I have a 1999.5 SE 4x4. 111,500 miles. Don't know if I want to sell it or keep it. I'll admit I've been looking at some older 4Runners. Tempting to pick one up. Are they really that much more reliable than the Path?
Only problems are:
Loose exhaust
2 bad 02 sensors
Plan on getting the exhaust fixed, don't really care about the 02 sensors at the moment.
There is a very slow coolant leak. If it's a head gasket issue, I'll be selling it sooner than later. There are no outward signs of a gasket problem though. I'm going to get it pressure tested this week.
The tranny shifts a *little* hard. It's inconsistent though, and seems to happen regardless of gear. Sometimes you don't feel it at all, sometimes you feel it a little. It's not a violent jerking, like my buddy's old 91 Accord used to have when shifting. Would a fluid replacement be helpful in that matter?
Other than that, will be doing timing belt and water pump too. Possibly coolant hoses and drive belt if I decide to keep it. I would also do a tranny fluid change. Car is due for new spark plugs, but it drives fine and idles very smoothly.
Car was previously owned by a mom until 99,000 miles. She took it to her longtime family mechanic. Heck, he could've had the timing belt done, but I'd never know since it wouldn't be in Nissan's systems. All I did was change the oil and oil filter every 3000 miles or less, new tires, and new air filter when I got it.
So how long could this thing realistically last me?