So I am considering a used vehicle purchase. A Toyota.

Based on budget it is going to be an older unit. A pickup or Suv. 4Runner is out purely due to the cost vs what you get. The 4runner is a bit like the Tacoma. Used prices are crazy high for what you get, imho.

I have a gen 1 Tundra 4.7 4wd. Been a great rig. Small gas tank and poor mileage. But other than that a great rig. I will take power over mileage all day long. And it has it.

That brings me to the Sequoia. Believe it is basically the same rig with an Suv body on it vs a truck body in the 2001 to 2006+ model years anyways. Correct me iiaw.

So a Sequoia in early 2000's is what I am thinking and would love some first hand experience. Thinking 4wd, 200k miles or less. >$6000 price range.

Thoughts on the rig specified and what I can expect from one. Can I find one that is not beat to crap and will go for another $100k or more?

Thanks.

I believe they have the 4.7 in then, solid motor. I’d look for one that has a good service history/maintenance records. Check the respected forums as that’s where you can find a documented one fairly easily. May not be close to you, but you’ll know exactly what you’re getting.

I have never been behind the wheel of that generation, but I did have 2019 Sequoia as a rental on a trip a couple of weeks ago. I was let down honestly, I have always like the Sequoia’s but was left unimpressed after a few days. Would definitely recommend driving one or two before pulling the trigger on it. For the record, I am a huge Toyota fan.

Other option would be a Land Cruiser from that time frame. Again, service/maintenance records would be key.

I drove a 2001 Sequoia SR5 2wd for a few years in mid 2000s. Very reliable and comfortable. In the early years the rear tailgate window was notorious for using a plastic roller that usually broke causing an expensive repair. Mine did and I took it to a good friend in the body shop business who fixed it for $300. He said he did an extra good job because he never wants to do that job again.

Also had the ignition cyl wear to where the key would not start. Same body man removed the ig cyl and I took it to a locksmith who repaired for a reasonable fee.

I nearly bought a 2005 SR5 a couple weeks ago. Great history timing belt and water pump done. Clean carfax 163k and price was $5000. I had no need for it but was just going to buy to have for a knock around. It sold while I dithered.

I would buy another if I needed one and think they are more reliable than most used vehicles. That engines is derived from an aviation engine and I've heard it called a will not fail engine as long as maintenance is kept up to date. May be bs but that generation of 4L V8s were tried and proven throughout the Lexus and Toyota lineup.

We just did the front brakes and rear window motor on the ‘02 Sequoia limited 4wd that my kids are using to get to school. It got a fair bit of use early on, then became an airport car, sitting in a hangar with the battery disconnected for those occasions when we were back in the home town. I think it is right around 124k miles.

The kids call it the greatest car known to mankind and I like it a whole lot better than the BMW X5 Mrs slosig replaced it with.

Problems we had with it early on when using it on the ranch (lots of dirt roads then) involved dust buildup around the latch mechanism for the hatch and the cable stretching between the handle and the latch.

Make sure the timing belt has been replaced according to schedule. If it pukes a timing belt, you can bend valves and generally tear the heck out of things, necessitating at least a valve job, if not an engine overhaul. We did it the first time around when it was due by miles. Prolly need to do it again based on the calendar.

The Sequoia, even more than the Tundra, is under braked. Not enough thermal mass there and if you have to do any heavy braking, they heat up and warp, resulting in what the kids refer to as massage mode the next time you go to use them. There are no heavy duty rotors available, but one can get rotors which have been cross drilled, slotted, and zinc plated. This is a major win. They don’t have any more thermal mass (a little less actually), but they shed heat a lot better and seem to solve the problem.

As far as the electric motor for the rear window crapping out, I can’t gripe too much about a motor that gave us seventeen years of service, the first several of which were in rough, dusty conditions.

The gas mileage isn’t great, but that’s pretty much true of any Toyota. I’ll take the reliability and power and try not to snivel too much about how those sacks of fecal material in Sacramento are gouging the crud out of our fuel prices.

I’d not hesitate to get another one as long as I was satisfied with its condition and it was current on the timing belt or discounted to cover the replacement (~$750 around here for the belt and a new water pump if you have a good independent shop do it, prolly more at the dealership, prolly cheaper out of the PRK. Of course cheaper if you DIY, but make sure you get the timing right.). Already having the drilled and slotted rotors would be a nice bonus, but that is an easy upgrade whenever you need to do the brakes. That said, I don’t foresee needing another one, this one is just fine.

