Okay so like the title says I need some advice on a 4runner. We own a sweet 87 runner with 186K and the good 'ol 22RE, bought it from my wife's parents. I love it, and we are thinking of getting another one because our family is growing. We have a 5 year old who still sits in a car seat and we have twins on the way.

I wanted to know
Is there is enough room in the back seat for all of those car seats?

Is the 3.4L V6 better than the 3.slow?

Has anyone had any problems with the 1997's

Here is the write up on the specific one I am looking at buying


1997 Toyota 4 runner 3.4L V6 Limited 4X4 desert dune Leather
2 tone color desert dune/silver CLEAN TITLE, never in an accident

137k miles

POWER DRIVER SEAT COLD A/C
STOCK 2DIN CD PLAYER with MB QUARTS component speakers
POWER mirrors/windows/locks/steering/dual front seats
DUAL AIRBAGS
keyless entry CLIFFORD ALARM,w/roll up and down front window control
TOWING hitch
RR DIFF LOCK
new bridgestone tires
it has K&N air filter
NEW OIL CHANGE, TRANSMISSION FLUSH,BRAKE FLUSH,
BRAND NEW BRAKES/ROTORS.
oil change every 3k miles
lifetime alignment @Xpress tires.

garage kept... NON SMOKER
i'm selling the truck because my family is growing and looking to get a TACOMA Ttruck,

nothing wrong at all, it runs smooth and strong, 4x4 barely used.. almost never, NEEDS NOTHING !!

all preventive maintenance done by a toyota mechanic who did work on the side ,

replaced all the folowing OEM parts.. starter,timing belt,water pump,fuel filter,battery
2nd owner drove it for 6 years and never had any problems ( it's TOYOTA ),

minor scratches,
it does have a bump in the trunk. (never got around to get the dent pulled)
my wife backed up on a tree (she claims it was the tree's fault =) ..

Please chime in with anything that you think I should consider before I commit to buying this, as well as any questions I should ask the seller, or anything I should look for while checking over the 4runner

Thanks in advance from me and my family

 

i think you can manage w/ three kiddies in the back seat w/ the oldest in riding the hump seat. but i recall a few members here who have sold their 4runners for bigger vehicles because the kids were getting too big.

waht im trying to say is to consult w/ someone who actually has kids (unlike me)


bob

 

We are going to see it tomarrow to try out the car seats and test drive. Yeah the 5 year old would have to be in the middle, that way we can load/unload the twins with out too much trouble. I would hate to have to use the 87 with the babies just because it's a 2 door.

Anything specific I should know about the 1997's?

 

Is that the one on Craigslist??

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/car/185158846.html

Sounds like a nice runner

 

Yes, I would definitely say the 3.4 is a superior engine.

From the picture, it looks like a pretty big dent to me If you don't mind it that's ok, but you should try talking him down for repairs, cuz it's a doozie from the looks of it.

EDIT:
The price is high too, KBB Value for Excellent condition is around $9,895, and with that ding in the tailgate I'd probably aim for under $9000. Just so you know.

Also, don't forget CarFax, and maybe get a good inspection done by a mechanic at a Toyota dealer...

 

I don't know if this helps but I did a family friend a favor and took a group of people to the airport in my 3rd gen. I had one adult in the front, another adult in the back (5'0 girl) and 3 kids (about 10 years old each) in the back. I had a speaker box (one 12" sub), a 50 pound box of stuff for the airport and three small pieces of luggage.

Everyone fit but I couldn't say it was the most comfortable. A buddy of mine that just had a kid gave up his SUV for a minivan and he said it was the best thing ever, especially w/ two car seats you're going to need. Just my two cents...

 

Mark_P,
Yeah it is the one in San Diego, good job!! He has relisted it a few times now so I really think he is ready to sell.

Mastacox,
I really didn't think that it would be to difficult to have that dent taken care of but yeah I thought it would help me talk him down.

ebelen1,
Sounds like you can fit alot of things in the 3rd gens, I know that a mini van is the better idea for around town but we do Alot of camping and offroading back home in Arizona and since we are moving back there in november I would really like a 4Runner over the minivan. Besides we are from northern arizona where it snows so the 4X4 is a must, not to mention we will be heading to Omaha, Ne for medical school.

I think the 97 would still get mild mods but it would be more the wifey's ride and I would rock the 87. But she's into off roading so it would all work out.

So nothing to be aware of with the 3rd gens IE the 3.slow and the head gasket, or the 3.slow and the bad exhaust valves.

Pain in the butt to work on?

Please keep the comments comming! And any anecdotes!

 

If you need the 4x4, then stick w/ the 3.4 over the 3.0. Both eat gas but you get more power out of the 3.4 and more torque.

I can fit a ton of stuff in the 3rd gen, even more when you drop the back seats and take out my speaker box. It's almost like a truck bed, except you have the side windows and roof to block you from weird-sized objects.

My only concern for you was the two car seats. I know that 2 full-sized adults can fit comfotably in the back w/ someone small in the middle. If you swap out the two adults for two car seats, it's definitely do-able. Good luck on your purchase. I'm hoping to get another 100k miles out of my 3rd gen.

 

what type of mileage are you getting on your 3rd gens

 

okay so just got teh car fax report on this 4runner and I am a bit leery because it said it used to be a company car. Do they beat the crap out of those things? Or maybe someone with a personal business used to own it? What are your guys thoughts on it?



Oh will Toyota dealer mechanics inspect a potential 4runner for you before you buy from private party? Anyone know how much it cost? or how extensive the check is?

 

I dont remember the details but when I had mine checked at the Dealership it was about $75.

Price definately seems too high, I got my 99 with 70k miles for less. . .

 

The thing is ,imo, is that it's a toyota. My 98 has seen lots of offroad, has the same mileage, runs perfect and hasn't been in the shop for anything other than fluid changes in the 2 years I've had it.

 

We are able to use the 99' 4runner with three kids, but had to shop around for car seats narrow enough to fit. The only issue with the 5 year old in the middle is the lack of a three point seatbelt. Ours has only a lap belt in the hump seat. Just a couple of things to think about before the purchase. Other than those issues no problems at 108K aside from changing of the timing belt, water pump and starter.

Cheers

 

So I ended up not getting this one because when the guy sent me pics it looked like crap. He said is was excellet, it was more like poor condition.

The dent in the back went into the corner so it would have been difficult/costly to fix, and the driver's seat, where your back goes, had a hugge chunk of the leather missing, the sized of a persons hand.

He said he would go down to 9,999 what a Joke

He keeps listing it on craigslist san diego under different headings. I really don't think it will sell for that price.

I did get a newer runner though
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/my-new-toy-91348/

And I think this is gonna be the first thing on it
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f177/new-kumho-venture-mts-01-a-85519/
-thanks kvanderploeg for this thread

 

My 2000 3.4L gets 19-21 mpg with mixed highway/backroad hilly terrain driving. Definately more power than my previous 2nd gen 3.slow which got about the same mileage.