New guy on the forum says howdy! I am looking at an 07 4 runner, SR5, and haven't owned a 'yota since my 84 4 runner p/u. Been checking out various sites, and I'm looking for any info on things to be mindful of , hits and misses, etc. Thanks.

 

what kind of kits and misses are you lookin for?

overall you can't go wrong with the 4runner. best in it's class imho. both v6 and v8 are awesome

good luck

 

well, I've had Blazers / Trailblazers for the past 15 + years. The new Trailblazers don't lend themselves to off-road fun the way the older models did, so, I am looking for my right priced 4 runner. Things I'd be interested in hearing about, known engine gliches, rear spring issues, fitment of parts, (ie., on a TB the fan clutches were bad from the git-go on 02-05, weak steering boxes, you get the idea) and the like. I relly enjoyed my 85 (had a SFA! ) and I owned it while I lived in AR., and I really beat the stuffing out of it, and it held up like a champ. It did suffer a glorious ending: rolled it sideways down a hill in a snowstorm. Thanks.

Edit: Also, any tunes available (pcm, etc)?

 

without going into details and searching for you, there's hardly any threads on issues with the 4runner. the 2003 v6 engine had a few issues (new engine release) but all of that has been resolved. to date I don't know of any pressing issues that is catastrophic.

read thru the threads in the 4th gen section and enjoy!

good luck

 

My mom has a 2005 4Runner V6 (1GR-FE) and the only problem we've had is dealing with the Maintenance light coming on every 5K. ;-)

 

Thanks for the replies so far. I have been reading quite a bit here and at another 4 runner forum. There is an extensive amount of info here, and I'm looking forward to acquiring my new Toy!

 

The one downfall of the late model 4Runners is the general lack of enthusiasm by many manufactuers to make offroad parts for the 4th gen. There is definitely some around now, especially with the possibility of some parts coming from the FJ bin (not always). One issue is clearance heights. You mentioned you wanted some offroad fun. This is where 4th gens stuggle a bit these days compared to older gens.. Lower bumper height laws have reduced the approach and departure angle somewhat so be aware (I'm sure you are) that there are probably not as many aftermarket parts for offroad 4th gens as ther might be for Blazers and the like.

Nothwithstanding that, the market is improving and there's lots of people being creative about mod'ing the 4th gen.

Good luck.

 

Note: I've had my 04 Runner from new, and had not one issue and I do offroad it pretty hard I think. They are great trucks for trails and dunes.

 

No problems here...typical Made in Japan Toyota quality. My only "issue" is from my own personal comfort and view standpoint ...I feel like I'm sitting on the floor, and that the view looking out and over the hood is restricted. I drove around a 100 Series Land Cruiser the other day and felt a huge difference in the "personal" comfort and view. However, for the extra $35k the LC costs, I guess that was to be expected!

 

I sat in one today, after test-driving the tacoma double cab, and I didn't like the interior of the 4runner at all. The window controls were too low on the drivers door and overall it felt, sorry to be so technical here, BLAH!!!

 

My wife has an 03, my mom an 04, and my sister a 06. They are great rigs.. noting serious of note to tell.

and was your 84 a 4runner or p/u.. cant be both

 

My034runner has been great. The only thing go wrong with mine, are things that I did. But, other than a Land Crusher, there's nothing else that I'd even consider driving.

Even though My034runner isn't as highly modified as Lances, but it's getting there. Someday. Draining my bank account though.:cry:

 

Our '03, one of the first 4th gen trucks to be delivered, has been nearly perfect. It has had the cat converter recall done and the seat 'click' fix applied, but has been perfect otherwise. It now has 61K on the odo, and that includes probably 20K miles of long tows with a 4,000# trailer (Porsche 911 on aluminum open trailer).

It still has the original brakes and tires, and it appears both will last at least another 20K miles. I just took delivery on a new Porsche GT3, insuring that I won't be able to afford to replace our '03 for a long time to come. I'm confident that that'll work out just fine!

 

I really like mine a lot. One thing I did not see anyone mention is the driveshaft (propellor shaft) "clunking" at hard stops and acceleration after hard stops. There are no mechanical failures associated with it, but no TSB's exist. I have curbed the problem by keeping the propellor shaft well greased. The sulphur smell and v6 issues have been resolved and mine has been great so far ('05 v6 SR5 4x4). You will love your SUV if you decide to go with the 4Runner.

 

Well- I've read tons of 4th gen v8 vs v6 threads. I bought a 03 v8 new and have a 5500 lbs boat. I don't pull the
boat long distances 2 often and the v8 was killing me at 15 mph nearly constant. So I purchased a 07 V6 and- much to my surprise i was
able to pull the boat from dallas to austin with a little better gas milage and near the same performance- obviously a little more gear shifting
going on but at 70-75 thats expected. VERY please with the v6- more so than the 8
[mansourman] 8:55 pm: was getting 300 miles to the tank w/v8 now getting close to 400