Faults:
When I bought the vehicle from the dealer, it had a few problems that they didn't tell me about (it was a small "no-name" dealership that carried all makes of cars).
The power steering system had a leak that slowly got bigger. The power steering system is now completely non-functional. It will cost over $500 to fix.
The alternator was not charging the battery fully. The battery slowly died, causing the truck to continuously stall. It cost $300 to fix.
The vehicle came with a rear-wheel antilock brake system which wasn't working all of the time. Now it doesn't work at all. Not sure of the cost to fix it.
The automatic transmission will only switch up to 3rd gear until it warms up (usually takes about 5 minutes before it will switch into 4th and 5th gear). Not sure of the cost to fix it.
The speakers are starting to go, but guess what? I'm a sales rep at Best Buy! That will be a cheap and fun fix up.
General Comments:
I am not happy with the dealership at all, and will never buy a vehicle from that dealership again.
The truck plows through snow (4x4). I have never had any problems being stuck in the two winters that I have had the vehicle.
The truck is smaller than most American SUVs. There is not much leg room in any of the seats (the seats are low to the floor because the floor is higher off the ground creating higher ground clearance).
Lot's of room in the cargo area.
The 3.0 V6 engine does not have the greatest acceleration, especially at higher speeds. I think it should have a 4.0 V6.
THE TRUCK IS AMAZINGLY HOLDING ITS VALUE!!! I bought it for $10,000 (it was a pretty good deal). It is now 2 years later, and I will probably be able to sell it for around $9,000 or maybe even as much as $10,000 according to the current going prices.
I am selling the vehicle because the insurance is very expensive. I am going to buy a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee because it has much cheaper insurance, a more powerful engine, and more features for a lot cheaper price.
TOYOTAS LAST FOREVER!!!
25th Aug 2004, 22:51
My 93' 4runner has had it's share of mechanical problems, but I am sure these were because of the person who drove it before me. I call him Dad, and he is one of those people who just seemed to go through cars because he is so hard on them they just fall apart around him. At least, that was the case until he started driving Toyota's. In my experience with cars, (but also based on what I have heard from other people) Toyota's are near indestructible. I also believe this because I am almost as hard on cars and my 4runner with 196K is still running strong. They are also extreamly good off road.