Hello all,

I am looking at a 2007 4R SR5 (4x4) with 159k miles. The seller states he most of the maintenance records and there are no known issues except for the tire pressure sensor. There is some rust underneath (see pics), but I’m not a good judge of rust unless it’s really bad. Can someone advise on the rust? They have added Apple car play and remote start as well as wiring for an amp.Other than that it seems to be in good shape and he is asking $13,500 for it. Would it be a good buy?

Thank you so much for any advice you can give!

 

I may be wrong without sticking my finger in it, but it looks to me like SOME of the "rust" may be dust/dirt that's gotten stuck. Maybe slide under there and see if you can determine what's rust, and what's not.

Having said that, if it's actually rust, 99% of it doesn't look all that bad, really. Once it's yours, you can hit the underside with Fluid Film, or similar. Maybe clean the surface rust with some sandpaper, or steel wool frist. Very first task, though, would be to hit the underside with a pressure washer to make sure what's dirt, what's not.

Other than that, if the rest is in good shape, and the current owner kept up with the maintenance, it sounds like an OK deal to me. I would dicker with him on the price to try and knock $$$ off for the "rust". Any and every tiny little minor detail you can find can equate to $ off the price, if you do it right. Heck, I would try to talk him down in price if it were totally pristine, but that's because I'm a cheap...errrr...FRUGAL, yeah, VERY frugal...SOB.

All my opinions, though, and you know what those are worth...
Pat☺

 

Thanks, he did indicate some of it may be dirt. I appreciate your insight on this, and THANK YOU for your service.

I know used cars are up, but I am gonna do my best to get it down. I've seen similar models going near $20K, unreal!

 

At 160k, is it still considered safe to change the tranny and diff fluid? Can’t confirm if that has ever been done.

 

Sure! Just make sure you use the correct GL- rating for the correct item. Like, I believe the tranny takes the GL-5, but the diffs take the GL-4.
You still need the right weight, like 80W-90, or whatever, for your area's temperature range, but the GL- rating is pretty important, too. IIRC, the GL-5 makes the shifting smoother, but the gearing in the diffs don't get along chemically with the GL-5, so they need the GL-4.

I hope someone with a functioning brain, unlike me, will chime in and tell me if I've got this all bass-ackward. I always seem to for some stupid reason. No matter which I say goes in what. Don't do anything yet, Gil, until someone confirms, or corrects, me.

Other than that, it's never too late to change oils. It might be too late for the radiator, for example, to change the green coolant for the red, but it's never to late to change oil of some kind out. You might want to check when the last time the PO changed out the coolant, now I mention it. Ensure he used the Toyota Red coolant, not the "every day, American" green stuff. The iron block/aluminum head engines Toyota uses tend to develop corrosion more rapidly, by far, with the green coolant in there. It's called "differential metal corrosion", and the Red coolant resists it much better than the green.
Same for the brake fluid. If it's been more than a few years, it absorbs moisture from the air, and doesn't work correctly any longer. It's easy to change the brake fluid, after all. Just bleed the brakes, until new, clear, clean, fluid comes out. All 4 brakes, as well as the LSPV, if you have one. I can't tell from the pictures if you do or not. I know Toyota got rid of them, but I can't recall what year they did that. PRETTY sure it was before 07, but I've been wrong before. More than a few times
Make certain you keep the master cylinder full enough it can't suck in any air, or you'll have to bleed it too.

Good luck! I hope you get the truck for a better prie, although that really isn't that high a price for one of these trucks.
Pat☺

 

Yes, gear oil recomendation backwards. GL-4 in the manual tranny. GL-5 in the differentials.

 

Sorry about that, I really am.
I don't know WHY I just can not get that right. No matter what. Thank you for the fast correction. I appreciate it.
Well I am going to put a PostIt on my darn computer's screen!!

Keep up the good work!
Pat☺