I bought a 1998 Limited in 2020. Dropped 3K to get it mechanically sound. Interior immaculate, zero rust! Zero. Spent its entire life in West Texas. Dry climate. I’m the second owner. Runs great
Funny how that things "common issues" sound more like normal wear & tear. Seal here or there, alternator, radiator. etc. Those are things that just go bad over time in pretty much any machine lol. My coworker owns two of those 4runners and one is almost to 500k!
I have a 99, it's just bloody old and shouldn't be still running.... pig on gas but cheap to operate, just like the vehicle after 17 yrs ownership. Can't believe there is a review on this vehicle, GX470 is similar in reliability, thanks for vid
He is implying on toyota 4runner or make not comparing to other vehicles. Toyota make good cars just not perfect. Hie video is how to keep your toyota 4runner in good condition.
I have a 2000 4Runner limited with 325000 miles, still runs perfectly but I can see rust on the frame now. I know it’s just a matter of time but I love this vehicle.
The only way to preserve these old gems is to avoid driving them in the winter months. The road salt is what put many of these in the scrap yard. If you must drive in winter then invest in some rust protection like Krown rust proofing.
Great video. I have a 3rd Gen with 340,000. Runs like a top. Just replaced all the ball joints last week. I plan on using this video and going thru the 4Runner.
@@anthonygiordano3991 shimmy at highway speeds can just be tire balancing. Took my ‘98 into the shop for tires and it was shimmy free going in, but had a shimmy afterwards. Took two trips back before the lead tech fixed the balance job. Point being, make sure you’re balanced before ripping other stuff apart. You can’t really tell a bad LBJ with a drive test AFAIK.
We got a 2005 4runner, got brand new from the largest toyota dealer in the world. The vehicle has over 225k miles but runs excellent, only problems we had was wear & tear stuff.
I honestly believe the 3rd generation 4runner is the best bang for your buck. The 4th generation is also great as well because of it being the only year with the optional 4.7L v8. Love your videos!
Your shop looks FANTASTIC! I hope you get many, many customers in your shop! I also wish you the best, ESPECIALLY very good health! I would be a little concerned about the frame going "soft" from rust in a few places. It's a shame too, the interior looks great. Perhaps that NHOU protectant would help to slow down the undercarriage destruction. Anyway, thank you for this video.
I was fortunate enough to own a 99’ 4-Runner Highlander *manual transmission* and loved every mile. That truck was priceless and incomparable to anything available today. You hit on everything that I had replaced, you are spot-on! I’d absolutely buy one again if given the chance. Thank you very much! Liked, subscribed and shared. My absolute favorite RU-vid channel by far.
These are my favorite design of the 4Runner. Thank you for sharing this content. Congrats on the shop…hoping to have a 4Runner that I can bring to your shop in the future.
Great video, very well done. The aftermarket hood struts are made by us, Spiker Engineering. They can be set up to open the hood up to 8" higher than stock, which really helps with access and light.
Thanks for the info. I currently owned a 1997 4Runner Limited. My Dad bought it brand new and now passed down to me. I live in the Wisconsin and as we all know. It’s a salty state. I tried my best to maintain it but it’s really hard when dealing with rust. Thanks for the info and knowledge you have given to us throughout the years! 🙏
My 96 frame failed at the trailing arm driver side, I welded 1/4” plate for repair and did both sides. My frame looked better than this 4Runner, don’t be surprised if it fails. They rust from the inside out and the steel delaminates so it’s hard to tell.
Key point is where did it fail? Did the trailing arm collapse in on itself, did the front of the trailing arm tower fail, or did the rear going towards the rear tires fail?
AMD and Mrs CCN, congrats on the new shop! looks clean and fantastic. If I may, the lighting underneath the 4runner is a little dark overall. other than the area the flashlight is pointing. perhaps some side ambient lighting pointing upward. wish you the best in your new venture! love the Tacoma grill in the office.
