9th Dec 2008, 21:14

I own a 1995 4Runner. I bought it with 95k miles on it 2 years ago...

The check engine light came on about 6 months ago. I put a code reader on it and doesn't bring up any codes.

The truck runs great, but I don't want any trouble down the road. Is the on board code reader reliable? Or is there a better way to find out for sure if there is a problem?

Love the truck and want it to last forever.. thanks.

16th Jan 2009, 10:05

My 1995 4runner just blew the head gasket today 141K. Aren't Toyota's supposed to be reliable. I am looking at a minimum charge of 1500.00 to fix the problem. My VIN didn't qualify for the recall. Now I am out a vehicle and cannot afford the repair right now. The truck is in mint condition and I love my 4runner.

21st Jan 2009, 16:37

I have also had problems with my 95 4Runner SR5. At about 115k miles we had a blown head gasket. We spent over $4000 in repairs and machining of the head. The 4Runner ran really good for about 3k miles, after which it was really sluggish on acceleration and the check engine light is on again, going to take it to the local Toyota dealer to get diagnostics ran on it soon.

28th Jan 2009, 20:32

I purchased a 95 4runner a couple weeks ago and it's running a little rough and idles extremely low. After reading all these horror stories I'm thinking about calling Toyota to see if it's covered (doubtful), doing a tune up, selling it before she dies and buy a newer model 4runner or a Nissan.

This sucks because I've wanted a 2nd Gen 4runner for a long time; now I get one and find out this crappy news.

3rd Feb 2009, 01:20

I have a 92 4Runner and my head gasket just blew. It had the recall done at 85k and now has 225k and blew the second one. Have yet to hear back from the head shop to see if they are warped but National Cylinder Head Exchange is only charging $275 to rebuild the heads. Look for one in your area if this happens to you. Total cost is going to be about $500 if I do the work myself.

7th Feb 2009, 18:34

1995 4Runner. Bought January of 2007. Has run fine since purchasing, but had what sounded like an exhaust leak. No oil consumption, but it would get hot every once in a while. Now it finally over heated and the notorious head gasket issue has hit. Luckily, I have found a mechanic very familiar with this vehicle and the head gasket issue. One thing he mentioned is to replace the head bolts whenever you do this repair, as they stretch when over heated and if you use them again you will have the same problem in a short time. He has not taken the motor down yet, but if everything is good it should cost me around $800 for parts and labor. Toyota quoted me $2600 and a repair shop $1200 in labor + parts. I was ready to scrap the truck until I found this guy. These 3.0's bite and there are not many options once they go. Rebuilt motors cost $2600 without the labor and usable used motors are hard to find due to the demand. One salvage yard told me that for very 6 he gets, 4 are junk.

21st Feb 2009, 01:26

Add mine to the list. 95 4runner SR5/V6. 179,000, blown head gaskets, second time after recall. POS 4runner, why should I repair it? Mechanic said it's not worth it, unless I love the car, which I don't. It's not even that comfortable.

27th Feb 2009, 17:30

It just happen to me too, 2nd time blown head gasket. Very frustrating, it is not worth fixing.

I loved the car, it protected me from a major accident, little damage. I called Toyota, and after years of people calling and complaining, they have not found something wrong. No recalls :-(

2nd Mar 2009, 18:12

Add mine to the list of blown head gaskets on my 95 4Runner, for the 2nd time. My mechanic quoted me around $6,000 (includes labor) for a rebuilt engine w/a 3yr or 100,000 warranty! Ouch! Not sure I want to take a chance on another blown head gasket.

6th Mar 2009, 16:33

I see I'm not alone...

Problems with overheating and losing oil... Had a STRONG inclination that it was the head gasket, as I've read these same reports ALL OVER the web, but continued to drive anyways.

I'm the third owner, so who knows how many times it's been replaced, but at 174k the head gasket blew. I too am not covered under the replacement plan (car manufactured in 95) so I'm SOL.

I LOVE the truck; leather interior, lifted, oversized tires, tinted windows, holds up to 4 deer in the back at a time = 1 sweet ride. The only vehicle I've ever been proud to say I own, but she's got issues.

Since I'm a poor college student, I'm going to try and fix it with a friend who's an ex-race car driver, but he's already told me it's not easy job (and he's not very confident in being able to fix it). 1500-2500 dollars at the shop to fix a truck I only paid 3000 for... or... have a funeral for her if we really screw something up.

Regardless, I hate to love her.

16th Mar 2009, 10:09

I had the same head gasket problem in my 95 Toyota 4Runner V6 4x4 and it was the next model in 95 to not be covered by the warranty. It was only at 110000 miles when the gasket blew. I will not put the money into it a 2nd time to get the head gasket fixed and will probably junk it. Oh, not what a feeling Toyota. I will buy a Ford next time.

23rd Mar 2009, 15:42

WOW! Everyone on here is so upset about their head gasket issues… Did you perhaps think that maybe 100,000 miles is a lot for a vehicle, and that things tend to wear out after a while… I too own a 1995 Toyota 4-Runner that blew a head gasket after 120,000 miles, but I wasn’t looking to get a handout from Toyota. My 4-Runner has gotten me through a lot and this has been the only major issue I have had with it in the 10 years I have owned it, so I’m pretty pleased personally.

I took it to my mechanic though; I didn’t go to a dealership, what a rip off the dealership is! My mechanic charged me $4,500 for an entire engine rebuild, parts and labor included.

The next step for my 4-Runner is a new transmission and it should be able to go for another 100,000 miles no sweat. Maybe you all need to re-evaluate your outlook on the lifespan of machines. They aren’t meant to last forever and ever. On average, 100,000 miles is pretty impressive, and most manufacturers don’t even guarantee their vehicles past 80,000 miles anyway… So suck it up and either fix it or move on!