3.4L reliability

[washington taco]

I have 237,000 indicated opn the ODO but guestemate closer to 250,000 due to the larger tires and speed o being off. I have changed the timing belt twice once at 100,000 and again at 200,000 including the water pump both times. Since the first oil change I have ran Mobil one and the truck runs strong! Good luck and look out for front steering issues ie ball joints, A arm bushings and the steering rack/tie rods/rack bushings.

 

[EricBirk]

I have 237,000 indicated opn the ODO but guestemate closer to 250,000 due to the larger tires and speed o being off. I have changed the timing belt twice once at 100,000 and again at 200,000 including the water pump both times. Since the first oil change I have ran Mobil one and the truck runs strong! Good luck and look out for front steering issues ie ball joints, A arm bushings and the steering rack/tie rods/rack bushings.

wow!

 

[timh]

I really really want a 3rd gen 4runner mainly because of the 3.4L:sombrero:. I have been thinking about ditching my 3/4ton silverado and getting one, and it has surprisingly been an unbelievably reliable truck!

 

[EricBirk]

Thats alot of the reason why I want one. Well that and I have had a fetish to the point of almost driving off the road when I see one for as long as I can remember. They are the perfect size, the perfect capabilities, everything is just perfect about them. I will definately miss the power that the VQ40 in my frontier has but its a truck in the end...

 

[MunkeyTX]

273,000 miles here; only had it since Sept. '08, and it's been 100% problem free. Looks like the previous owner (elderly lady) took good care of it, and took it to a local mechanic for all the regular service (nice stack of receipts and invoices). Timing belt shows that it was last changed at 90k miles, 183k miles ago! :Wow1:

No problems, and is so quiet and smooth I've ground the starter a few times thinking it was off. Runs like a sewing machine. :victory:

I've got to echo what one previous poster said, you shop based on the seller, not on the vehicle. I looked at a '99 Limited with E-locker, but the interior was shot, and the girl selling it looked one step away from being in rehab. I wanted it soooo bad (e-locker envy), but I knew it would be nothing but headaches from the looks of it, and her.

Went to test drive my current 4Runner; daughter of deceased lady was selling it, high miles due to her being a vacuum cleaner saleswoman, lots of trips between Austin and Dallas. Found tons of business cards stashed all over the 4Runner, misc vacuum parts under the seats, and little personal trinkets here and there. I could tell that the daughter was keeping the 4Runner as a piece of memory of her Mom, which kinda touched me. Spent the afternoon at their property test driving and asking questions. $3800 later, and I'm driving my 'Grey Haired Momma' home. :smiley_drive:

 

[EricBirk]

273,000 miles here; only had it since Sept. '08, and it's been 100% problem free. Looks like the previous owner (elderly lady) took good care of it, and took it to a local mechanic for all the regular service (nice stack of receipts and invoices). Timing belt shows that it was last changed at 90k miles, 183k miles ago! :Wow1:

No problems, and is so quiet and smooth I've ground the starter a few times thinking it was off. Runs like a sewing machine. :victory:

I've got to echo what one previous poster said, you shop based on the seller, not on the vehicle. I looked at a '99 Limited with E-locker, but the interior was shot, and the girl selling it looked one step away from being in rehab. I wanted it soooo bad (e-locker envy), but I knew it would be nothing but headaches from the looks of it, and her.

Went to test drive my current 4Runner; daughter of deceased lady was selling it, high miles due to her being a vacuum cleaner saleswoman, lots of trips between Austin and Dallas. Found tons of business cards stashed all over the 4Runner, misc vacuum parts under the seats, and little personal trinkets here and there. I could tell that the daughter was keeping the 4Runner as a piece of memory of her Mom, which kinda touched me. Spent the afternoon at their property test driving and asking questions. $3800 later, and I'm driving my 'Grey Haired Momma' home. :smiley_drive:

very nice man!!! man these suckers are tough hahaha

 

[SOAZ]

My 4runner belonged to a wife, but the dirt bike riding husband was handling the selling of it. The giant PINK Roxy sticker on the back window confirmed the wife part was true.
Him selling it backed up him saying that he maintained it along with us talking about dirt bikes for a while. I could tell he was a fastidious bike mechanic who would feel shamed for not keeping up a car properly.

