New Member, questions about leaky Monteros...

[Worshington]

Hey Everybody,

I'm a new member, my fiancé and I need a comfortable spacious vehicle that handle some off-road duty…enter the Montero.

We've basically settled on the Monty because Land Cruisers are a little out of our price range, and we like to be a little different. The most mods this vehicle would get would 31" BFG's and a roof rack with an awning, maybe some lamps. Our price range is $8,000 and under.

So far the three we've looked at have been between 7 and 9 grand. They have ranged from 112,000mi to 130,000mi. So far two have been leaky and one of them was puking. All have been genIII's with years ranging from 2001-2003. Is a leaky truck just a reality of owning a monty? I don't mind some leakage, but it seems like for $8,000 I should be able to get a 10 year old truck that holds all its fluids. It makes me wary that if they all leak, maybe they are more towards the Land Rover end of reliability as opposed to the Land Cruiser end. I just don't want to replace a head-gasket and a main seal within the first year of buying the truck.

I'm sorry if this has been rehashed a few times. I really, really like these trucks and am not opposed to do some maintenance either myself or at a shop. I'm just worried that leaking is just the tip of the iceberg and that these trucks bomb at 150,000 miles. I'm curious to hear about some of your experiences after buying a genIII, and how many seals you all had to replace, and how well your monties are holding up.

Cheers,

Jason

 

[mapper]

For 8 grand you should be able to find a truck that has been maintained and not leaky. Cam seals are pretty common leak points easily fixed, especially along with a timing belt service, which is required every 60k, so those trucks will likely need t belt soon too. I'd keep looking. 8k is a good budget for an earlier gen 3

You should expect some work at 150-200k, honestly that's true with any vehicl, but so long as you keep up on maintenance along the way it shouldn't be anything out if the ordinary. These trucks are very reliable, consequently you'll find many for sale with little to no repairs done and minimal maintenance. Seems many choose to just keep driving until something major is needed. Incidentally i hear you'll find the same issue with most "budget" land.cruisers.

 

[Worshington]

Thanks for the reply Mapper!

Like I said, I'm not afraid of a little maintenance, but I'd like the truck to buy me a drink first…metaphorically speaking. I'm just really ready to hop into one of these things and I'm becoming a little impatient. I'm sure "the one" will come along. I will make sure and let you know when the right one does!

Cheers,

Jason

 

[mapper]

Don't be afraid to buy one that will need a T-belt service and/or cam seals replaced, so long as you know what your local mechanic will charge for that work. Or what your time is worth if you do it yourself. There is tons of information available online regarding cam seals and timing belt jobs. Keep in mind I'm talking about the 3.5 motors. I know very little about the 3.8, which I believe started in 2003??, though I imagine it is fairly similar in basic design.

I hear what you are saying about not wanting to dive head first into maintenance items. But, if you buy the truck a drink first, metaphorically speaking, it may make the date go run a little more smoothly. Remember most people selling a car with ~100k miles on it, will be selling (in part) to avoid paying some basic maintenance costs or minor repairs. You may get lucky and find one of those owners who has done everything required (with documentation) and don't be afraid to pay a little more for that one...as you'll be spared the logistics/headaches of dealing with mechanics or turning the wrenches.

Every used car I have bought, ever, has required some amount of work to get it truly "ready for anything". That's just reality

 

[ultrakill]

Don't be afraid to buy one that will need a T-belt service and/or cam seals replaced, so long as you know what your local mechanic will charge for that work. Or what your time is worth if you do it yourself. There is tons of information available online regarding cam seals and timing belt jobs. Keep in mind I'm talking about the 3.5 motors. I know very little about the 3.8, which I believe started in 2003??, though I imagine it is fairly similar in basic design.
...
You may get lucky and find one of those owners who has done everything required (with documentation) and don't be afraid to pay a little more for that one...as you'll be spared the logistics/headaches of dealing with mechanics or turning the wrenches.

Every used car I have bought, ever, has required some amount of work to get it truly "ready for anything". That's just reality

Exactly! I purchased a sub-$3,000 1990 Montero and have put in about $5,000 more just to make it truly "ready for anything". I was buying an almost 25 year old vehicle so I had to redo all things suspension, brakes, steering related. I really do feel like I got lucky in the one I purchased (the previous/original owner took really good care of it), from what I can tell, can handle pretty much anything. It has only left me stranded once, when the alternator went out. That's just one of those things you can't predict.

If you are buying a 10 year old vehicle, you should expect a few things under the hood, like new belts and plugs and maybe a thermostat. It shouldn't need much more than that, the big one is tires, and maybe shocks, but everything else should be good to go.

Montero's are solid performers, I push mine hard, especially off-roading, and it hasn't let me down yet.

 

[mackkluse]

Don't worry it won't cost you more on maintenance.

 

[montypower]

If you are planning to not spend more than $8k then you need to make your purchase closer to $6k. Most every used vehicle in that price range needs maintenance. Oil leaks are easily resolved when you do the timing belt. I'm tearing down my 2003 Montero currently. Just picked up $1,700 in parts from the dealer (wholesale). Mine has 95k on it and decided to pull the heads and replace all seals, belts, hoses, pulleys... and a few other items brakes, rotors, cv boots, tie rods, suspension, gears.

Also, don't buy aftermarket parts. OEM will save you much heartache. Especially for the timing belt, water pump and other essentials.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

If you are planning to not spend more than $8k then you need to make your purchase closer to $6k. Most every used vehicle in that price range needs maintenance. Oil leaks are easily resolved when you do the timing belt. I'm tearing down my 2003 Montero currently. Just picked up $1,700 in parts from the dealer (wholesale). Mine has 95k on it and decided to pull the heads and replace all seals, belts, hoses, pulleys... and a few other items brakes, rotors, cv boots, tie rods, suspension, gears.

Also, don't buy aftermarket parts. OEM will save you much heartache. Especially for the timing belt, water pump and other essentials.

Actually, most "OEM" parts are re-branded Gates or Moog parts, this is why most of us price shop rock auto and ebay using the OEM interchange numbers.

 

[montypower]

Do you know who makes the starter? I need to replace mine. Where do you find the OEM exchange numbers? I've found the dealer wholesale to be comparable prices to many auto parts stores. Always open to other suggestions.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Do you know who makes the starter? I need to replace mine. Where do you find the OEM exchange numbers? I've found the dealer wholesale to be comparable prices to many auto parts stores. Always open to other suggestions.

You can find the OEM number on rock auto, usually starts with an M, like M2036 for example.

 

[Worshington]

Sooooo....

I bought a Montero this weekend. Found one for 6k outside of Tacoma with 136,000 miles on it. Just got a four-wheel alignment on it yesterday, will be replacing that pesky cam seal next week probably. Truck is in great shape. I will post pictures soon, I've already had the pleasure of driving it over one mountain pass, and did some mild four wheel drive action just a couple days ago. I'm in love. If anyone can recommend a cam seal how-to thread I'd greatly appreciate it. Although, I'm sure they are not hard to find on here.

 

[Evo666]

Congrats on your purchase! Which year Montero did you buy? As always we love to see pics!

Sent from my Samsung Note II

 

[Worshington]

It's an 2002 Limited...very comfy. Everyone who rides in it has trouble staying awake. Took it up a green dot road by my house last week, here's a pic. The dog is a huge fan of the "king of the road" seating position.