99 3.4l 5 speed sr5 trd 4x4

This truck just came up for sale.
https://www.interstatetoyota.com/us...erick-co-77a834d20a0e0ae865c400f507bfc9f0.htm

It’s still going through their shop so pics have not been added yet. The price seems low for these in the Denver area, especially with low miles. The internet sales manager sent me a couple exterior pics and the body looks clean and straight, as best as one could tell from a couple pics. My biggest concern is that the autocheck doesn’t show any maintenance being done, which can mean the previous owner did it all himself or not much has been done maintenance wise. I’ve seen the 1st gen buyers guide and read through that, great thread with lots of useful info. My question is a general one, are there ways to tell if a truck/car has been maintained without having access to service records or is it just a roll of the dice? Are dealers or independent shops required to report to autocheck/CARFAX for repairs/maintenance? I’m headed there Monday to take a look at it.
Thanks!

 

A little. For example, pulling a valve cover can give a hint on oil changes, and a compression/leak down test will tell a lot about the internal health of the motor. And of course 'reading' the spark plugs when pulling them to do the compression testing.

If a through inspection by an outside source indicates no significant issues and you bought it, the first step is to go through and baseline all the normal service items, so you know exactly where you are starting from.

Every fluid, brake inspection/repair if needed, check and/or replacement of coolant hoses and accessory belts, all filters, etc, and you should be all set.

On this vehicle a rigorous frame inspection is in order. Including pounding it with a ball peen, prying with a big pry bar around openings and joints, as well as a borescope look inside of every opening you can find. The rust condition of everything else under there is a good thing to look at too.

 

I’m definitely going to crawl under it and inspect for rust. Thankfully, while cars do show some rust here it’s usually mostly surface rust and not like the rust you see from the Midwest and northeast. I’d really like to have it inspected by an independent mechanic, but I’m not sure this will be possible without putting a deposit down. I’m certainly going to discuss it with them. These trucks with low miles at this price point usually sell in a day regardless of condition around here. We shall see what they say. If that’s my only option I’ll probably just walk away.
Thanks for your response!