Had an 02 Sequoia for several years. My biggest (only?) complaint was the brakes as referenced in a previous post. Had to replace pads/rotors once a year.

Good vehicle but I would find a Land Cruiser or Lexus LX 460 of the same vintage. Likely the most reliable SUV ever built.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Good vehicle but I would find a Land Cruiser or Lexus LX 460 of the same vintage. Likely the most reliable SUV ever built.

You’re not gonna find a Land Cruiser in the model years he wants for 6000 bucks unless it has a TON of miles.

i am not interested in the land cruiser for the same reason as the 4runner and tacoma. Plus a mechanic I respect said they are not really better, just a hellofalot more expensive for parts and labor to do maintenance and fix.

 
My wife bought a 2003 Sequoia Limited in 2008 (the one with all the features and gold lettering), with 67k miles on it. There was one problem with something that caused the ABS light to come on, disabling ABS. It's a known issue with the early years. They were able to fix it with an update. Other than that, no issues at all and it is a wonderful vehicle. No brake problems yet. Though she has only 77k miles on it now, she proactively had the timing belt replacement done ahead of schedule.

I have a 2003 4Runner with the 4.7L.

I have put on brakes, tires and couple of windshields. When I bought it, it had 232k and I got it for $5500. That was six years ago.

Its been the best vehicle I've ever had. I am getting ready to turn 270k miles and it doesn't show any signs of stopping. I have a manifold leak but it goes away when the engine warms. My mechanic said it could be fixed but would cost a lot and would happen again.

I have had the engine light and VCS trac lights on the dash. The codes are for the oxygen sensors. The engine light is no longer on but the VCS trac lights are still on.

Recently, my A/C keeps getting warm. I'll be taking it in to the shop soon.

Its not the greatest on gas but that to be expected. I'd REALLY like to get a Tacoma as I keep having times that I need a bed. I plan on keeping this till it absolutely dies, though.

So I found a one owner 2001 with 208k on the clock.
Overall good cond. Newer tires. Scrape's if and bumps. Normal for its age. Interior is in very good cond. AC blows cold. Hitch looks like it has had little use
Runs strong. Shifts like I expect. Not silky smooth. But my gen 1 tundra doesn't either. 4wd system functions as it should. All glass is good and window motors all work.
Rear hatch works as it should.
No excessive undercarriage or frame rust.
It needs a timing belt and water pump so a $900 dealer item.

What would be a fair price?

If you are paying for the belt and pump, labor included, $3,500.00 tops. I think $3,000.00 would be considered a better deal as it needs the repairs.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
So I found a one owner 2001 with 208k on the clock.
Overall good cond. Newer tires. Scrape's if and bumps. Normal for its age. Interior is in very good cond. AC blows cold. Hitch looks like it has had little use
Runs strong. Shifts like I expect. Not silky smooth. But my gen 1 tundra doesn't either. 4wd system functions as it should. All glass is good and window motors all work.
Rear hatch works as it should.
No excessive undercarriage or frame rust.
It needs a timing belt and water pump so a $900 dealer item.

What would be a fair price?

Go to www.kbb.com, select used car prices, fill out the information, it will give you a price range. Just swagging (they ask for a lot more info than you shared), I got a range of $3203 to $5286 for the SR5 (non-Limited) version from a private party. They also have pricing estimates from dealers. In any case, I’d get the best idea of price I could from them, figure where in the range the car should be, and offer somewhere around that less the $900 for the needed water pump and timing belt. If I bought it, I most likely wouldn’t take it to the dealer, instead using a trusted independent. YMMV.

Btw, kbb.com is Kelley Blue Book. Way back when I was in college, they were *the* authority on car pricing. You had to be “in the business” to buy a subscription, but it was useful to have. Now anyone can go look pricing up on their website for free.

Those vehicles are a money maker for small and large dealers. They retain value if they've been taken care of. You can find them with milages of 125 to 175 for $6,000.00 in beautiful condition. Glad you looked beneath for frame rust as I've seen Lexus in the same year range which looked to be in very nice condition, untill I looked under to find extremely heavy rust.

quote:

I have a 2003 4Runner with the 4.7L.

I have put on brakes, tires and couple of windshields. When I bought it, it had 232k and I got it for $5500. That was six years ago.

Its been the best vehicle I've ever had....

I have a 2008 4Runner with the 4.7L.
I agree... it's awesome. 133K miles.
I recently did the transmission fluid change and it's still very smooth. It's a great vehicle.
I'd buy a Sequoia, but I'm really enjoying the 4Runner.