I really appreciate your feedback! This is the kind of feedback we need to help us adjust things. I have some lighting but it makes the camera too heavy for Mrs car care nut. We’re looking into other options
@The Car Care Nut today I saw a 2005 Toyota Corolla base manual with 492,000 kilometres. It was at a high school shop. Only thing wrong with it was left drivers side door had rust on it. All the other doors & the rest of the body were rust free too. Toyota built these cars to last a LONG time.
AMD, good video as always. I have a 95 4runner with the 3.0 v6. I know people always tell me that engine sucks. I had the dealer do the recall on the head gasket 20 years ago and 380k miles later, still runs fine.Thank younand nice new garage with lifts.
I had a black 2nd gen, loved that truck. IMO those had a better tailgate and seemed to be just a little higher quality than the ‘96-‘02. Although my 2000 LTD has been the best vehicle I’ve ever owned.
Bro I wish you were my local mechanic. Absolutely amazing vehicle. I'm currently looking at a 2001 model and gonna go inspect. You helped me feel a lot more comfortable about the inspection part. Appreciate it man.
I have a 5th gen and I ended up behind a 3rd Gen at a red light, and it really stood out to me just how much bigger vehicles have gotten. 3rd Gen looked so much smaller. I so badly wanted to get to check that 3rd Gen out more closely. 22-28 years old and still going strong - amazing.
It surprises me in the lack of many drivers not using there emergency brake . This owner did well on making a nice hood lift but his emergency brake looks in poor shape and as suggested not to use because it could seize . Emergency brakes are not just an important safety feature but also helps to preserve your automatic transmission .
Thank you. You taught me a lot & made everything really easy to understand. I recently bought a 1996 limited. One owner. Old people. Locally bought. Always serviced at Toyota. 350000 km's. I paid $5000 Canadian. I'm going to check the under areas that you pointed out, & the transmission dip-stick, & radiator as you suggested. As far as everything else underneath rust-wise it seemed really good when I looked when I bought it. I did previously notice my underneath heater piping was crusty. I thought they were break lines. I did the valve cover gaskets, but it is still hot smelly oil when driving fast or uphill. I also did rotors & breaks, rear struts, hatch struts, windshield, fuel filter, & air conditioner. I put in about $1650 Canadian so far.
372,000 miles on my '99.... still chuggin' along. Just takes regular maintenance...easy to work on. I had a lot of issues with the rear window & handle... temperamental. I've spent a lot of time in the salvage yard pulling replacement parts. Had to replace the Sunroof unit., again, salvage yard. Fought with the P0171 code for a while...eventually got that straightened out. I have the Valve Cover leak... that's next on my list along with Injectors... did a Tundra big Brake upgrade. Did the Timing belt 70k miles ago, not much risk since it's non-interference ...kind of a pig on Mountain Passes... but that's my only gripe, they're sloooowwwwwwwww....but great off road.
Had a 2000 leather V6 5-speed manual 4wd for 8 yrs thru and after college. Great truck, started rusting but I’ve had the frame cut out and rebuilt. Only cost like $1000 every 3 yrs to rebuild the frame, really not bad cost for maintenance.
As a GX470 owner from WA, I would run away from this frame. That one crusty bad spot seems like a red flag. But at least we have some shops in IL that work with fluid film or similar so you can coat it once in a while and save it from further damage. Great content though!
The spot that he showed on the video is a pinch weld. 2:20 The condition of the OTHER side towards the front where the lift is near, opposite to where he has his hand in the video, is more important than the frame rail bar at the top failing. That spot is one of the most important spots, but it isn't rusted through.
I have a non running 2000 4runner that was converted to EV in 2010 by a professional shop but hasn’t run in 10 years. The frame and body is completely rust free. If you’d ever have an interest in taking a look at it for possible RU-vid content let me know. I live in Chicago 60615.
