Faults:

Front stub axle was dry, just needed greasing.

General Comments:

This car took a while to get used to power wise after driving a 6 cylinder petrol. It goes OK now, but it really needs a turbo for overtaking etc.

It is a tough car and goes any where I want it to, I have fitted an overhead console for my 6 stacker and UHF. Its got a snorkel, bullbar and side steps.

Faults:

My oxygen sensor has just started to play up after 264000 kilometers.

General Comments:

This car is the best 4x4 I have ever driven (having driven Suzuki Sierras, Toyota Land-cruisers and a couple of Nissan Patrols)

The car is very, very impressive on and off the road, but it feels much more at home when off road.

I have had this car airborne 4 or 5 times now (on trips to the sand dunes) and it still lives after much abuse - however now I am trying to cut back a bit.

The only thing I have done to the car is putting on a set of 32" BF Goodrich All Terrain tires - the car goes anywhere.

Faults:

The clutch burnt out at 195 000km.

Suspension crunches on full lock.

General Comments:

The 4runner is a great 4x4, go any where and not get stuck.

They can get a bit squishy on country trips when the cabin is full and large amounts of luggage.

They are carbied so if you get that tuned and put on extractors and a high flow exhaust the power increase is huge.

Power Steering is a bit too light, seems floaty at times.

Faults:

Replaced the broken automatic hubs with manual Super-Winch hubs. I've found it's much safer to replace any auto hubs with manual ones regardless...

Electric door lock and passenger window switch contacts.

Rear window motor sprocket stripped its teeth. (hard not to find an identically stripped motor)

Rear leaf springs sag. Fixed by fitting extended shackles.

What's really sad is this particular Turbo Diesel (2LT) engine has a reputation for cracking its head. As a result, I am having a bit of a challenge finding a replacment...

General Comments:

Over all, this has been a great on and off-road truck. When it was running it was very economical. It'd be on par with, or do better than the Mrs.' little hatchback...

In my research, everything that has ailed mine seems to be the standard traits of this model (LN61 '86 - '88). It's just a shame that this includes the lack of integrity of this turbo diesel engine.

Otherwise Its been an awesome truck... I wouldn't buy another with the same engine again, but it may just be worth upgrading it to something more powerful anyway, could be a blessing in disguise...

Faults:

Nothing at all has gone wrong with this 4Runner. It was in pristine condition when bought, and it has remained in this condition. It drives like a new car, and it never stops.

The only complaint is that the rear window does put a high load on the battery to wind it up and down when the engine isn't running, particularly if you are doing a lot of loading. Inside, the 4Runner is immaculate. The seats, carpets, roof upholstery, steering wheel, and dashboard are all in immaculate condition, without the slightest sign of wear. The only problem inside is the "jacket" around the gear stick is losing some of its stitching.

Externally, the car is spotless. It has no rust, and the only fault outside is a few scratches, mainly from driving on gravel roads to work.

General Comments:

I work in a very hilly region of Australia, and I travel on a dirt road to my work. The 4Runner is the 4 Cylinder, 2.4L SR5 model, with fuel carby, as opposed to injected. The 5-speed manual is nice and direct. The 4 Cylinder only lacks at speeds over 100km/h. Under that, it doesn't struggle in anyway, on or off road. On the road, it is quiet, smooth and corners like it's on rails. Off road, it's dependable, stable and never stops.

Even in 2WD, the 4Runner sticks like glue to the road, without the big body roll evident in many smaller to mid-range 4X4s. In 4WD, there is nothing that can stop it, aside from maybe deep water (being petrol, without a snorkel system).

My only recommendation for the 4 Cylinder 4Runner is to run it on higher-octane petrol (regular Unleaded petrol is around 90-91 Octane; Premium Unleaded is 98-99 Octane, and only averages 1 or 2 cents dearer at the bowser). Running on Premium Unleaded, the 4Runner is unstoppable. On higher Octane petrol, it has more power, is smoother in acceleration, has much better fuel economy (250km to half a tank) and is much happier cruising on the open or semi-open roads.

The Toyota 4Runner is a masterpiece for Toyota, displaying every characteristic of strength, comfort and reliability Toyota is legendary for.