Sublime69

Hey guys, I am buying a 2001 4runner. 118K miles. Its in good shape but i just have a couple questions because this is my first toyota.

Is there anything that i should look at specifically that could go wrong? I know the timing belt has not been replaced.

The rear window goes off track when going down, i can hold the window and get it back up. The rear hatch doesnt open either. Are these problems related?? And i think the key should role the window down too... but that doesnt work.

I also read about the trans coolers going bad in the radiator.. should i just put an external cooler on it to be safe?

any info would be great! Thanks!!

95BB2

What's the price? What trim model ? There is a buyers guide on Toyota-4runner.orgni believe under the third gennsection.

See if the lower ball joint recall was done, if 4wd make sure that it engages and disengages properly, check for any vibrations while braking these trucks are notorious for this. I didnt know mine had warped rotors until I drove it home it shook while braking above 50 mph. The valve cover gaskets are known to leak so if the motor has been washed let it run long enough to where you can smell any oil burning off th heads.

The transmission cooler in the radiator is problem, make sure the car hasn't had the radiator changed at the same time that it had a transmission flush that's usually a sign of the cooler failure causing both liquids To mix. What I did with mine was buy an external cooler and bypass the radiator so If it fails it wouldn't kill my transmission. I will run the cooler inline with the radiator when I purchase a new one

poleclimber63

I bought a 1998 4Runner SR5 V6 Auto this spring and I just returned from a great trip in the mountains of BC Canada! The truck performed great! You will not be disappointed!
Some of the common problems with the 3rd gen 4runners (96-02) I'm aware of:
-brakes... rear bell cranks which operate the ebrake, they may stick
-valve covers, if the spark plug seals leak a mis-firing issue can occur
-rear window cranks-- mechanisms not particularly durable
-leaking exhaust manifolds--- more common in 2nd gen and 4th gen V8s

I'm sure others maybe able to mention other things... all of these aren't particularly big problems, however, how a vehicle is treated and maintained over its life is the critical issue.

After owning mine for the last 4 months the only real areas I'd be interested in addressing is HP/torque. I tow a boat and it has become clear this truck could use a little more power. I'm now looking into the supercharger upgrade. There are so many mods that can be done to this truck that almost any area can be addressed depending on the owners desires!
The first thing I did was a tranny cooler and temp gauge. I'm going to do the brake upgrade (caliper/rotor change 199mm to 231mm ie major capacity increase), springs and shocks, and supercharger when $$$ permits--- cat back?....

The thing is, the sky is the limit and there is so much support in forums like this to drawn upon....

Sublime69

Thanks for the input guys!
This is a 01 fully loaded Limited. 118K miles and i got it for $2,000. It does need brakes because the rotors are warped. So should i just do stock rotors or do you think i should do the tundra upgrade? If it a lot more? And what are the advantages??

poleclimber63

The Brakes, the brakes!
If you have to replace the rotors, this is the time to do the Tundra upgrade! On t4r.org, look for BigFishAllDay 's post on the upgrade. It reads like an installation manual!! If you have stock Alloys the new calipers will fit, according to the post. He costed it out to $480 or something like that.... the only difference between just doing a brake job and the upgrade, in terms of cost, as far as I can see, is the cost of the calipers.

$2000 what a deal!! I paid $7500 for mine (that is the market price here), in Western Canada....

DRCOFFEE

So was it a Salvage title? Check the transmission fluid for milkiness and the coolant for the same. That could be $4000 repair if the radiator broke, flooding the transmission. Look up strawberry milkshake.