Meterpig

Just a quick thought here. Why does it seem that new vehicles drop trannies, axles etc at under 100K while countless 3rd gens keep on trucking well through 250K?

Is is that hard to create a quality machine? Do people even care if their car or truck lasts more than 50K?

And another thing, why does my 4runner look so much cooler than the other SUV's on the road? I wonder if folks have to use 4hi to get over a 12 inch dirt hump in the road. 3rd gens just roll right over.

Just stopped in to say, all others imitate but cannot replicate the 3rd gen.

Mtn Mike

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I like my 3rd gen also Best looking ride on the road

I gotta tell ya though, there are a lot of other cars on the road that have seen plenty of miles. I know lots of guys with domestic trucks with over 200K miles (doesn't make them good trucks; I'm just sayin)

DailyDrive

A lot of the perceived reliability is demographics. Toyota owners are more conservative and generally are in a better financial situation. Maintenance is generally done at proper intervals, the maintenance is higher quality, and more things are considered wear and tear items.

The 4Runner is at the top of the list of the safest vehicles. The Corvette is one of the most often flipped vehicles. But that doesn't mean the 4Runner is awesome at protecting occupants, or that the Corvette is prone to flipping over by design.

97ltd4x4

It's quite simple...They are all made in Japan..I have a great story about this:

Many moons ago when I was a toyota tech,I went to a class,Electrical I believe at the regional training center...There was a new instructor there,He had just started,... he was an automotive engineer that had worked for chrysler for over 20 yrs in there R&D department among other areas...he quit and was now working for toyota in there training centers teaching techs....

So,he told us a story...way back when chrysler was trying to make economy cars in the mid-late 80's..Chrysler was sub-contracting out a lot of there electrical componants from Japan(they believed they could buy componants in volume for a lot less than engineering and making them themselvs)...

He told us he remembers that one day they had got a shipment in from Japan..I think it was either cruise control ECM's or actuators...anyway...They were all perplexed....

There was a small box and a wraped pallet.......

Aparently someone that placed the order....specified that they wanted no more than 0.5% in DEFECTS.......

Well,In Japan there is no such thing as a DEFECT.......so they didn't understand what Chrysler wanted.........So they sent them a pallet full of good componants and a small box with the DEFECTS!!!


He said...at that moment all the Chrysler engineers knew it was only a matter of time before the Japan vehicals would take over the auto industry,not only here,but the entire world........This was 1985.

At that time the big 3 were only concerened with how much $$$ they could make..Unlike the Japanise

Who knows if it was a true story,but I remember believing him....

I know the big 3 are making much better products than they ever used to,but I am not sure if they will ever catch up...they are always worried more about profit than market share and slowly but surly it has caught up with them...

4banginRunner

Like general maintenance on a dodge ram, replace the auto every 30K

bigt

i think the second gen is the best looking suv on the road

VSU_4runnin

my 3rd gen is perfect, i love this thing, ive always said, i wouldnt sell it to anyone for anything. The other day i was doing some trails.. thick mud and slick wet rocks... powered through all day in 2 hi... my buddy in his jeep cherokee was in 4 lo and having troubles all day

Texas_Ace

I know that my 3rd gen will have to be pried from my cold dead fingers, i ain't never selling this thing!

There is just nothing quite like it on the road. Plus with a supercharger it is so fun to drive!

toyota4x4907

Its not only the 3rd gens (3rd gen what? 4runner? Truck?) Its most pre-'05 Toyota vehicles. I can't say much about '05+ because they are so new (different story). It seems to me that most people now days only buy vehicles for look or the said HP, or the combo of those, and don't care about function and longevity. Also, they don't know that vehicles/parts SHOULD last 100K miles. When selling Toyotas, most people will say "only 150K miles" while most other people with different cars will say "high miles at 150K miles". Its just a 'Yota thing.

bootown

There IS one reason to sell your 3rd gen runner. Sell it to a family member, keep the title in your name, and go out and buy yourself another 3rd gen.

okie81

...x2

BigBallsMcFalls

1999 3rd gen ltd 4runner is the last best ever

all the 4wd options. highest stock clearance. nukeproof 5vz

98runner210

I dunno about that. I have had several friends who had Camrys, Corollas, Tacomas etc. They beat the absolute $h!t out of those cars. Changed the oil maybe once every 6 months or so, forget about anything else like a tranny service, coolant flush etc. Those cars were all problem free to almost 300K till they sold them. My friend sold the Camry with 322k. All those cars could not be killed. Constant full throtle starts, redlining gear changes...

VSU_4runnin

let me know so i can give you credit... but i saw a quote in someones sig... you know some toyota engineers are sitting around some small component on a yota scratchin their heads thinkin hmm.. this wore out after only 250k...

farmerj

Not a joke.

Part of a case study you do for Quality classes in college for Industrial management/engineering.