1989 Toyota 4Runner SR5 3.0 3ZVE V6 from North America
Summary:
The closest to mechanical perfection I've ever experienced
Faults:
Alternator went out about 8 years ago.
Power steering pump developed a leak in 2006 and needed replacement.
Rear differential became noisy, and bearings needed replacement about 10 years ago.
Needed a new set of fuel injectors at about 270k miles.
Front automatic hubs started acting up in 2009; replaced with old fashioned manual ones.
Rear tailgate lock cylinder is currently seized up.
Clutch needed replacement at 234k miles.
A/C developed a leak recently and quit working.
General Comments:
My father purchased this truck brand new in 1989, and I took it over from him in 2006. It has been nothing but an outstanding vehicle.
Even for more than a quarter of a million miles, the truck still has very good compression, and although you won't win any drag races by any means, it can still accelerate and cruise at 75 MPH all day with little effort. The truck still purrs like a kitten, has small amounts of road noise, and only has minor rattles on the interior. The removable top is a cool feature, but I rarely take it off, simply for the fact that I don't have a place to keep it when not in use.
The reliability has been incredible. Even with 280k+ miles, it still works quite well as a daily driver, doesn't leak oil, and it's up time between component failures has been quite remarkable. I took it to California a few years back, and though I was a bit nervous to drive a vehicle with these kind of miles on it that far, it did the trip quite well.
The fuel mileage is usually around 17 to the gallon, but I have gotten as high as 21 on the highway, even recently. The parts are easily available and not terribly expensive to obtain. Since this shares many parts through the 95 models and the pickups, there are A LOT of them out there, and therefore a good aftermarket.
For being as small as it is, it had decent amounts of interior space and can fit a significantly large load due to the fold down tailgate design.
The offroading ability is excellent due to its shorter wheelbase, good ground clearance and narrow body. It is able to claw through snow several feet deep with ease, even with the stock tire size.
People REALLY don't like having to crawl into the backseat, and will complain about it every time it happens. It probably is the reason you don't see too many 2-door SUVs these days.
The engine bay is somewhat cramped with the V6 stuffed in there, but it's manageable and I haven't had much difficulty in carrying out the various repairs she's needed over the years.
There's really not much else I can complain about, and it's stood up against the test of time very well compared to vehicles of a similar age. Buy one, change the oil, maintain it and keep it forever.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th November, 2013
25th Jun 2021, 22:09
This is what a well written review looks like - lots of detail and the reviewer likes the vehicle, but is honest about the faults and wear and tear. A friend had a similar Toyota from the time period and also said it was one of the best they ever had.