I've gone through two catalytic mufflers on my '97 4 Runner. It has 413k miles on it. The last time I had to use an OEM quality cat. That's what the state of California requires now. It was expensive. The previous cat was a after market one and it was way cheaper. But it didn't last very long. The shop guy told me he tries to use the factory cats but they are back ordered so it could take months before one is available. The OEM quality one was only about $100 cheaper than the factory cat. Congratulations on your new shop. The shop looks good.
getting a code for front cat that only comes on when off roading. Apparently it’s a super super common issue that happens when driving slowly for long periods of time. Just replaced both 02 sensors and only replacing front cat if it fails cali smog. I still see oem cats online but they are super expensive
bought a new 4 cylinder manual 4 runner in 1998. Never replaced it, 230k miles. may be one of the most reliable models ever made. No ball joint trouble, never heard of that.
The lower ball joint design is another thing to watch out for. The fixed it in 2001, the last year of the 3rd gen. I had a 2000 that was awesome, loved that thing. If you use premium gas, the cats will last forever. Don't use cheap gas!
I have the 2wd drive sr5 version of this truck. Same color with a few more miles. I absolutely love this thing! The owner of that one shares the same thoughts as me. I want it perfect.
Congratulations on your new shop and new business! The topics are good but one thing I’d like to say is, since you are in Illinois, I believe most of your customers’ cars will have rust or rust related issues. So, if we could separate the rust topics out, that would be great! I’ll keep watching the rest. Thanks!
Great video with lots of good info! I have two vehicles with this engine. I just wanted to touch on a couple things. Regarding the power steering whine, I learned from Timmy the toolman that there is a screen in the bottom of the reservoir that gets clogged over time when people don't change the fluid. Remove reservoir and blast as much of that gunk out with brakleen or something similar. Let it dry thoroughly, reinstall, replace fluid, goodbye whine! Even in frigid cold Temps. Easy and effective! X2 on the lower balljoints. When in doubt, replace with OEM toyota balljoints only, no aftermarket!!! Other than frame rust these are the Achilles heel of the 3rd gen 4runner and 1st gen taco. You don't want one to fail, it's extremely dangerous! Again, great job!
This is really helpful! My son wants to get a 3rd Gen. I learn a lot watching your channel. Now that I'm older and when it's really cold, I've noticed that I whine a lot more. :)))
I have had 4 3rd gens so far, and every single one has had floppy mirrors. The retainer for the spring wears through the aluminum housing and the tension is lost. Kind of a pain to repair but doable for couple dollars in parts.
Just a thought, but you need to get some magnetized "The Car Care Nut" license plate covers, that you can stick over these license plates on these vehicles when filming them, so you don't have to waste time editing it out
I have a 98 4Runner limited I’m the 2nd owner. Bought it in 2000. New timing belt, water pump, replaced catalytic converter, excellent leather interior, new brakes and rotors, 3 inch lift. Zero rust…lived her entire life in West Texas dry weather. Currently in shop to diagnose buzzing noise that developed recently when foot taken off accelerator above 60 miles per hour. Young men, and women, compliment us on the truck often. Lots of fun to own and drive
@@cf6979 Yes. It was the U-Joints on the drive shafts. Had them replaced for $298 and my 4Runner is running great. In the process, I also went ahead and changed out the brake rotors & pads, front and back, rotated and rebalanced the tires. Nevertheless, the root cause of the buzzing was the unserviceable front U-Joint. Changed out both for peace of mind.
@@CaptainWillard830 Nice! Changed my front and back U-Joints 2 years ago on my '97 4Runner Limited. It was making a loud screech but only when backing up.
