4th gen Points of Concern?

Hi local 4Runner experts,

I'm switching from the Taco to a 4R in the near future (whenever I can sell my truck and find a suitable Runner).

There is a 2007 4R near me with about 60k miles that's caught my eye due to the price. Aside from normal older vehicle / lower miles concerns (worn out rubbers, etc), are there any major red flags for this generation? Or any issues with older 4th gens in general?

My original preference is a lower mileage (under 100k) 5th gen if I can find one in my price range, but always open to a reasonable alternative.

Thanks for the input,
Joe

 

V6 or V8?

Driver seat cracks. 4WD actuator sticks. On the V8s, exhaust manifolds crack and timing belt needs to be changed every 90k miles. V6s like to eat head gaskets. Calipers get stuck. Driveshafts clunk. Dashboards crack. Frames rust.

Overall, good trucks. Then again, I’m biased.

 

V6. I thought the head gaskets were fixed starting in 2006?

Thanks for the detailed list of everything. We're in Georgia, so the rust may not be a concern, but I'll definitely check if I go that route. Saying that, the valve cover, etc. shows some interesting corrosion in the engine bay photos, so maybe there is some history in a salt state.

But yeah, they do seem solid. I always see nice 4th gens around, and I have to remind myself they're at least 12 years old; they seem to hold up pretty well cosmetically.

 

I think I got Bingo.

I haven't driven the V6 so I can't speak too much to that motor specifically, but some of the other things I've found:

• Rear window seal deteriorated and the tailgate didn't drain properly so it was heavy as hell to open even with the struts, and THEN it would drain into the cargo area.
• Rolling the rear window down funneled exhaust right into the vehicle. A lot of people reroute the exhaust to come out the side (probably a bigger deal because of the v8 and cracked manifold)
• Hood struts failed.
  
• I found myself hunching over the steering wheel to see stop lights sometimes, if they were located on the close side of the intersection. I'm on the tall side though.

Other than that, just a lot to love. I had my 03 V8 until last December when I traded it in for the Tacoma and would have felt 100% confident driving it across the country. It had I think 275-285k miles on it. Didn't burn any oil, and really the only mechanical issue was not being able to use the transfer case at all, but since it was the V8 it was all wheel drive anyways. If you're in GA, is the 4R you're looking at even a 4x4? May be one less thing to worry about (and also one reason it's cheaper).

 

It is a 4wd (that's one reason I was looking for a new vehicle, having the 2wd Taco). I decided to pass on this one since it was from the northeast for moat of it's life.