Given the chassis and frame repairs I've seen, I absolutely promise your strut mount is fixable. There's just no clean warm-fuzzy-with-guarantees fix, it's all hot rodding and fab skills at that point.
Also, given the reliability of the 4.0L 5AT 4th gen 4Runners, I think it's 50/50 on whether or not there's anything non-Toyota at any price, new or otherwise, that can match the reliability you're used to.
I'd buy up into a newer 4th gen or an older 5th gen 4Runner and live happily ever after.
Are there any off road shops around? I'll bet they could fix it. I've probably been watching to much Matt's Off Road Recovery.Originally Posted by 4RNR
We wish we had done that with the 2002 Highlander.
I'm not sure what others experience is but I had a 97 4Runner that I see from time to time here on the island. My ex got that in a divorce and promptly sold it to a local. It had about 75K on it 2004 when she took it. It's still a daily driver for someone but I don't know how many miles is on it. I might ask the next time I see the owner at the local market. That was one year you might do some research on. It's the reason I bought a new one in 2019. By the way I only paid 38K for that one. Don't plan on ever selling it. Nothing to report so far. Saw one at Costco, same package, for 50K MSRP last week. They must have a decent market for those.
Edit to add.
Wife had a Highlander when were married that went for 180 K without issues. Not sure of the year but IIRC a 2005.
Last edited by Borderland; 04-01-2024 at 08:01 PM.
In the P-F basket of deplorables.
The folks have been buying & driving new Ford SUVs for the past decade, and I'd pass on getting a used one. Terminal Ford Disease seems to set in after about 5 years, and they got all sorts of fun like A/C failures, loose windshield seals, water pump problems, and so on.
"You win 100% of the fights you avoid. If you're not there when it happens, you don't lose." - William Aprill
"I've owned a guitar for 31 years and that sure hasn't made me a musician, let alone an expert. It's made me a guy who owns a guitar."- BBI
Are there any off road shops around? I'll bet they could fix it. I've probably been watching to much Matt's Off Road Recovery.
We wish we had done that with the 2002 Highlander.They build insane recovery vehicles. Welders and fab specialists. In the 70's they would have been building custom street rods.probably been watching to much Matt's Off Road Recovery.
Last edited by Borderland; 04-01-2024 at 08:09 PM.
In the P-F basket of deplorables.
Subaru CVT's are more reliable than most I would expect, with prize for the worst going to Nissan unless there's somebody with an even worse CVT out there. A lot of people here really like Subarus, and I own a '15 Forester myself with 211k on it as of this weekend. The 2.5L in it started burning oil around 150k, and thankfully there's an oil level light because I'm adding half a quart (the amount that it'll go below 'full' on the stick before the light comes on) pretty regularly by now. The engine also has a lot of piston slap on cold startup, and an oil leak from somewhere is burning off on the exhaust manifolds (although not making it all the way to the ground). The CVT is jerking hard on slow accel due to early torque converter lockup which may or may not mean I need to replace either just the solenoid (available aftermarket) or the entire valve body. I'm A-S-S-U-ME-ing that the rest of the trans is still good. It's also eaten 5 wheel bearings since new, but those are barely worth talking about compared to the engine and trans.
I also run my vehicles to about 300K (my wife's '13 Prius is at 455,000 right now although I replaced the engine and the main battery in the period between 390k and 420k), and I'm honestly let down by the Forester's issues. Heaven knows we'd have been happy to get 200k plus out of a vehicle 30 years ago without major work, but this isn't 30 years ago and the entire powertrain appears to be wearing out at 211K. I won't be buying another Subaru.
If you're considering a Subaru, be aware that the oil burning that mine's doing isn't an isolated incident, and especially in those made in the early teens. I think there was a problem with the oil control rings on them, but my memory may be foggy on that one.
Finally, if you're looking at trucks, skip the Colorados, at least of the 355 generation (the first ones). I've been nursing one along since 130K miles that now has 180K on it, and I've NEVER had a vehicle that was so obviously built to fail at around 150K miles. That appears to be the designed service life for many components. Fuel gauge doesn't work, both window regulators (manual!) broke, A/C doesn't work, burns and leaks oil (3.7L 5 cylinder), trans had to be rebuilt, is now down again with only 2-3-R available, and manual shift only, headlights are loose and falling out, fuel vent valve failed, TPS failed, both u-joints in the driveshaft failed twice, leaks gear oil from the rear pinion seal, fan resistor went out and fan only works on High, every ball joint, tie rod end, and swaybar link went out, rear springs sagged out and had to be replaced, front torsion bars are sagged out and NLA, parking brake pedal fails and won't lock in down position (there's a trick to make it pass state inspection) even after replacement, front rotors are the dumbest design I've ever seen requiring complete hub disassembly to change, steering wheel is made of mush and is disintegrating....I could go on but perhaps this is enough to make my point.
Avoid any GM product built since 05. You've been warned. I had an 07 that was nothing but a money pit. Never had that problem with Toyota. Purchased my first one in 78.
https://medium.failfection.com/gener...y-daeb4e01e7eb
In the P-F basket of deplorables.
High mileage vehicles? Two words: Honda, Toyota.
Sold a 2012 Civic with 230k on it to a buddy two years ago. His kid is still driving it. Wife still driving a 2014 Civic with 220k on the clock. I'm probably a bit more aggressive on preventive maintenance than most. Stayed on top of full synthetic oils changes and belts. All steering components replaced at about 200k - just because. Zero issues other than the key fob door locking glitching out on the 2014. Bulletproof. About to buy a 2024 Rav4 AWD.
All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
No one is coming. It is up to us.
I second the experience of buying from Enterprise. Great cars, great prices. The only downside is that they keep trying to sell me additional cars long after the sale.
At the moment, I have 27k on a 2022 Tacoma that's holding up nicely. I'm hoping that's about 10% of what I get out of it. After that I'll be too old to drive and gasoline will probably be illegal.
Before that, I put 200k on a Wrangler with minimal repairs. It had close to 100k when I bought it. Inline 6 and manual transmission is the key with Jeeps. Easy to park, a blast to drive in traffic, and hard as hell on the lower back. I miss it like I miss the stripper I dated when I was in the Army. I only sold it because things like door handles and the rearview mirror started falling off.
Okie John
“The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
"Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's
SafeTcap it and keep it fluid filmed before each winter.
https://www.autorust.com/product-cat...yota-4-runner/
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