Looking at a nice deal on a low mileage 3rd gen. Vehicle is from up north and supposedly had rear frame replaced (due to rust) by a body shop with a toyota frame they say they ordered from california. Vehicle looks like its in good shape otherwise - no wrecks. What would be the downside of owning this vehicle (ie potential problems down the road)?

 

Something smells a mite rank here.

Either you have the story all wrong.

There is no rear frame it is only the complete frame if it came from Toyota.

If Toyota sold a rear frame section it would be a gold mine.

Just what are you talking about 3rd Gen What??

Now if your on the border of California ok even so the freight on a frame is expensive..

If the frame was replaced all the brake and fuel lines as well??

You really need to post some pictures .

Then maybe your good price and mine are very far apart.

No mention of mileage or the price so who can say

Big difference between repaired or replaced So who can say what sort of job was done.

I have not found a body shop unless they do heavy trucks that even knows how to do a frame splice.

At least it will be exciting .

 

its a low mileage 99.

the guy says rear frame but i think he meant rear trailer link arms.

 

Walk away. Not worth the risk.

Even if the deal sounds good, you will be forever replacing worn parts if the frame is off.

 

I agree. Thanks for input. Its a 99' manual with 84k original miles if anyone out there wants to go get it.

 

Interesting if I was any where close I would love to see what was really done.

As it was the 4Runners Never had a real problem not like The Tacomas

 

Some 4Runners from salty states that were likely rarely washed can have rusty frames. But it's very much the exception.

Sometimes the rear suspension lower arm mounts on the frame rust out, perhaps that's what happened here?

 

screw that im from California, i send out of state trucks with rusty frames to the junk yard i don't even try to salvage and resell them here ................. why bother when there is so many nice dry climatic trucks already in California, but hey we gotta get out parts from somewhere, often the wet interiors and plastics are in very good shape and thats what goes bad in cali

 

You best stay in Californica then you could not handle working on the great Brine belt vehicles.

Then there is quite a lot of work fixing Bridges the Brine Destroyed.

 

I lived in Akzo Nobel Salt country for a number of years, i have seen what it does to trucks, no thanks i dont want to work on those rust buckets ever again