purpose. Like driving 60 MPH and then randomly yanking the e-brake or slamming it into drive.

It worries me because of all the bad shit that "I" did to rentals. I'm worried about karma. Haha.

 

I generally don't treat other people's property like shit or have the disposable income to do so just for fun.

If I was looking at a mustang or charger, well yeah. A 4Runner? Id imagine it's less likely.

 

I haven't bought rentals but my dad has bought (3) of them.

0 issues with them all and not all Toyota. I think people say stay away from them because of the select few that drive them like assholes. But the majority doesn't. You gotta think the ass hole renting it will only do so for a short period of time with a rental. But you can also find private used vehicle with an ass behind the wheel for a whole 40k miles.

 

Service records, oil changes, etc. Rust. Clean title. No accidents. Strange smells.

 

Clean title and no accidents verified as well as Carfax and Auto check provide.

Smells and rust should be easy to spot. I expect no service records but will be pleasantly surprised if there are a few.

 

As far as service records, as long as they changed the oil on a fairly regular basis it should be good. There aren't really any other crucial services that would come up in the first 40k.

I'd look for rust, as I would advise for any Toyota 4x4, and check for dents in the skid plates, which would indicate that it had been off-roaded.

Check for obvious damage like scratches, cigarette burns or stains in the interior, and curbed wheels. If you care about that.

I would also look at the condition of the tires and the brakes, if those are things that will need to be replaced soon, that could be a 2K expense right there.

It may be worth it to arrange to bring it to an independent shop to have them do a pre-purchase inspection. If the cost you 100 bucks for them to throw it up on the lift and look over it, it's money well spent if it either reinforces that you're buying a good vehicle, or saves you from buying a lemon.

If the dealer does not let you bring it to another shop for inspection, walk.

And I agree with most people on the rental car, I don't think that people generally go out of the way to beat on rental cars, especially not something like a 4Runner. I've rented many cars in my life, even in my 20s, and I've never driven them any differently than my own car.

My '07 Volvo has in its carfax that it was a fleet vehicle at the beginning of its life, and that car easily made it past 200k with no serious issues.

 

I passed on a rental (it didn't say rental but it had Avis stickers on the trailer wire bag in it) since the rear bumper was an ever so slightly different shade of silver and they oversprayed that silver paint onto the mudflaps, spare and trailer wiring, etc. No collision or anything mentioned on Autocheck but makes sense. Other things I noticed was headliner not fully tucked-into the C pillar and other small interior damage that didn't really show up in photos. (oh yea and rust too)

Other than what's been mentioned, my big concern is misuse of the 4WD system since these aren't idiot-proofed but if it shifts into everything alright and isn't misbehaving I guess you could do a lot worse.

 

Yeah my eye isn't the best when looking for paint color diparaties.

Another just like this but MY 2020 just came available up the road. Same price,same miles but CPO at the local Toyota dealership.

I'm not in desperate need of a vehicle, I just very much need out of my current one.

 

OP

rental places don't rent to anyone under 25 normally. A 4R is not the type of vehicle that is going to get beat on by a scoccer mom. It's a 2022 so it's only been thru one winter and last winter here in the East was pretty mild. I would not think rust is going to be much of an issue.

 

I agree on that. If ANY car has rust after a single winter that would honestly astonish me. Id wager most rentals get run through the carwash often since no one wants to pick up a nasty rental.

The 4WD issue is a little concerning, but Id guess most people never used it. Im mostly worried about rock chips and shit in the paint as that would kill a deal for me.

 

Definitely see where the rental came from, the one I looked at was ~1 year old and registered in New York. It had more rust than the 2.5 year old one from Kansas I just bought. Wouldn't expect a comprehensive undercarriage wash at any given rental place.

Also hard to quantify the 4WD system concern but hey, the guy with one that was driven 35 miles in 4Hi is probably fine and you can consider the relative discount versus used as a reverse warranty!

Also wondering if rental/commercial use voids Toyota's new vehicle warranty, that may be a minor concern. I definitely read that in another make but not sure if it even applies here.

 

Being a former rental does not void the factory warranty. I have first hand experience with this.

 

Awesome, thanks!

 

Road rash... totally hazed headlights

 

You can always get new headlights from one of the 4Runner aftermarket places... a lot of owners upgrade them anyways.

As far as the road rash, yep... soft paint... esp in that color (I have it too), chips very easily and it is not unusual for a few year old 4R to look like that. Can you barter the price down given the chips/headlights? You could score a great deal on this if they are willing to give a little on the price.

What are they asking for it?

 

Looks about what you expect with 40k miles on it and parked in the sunny airport lot when not driven.

Being this new there will be no rust or mechanical issues. Inspect underneath for off-road damage. People don't pay extra to rent 4Runners (vs. crossovers like Chevy Traverse) unless they plan to go off pavement.