02 with 375k Haven't had more than 2 or 3k in maintenence in 10 years. Several alternators. Just changed radiator. And it only went out bc i let it overheat too long when it froze and didn't have enough coolant. Never had Trans issues. Catalytic conv went out long time ago but didn't fix it, Perks of none inspection sticker state. It's had a very slow head gasket leak for 10yrs also. She's old but she still purs like 100k. 4wd and gets 20-22mpg with heavy ties, 24mpg with stock tires. Highest priority is by far just oil changes and monitoring checks I drive with the very lowest average rpm possible. Aka Turtle mode. Not much horse power, but that Toyota Turtle power off the charts
Was thinking about buying a Japanese import. Looked at photos of what looks to be a very clean 3.0 turbo diesel hilux surf, 1997 with 153 thousand kms. It's currently in Japan but I think after seeing this video I should wait to buy one in person so I can look at it proper.
Frame Rot: I wouldn’t be so quick to pass on an otherwise clean 3rd Gen 4Runner if the only problem is frame. The frame issues are so well-known, and the vehicles so solid and desirable, that there are reasonably economical fixes if you have a decent welder available. I wouldn’t hesitate to put money into frame work as these trucks last forever and will definitely pay you back over time.
The best car I've ever owned... I have a 1997 4x4 SR5 first owner and a 1998 limited 2WD second owner. Both vehicles have well over 200,000 miles on them and are rust- and oil-leak-free. Everything relies on how you handle them. Every car will have its flaws, including ordinary rust. I always service my 4Runners and inspection checks. With regular maintenance, your 4Runner will last forever.
Thank God for you and your videos it's helping me take care of my wife's 99 4runner with almost 300k miles. Can you tell me what is the right way to install the radiator hose. May God continue to bless you and your family
Nice video but here's a time saving idea. Get a Car Care Nut license plate made and mount two rare earth magnets to the mounting holes. Then you can just place it over the customer's plate and the magnets should cling to the license plate mounting screws. Then no worries about blurring out their plate. Hoping to see a review on a first gen Matrix or Vibe with the 1ZZ engine. They are great cars and I have 279,000 miles on Vibe which is a US made Toyota. 8-)
Now, that is without a doubt a legendary reliable engine that you just brought up. Sandwiched in between the preceding and succeeding Corolla generations which are both worse.
@@ShinobiXRevived I'm in a few Pontiac Vibe Facebook groups and many have mileage over 330,000 miles. What's funny is the odometer stops working on the 1st gen Vibes and Matrix's at 299,999 miles! Who thought of that? I'm averaging 30 to 32 miles per gallon and the new Corolla Cross has the same mileage! So why spend $30,000 plus when a nice low mileage, well maintained Vibe/Matrix with 150k, would serve us well for many years?
@@CountryFarmBoyUSA I used to own a 2006 Corolla that I bought for $2300. Sold it to a friend in need for $3000. Buying brand new cars is the ultimate fools errand. A brand new unproven design is unproven, Toyota or not.
@CountyFarm Boy I have a 2006 Toyota Matrix 1ZZ-FE base manual interior controls, etc, with 242,000 kilometres. Not a whole lot, Purrs like a kitten. Today at a high school shop I saw a 05 Corolla manual with 492,000 km, with the same engine as my Matrix. I’ve even seen them with 800,000 kilometres. Bulletproof cars that were made to last have a million km even if they are 20 years old👍
I have a few questions: when a car had a slight rear-end collision, is it possible that there is some bending in the frame which can lead to forces on the shafts in the powertrain ? Do you have experience with this, are accident cars plagued with engine/transmission failures?
Hi! Typically cars that has severe frame damage that would cause issues would be totaled by the insurance company and you’ll see it on the history of the car. Normal accidents that are not very major typically don’t get frame damage that causes issues like you mentioned
I have a 2000 4runner with 370,000 miles on it. Bought in 2011 for $6500 with 179,000 miles on it. Never expected it to last this long. I've spent $1800 on it shortly after getting it at a dealership catching up it on service at 200,000 miles. Spent $1400 on a rack and pinion when it was over 300,000 miles. A starter, a couple of alternators, throttle position sensor, and regular wear and tear items. I budget $500 for repairs, most pull and replace repairs are under $400. Wife thinks it's unreliable because of age, I feel it is demonstrating it's reliability every day. The truck is becoming beat up from normal wear and tear and I've backed off expensive maintenance items and only buy inexpensive tires with low mileage service life. This truck as been a budget saver.