The best selling point was realizing that he didn't know anything about offroading. He said "My wife is a Realtor and she shows a lot of remote lots so she needs something that can go in the dirt better so she got a Tahoe."
HA!
Perfect! I bought her with 70K and she is at 165K now. Never an issue of course.

Just replace the timing belt and then I like to do the plugs, wires and "lifetime" fuel filter every 50 or 60 if for nothing else than to make ME feel better.
:elkgrin:

 

[4Rescue]

SOAZ...Your 3rd Gen is just flat out GORGEOUS!!!!! I love those trucks looks so much, they're just so clean looking and they have such a great drivetrain combo.

AS for the 3.4: GREAT engine. It's every bit as reliable as many of Toyotas other "legendary" engines like the 22RE and 2f etc. plus it makes great power and in the smaller rigs get's greaty milage for the power. Add an SC and a good tuned Fuel-injection unit/computer and you'll have a truck that can go faster then anything like a 4runner or any trail rig for that matter, should go. The 3.4 in either a 3rd Gen 4Runner or an Earlier Taco makes for a great do-it-all rig: plenty of power for playing in the sand and good torque for crawling. not to mention that power makes for a comfy ride on the highway with plenty of power to pass w/o worry (can't say that about my 22RE) AND haul plenty of gear/passengers.

I gotta say as well, it'd be great to see James's truck go to a fellow Expo'er. It's an Oregon truck, so NO ROAD SALT issues wich is nice once you've seen what a long life of NE winters can do to a trucks frame and drivetrain. I don't know James personal, I hope to one day get to meet James in person since we both live in Oregon, but from what I know of him on the board here, he's a great guy who I would not hesitate to do business with.

Cheers

Dave

 

[EricBirk]

My 4runner belonged to a wife, but the dirt bike riding husband was handling the selling of it. The giant PINK Roxy sticker on the back window confirmed the wife part was true.
Him selling it backed up him saying that he maintained it along with us talking about dirt bikes for a while. I could tell he was a fastidious bike mechanic who would feel shamed for not keeping up a car properly.

The best selling point was realizing that he didn't know anything about offroading. He said "My wife is a Realtor and she shows a lot of remote lots so she needs something that can go in the dirt better so she got a Tahoe."
HA!
Perfect! I bought her with 70K and she is at 165K now. Never an issue of course.

Just replace the timing belt and then I like to do the plugs, wires and "lifetime" fuel filter every 50 or 60 if for nothing else than to make ME feel better.
:elkgrin:

Gotta love truck porn in the morning!!! what a GORGEOUS rig!!!

 

[EricBirk]

SOAZ...Your 3rd Gen is just flat out GORGEOUS!!!!! I love those trucks looks so much, they're just so clean looking and they have such a great drivetrain combo.

AS for the 3.4: GREAT engine. It's every bit as reliable as many of Toyotas other "legendary" engines like the 22RE and 2f etc. plus it makes great power and in the smaller rigs get's greaty milage for the power. Add an SC and a good tuned Fuel-injection unit/computer and you'll have a truck that can go faster then anything like a 4runner or any trail rig for that matter, should go. The 3.4 in either a 3rd Gen 4Runner or an Earlier Taco makes for a great do-it-all rig: plenty of power for playing in the sand and good torque for crawling. not to mention that power makes for a comfy ride on the highway with plenty of power to pass w/o worry (can't say that about my 22RE) AND haul plenty of gear/passengers.

I gotta say as well, it'd be great to see James's truck go to a fellow Expo'er. It's an Oregon truck, so NO ROAD SALT issues wich is nice once you've seen what a long life of NE winters can do to a trucks frame and drivetrain. I don't know James personal, I hope to one day get to meet James in person since we both live in Oregon, but from what I know of him on the board here, he's a great guy who I would not hesitate to do business with.

Cheers

Dave

Dave,

Thanks for the info. I really hope this can go through as James does seem like an awesome guy, I know the truck was built well, and I intend to use it for what it was built for BUT take fantastic care of it.