Faults:

Head gasket, heads, radiator.

General Comments:

My first car, bought it for $3,500 AUD and fixed it up to get it registered and roadworthy. The V6 in it (3VZ-E) goes well, not a race car considering it's only like 105kW, but the power to weight ratio is okay. Gets away in 1st and 2nd gear well, but anything above that is slow. It sucks the fuel too, gets about 16L/100km which is about 14.7 MPG for you Americans. It drives well on road and leg room is good, I'm about 6ft (183cm) and it is still roomy and comfortable in each seat of the car. Is very capable offroad, I have a small lift and 31" tires and it will go anywhere a Landcruiser will and will often show up bigger cars with more power, especially in the sand considering it is so light and the V6 is happy humming along at 3500 RPM.

Head gasket blew from the previous owner, he tried to fix it with Stop-Leak/Gasket Sealer and it corroded the heads and the radiator (which was a cheap aluminium one from eBay that he put in to look cool). $3,372 AUD later and it was back on the road with new heads and head gaskets and a new radiator. Nothing else is wrong though, reasonably reliable when treated right. Although I am now religiously looking at the temp gauge and checking coolant levels.

Faults:

3 blown head gaskets. After my second blown head gasket, my mechanic (who is a Toyota specialist) informed me that there was a recall, but mine was not included. He also explained why it had happened a 2nd time. The head gaskets do not fit the head correctly. I have just blown another head gasket at only 131,760 miles! My current mechanic showed me a recall sheet that shows that Toyota knows there's a problem with the 1995s, but only certain ones were in on the recall, mine is 3 months short. It also states that Toyota says the problem was corrected in 1996. I called Toyota and was given the explanation that mine is not in the recall so I will not be receiving any help from them. I'm a 55 year old woman who does not drive like crazy! I feel Toyota knows they have a problem and should be liable for my cost of repair!

General Comments:

Other than 3 blown head gaskets???

Faults:

Radiator, starter, RS brake caliper, battery, oxygen sensor, mass air-flow unit, rear springs, brake pads, small smog parts, and sunroof switch.

General Comments:

Too slow and heavy. Under powered.

Gas mileage not that good. Around 16 MPG.

Rear springs sag.

Faults:

Since I've owned it: leaks at valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, exhaust manifold gasket. Sticky throttle body cable, hole in muffler. Rusted rear window carriers inside the tailgate.

In 2001 the engine overheated for the previous owner while towing, resulting in an engine fire and a total rebuild of the 22RE motor.

General Comments:

My most recent 4Runner is a 1995 4-cylinder 22RE, originally from Nevada, so rust is minimal. It was brought to BC in 2003. Now, in 2015, it has no body or frame rust and runs great! With any 20 year-old car, I expect a bit of wear, but there isn't much. It starts every time and goes places I'd never expect a stock 4Runner to go (up mountains and through water, over rocks, climbing hills, etc). It is an amazing 4x4! I've given it a complete tune-up and I make sure I give it regular oil changes. Back window works, heat works.

It starts every time, has taken me on many road trips, and is great on gas, being a 4 cylinder. Even the battery is 6 years old, but it never fails. It might not win any races, but I don't drive fast anyway.

My last 4Runner was a '91 V6; I bought it at 300,000 km (186,000 miles) and I never had any problem in the 2.5 years I owned it, except for ball joint replacements, a few oil leaks, and expected wear and tear of brakes, shocks, and tires over time. It was a 3.0 gas guzzler, so I ended up letting it go in search of a 22RE. I'm so glad I did!!!