Your power steering pump doesn't have to whine. Remove the idiot screen in the PS reservoir. It will build up crap over the 20+ years and restrict flow = whiny pump. As long as you don't put dirt or rocks in there you will be fine. I replaced two pumps before I did this. You can replace the reservoir too if you want instead but I'm cheap. Now in Colorado cold / morning startup, silent like ninja. Check the reservoir screen before you shell out $ for a new pump.
Operate the spare tire crank, lower the spare, check the air pressure, and put lube into the winch. Particularly important for trucks run in rough country, ie: salt, ice, snow, mud, sand, etc will bind the winch and you will be stranded in the middle of nowhere. Also do not install a rear bumper with tire carrier. One bump will put the spare through your hatch and they are expensive if you can even find one. Don’t use the rear window if dirty.
It's been driven 12k miles since December 2020, it barely moved when gas was affordable. I basically never drive it now. But it's needed when it snows bad. Drove hundreds of miles through a blizzard with cars in ditches and it never slid 4x4.
Thankyou as always bought my fist Toyota 2 years ago 2017 Rav 4 that had all but 39000on it wish I would have switched to Toyota years ago always great info
Congrats on the New Shop!!! As a Toyota Fan, I just love your content. Quick question... we own a 2012 Venza, driver seat heater quit working recently, what are the common issues that will cause these seat heaters to fail? Thank you and once again Congrats!
I just bought a 2002 toyota 4runner sr5 sport 4x4 with 125k miles for 4k, needed 2 cats and 2 02 sensors. Other than that, looked brand new inside and out, its a maroon red, and it drives good, i changed the surpatine belt, not sure if the timing is as inportant as the sequoia let me know abd ill consider replacing. But speskers even soubd good still! Under the hood is a v6. Clean title, this vehicle could go for 14k carfax says, but im keeping it. 😊
On the lower ball joints, there's a school of thought out there that says the problem is in the design of the part, not any structural flaws. Those guys say that even if you've had the original LBJs replaced, you should do it again at certain intervals (say, 100,000 miles). On my 2002 SR5 4WD, the LBJs were replaced under the recall in 2005. That was 90,000 miles ago, and I'm starting to get a little nervous, but I think my dude CCN said at the end of this great video that if you've had the "updated" LBJs you're good to go. I'd love to think that I'm in the clear. Can you expound on the LBJ issue? Thanks.
Excellent Video. We have a great condition diesel 1996 at 300k kms. The ignition switch needs replacement ut no new parts are available in NZ. Any suggestion of a source please. Love the new premises! Well done! Philip. 🇳🇿
You are WRONG about one thing.. “ frame rust there is NO FIXING THAT” WRONG Look up “Safety Caps” 11awg steel caps designed for this truck. Besides that.. GREAT VIDEO. Frame rust can be fixed.
Not a 4Runner question, unfortunately, but I recently bought a well used 2014 Prius 4 and I’m trying to return it to better condition. Replaced the front bumper cover and related parts but I lack good tech data. Can’t find the front fog light relay. Would you tell me where it is and perhaps point me toward inexpensive reference material that gives component locations. Thank you Alfei from Florida. I’m a big Toyota fan and your videos are really great.
I just bought one using this video as a guide. The only complaint I have is the sunroof. It tilts but doesn't open. Can you recommend a video to diagnose and repair it? Thank you
Hi AMD, so you do recommend hood struts? I thought it restricts accessibility of the engine from the side. If there are no code restrictions, I suggest you stick foams on the posts of your lifts si that if ever you accidentally hit a door while opening, the door won't get any dings or dents.
