Originally Posted by deadeye48
The 03 and 04 came with 3.4 V6 not the 4.0. The 4.0 didn't come out until 05. I'd ask the owner some more questions about this vehicle

That’s incorrect for the 4runners...the Tacoma didn’t get the 4.0 until 05 though.

The 2003-2009 4runners (4th gen) have the 4.0L V6 or 4.7L V8, and the 96-02 4runners (3rd gen) had the 3.4L. The 03s & 04s had the 4 speed transmission, but in 05 they went to the 5 speed so those should get slightly better but still sucky gas mileage lol. Also, 2006 models got a facelift. The 03-05 models have some issues with failed head gaskets on the 4.0L (build dates after Nov 2005 should have the new gasket style). There are lots of frame rust issues/complaints with the 4th gens, so make sure to look it over REALLY well, especially if it’s a northern vehicle.

We had a 2000 Limited 2wd with the 3.4L from ~50k miles until 200k miles. It actually slung a rod at 120k miles (out of warranty), but Toyota covered almost all the costs of a new motor since it had been serviced by the dealership its entire life (was my wife’s before we met, so her dad had taken it to dealership for everything). It also had some steering rack issues, but I loved that thing and would’ve kept it if it was 4wd.
We currently have a 2003 Limited 4wd with the 4.0L that I bought in May 2015 with 92k miles and currently has 168k miles. I’ve had to replace both wheel bearing hub assemblies and the radiator due to a small leak. Mine was a northern vehicle and has some minor rust, but I went ahead and bought it since a 4wd was extremely difficult to find at the time.

Last edited by UARandy3; 09/04/19 07:28 AM.