1993 Toyota 4Runner SR5 review from North America
"The best looking SUV for 1993 with pretty good performance and great reliability"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
When I bought the vehicle from the dealer, it had a few problems that they didn't tell me about (it was a small "no-name" dealership that carried all makes of cars).
The power steering system had a leak that slowly got bigger. The power steering system is now completely non-functional. It will cost over $500 to fix.
The alternator was not charging the battery fully. The battery slowly died, causing the truck to continuously stall. It cost $300 to fix.
The vehicle came with a rear-wheel antilock brake system which wasn't working all of the time. Now it doesn't work at all. Not sure of the cost to fix it.
The automatic transmission will only switch up to 3rd gear until it warms up (usually takes about 5 minutes before it will switch into 4th and 5th gear). Not sure of the cost to fix it.
The speakers are starting to go, but guess what? I'm a sales rep at Best Buy! That will be a cheap and fun fix up.
General comments?
I am not happy with the dealership at all, and will never buy a vehicle from that dealership again.
The truck plows through snow (4x4). I have never had any problems being stuck in the two winters that I have had the vehicle.
The truck is smaller than most American SUVs. There is not much leg room in any of the seats (the seats are low to the floor because the floor is higher off the ground creating higher ground clearance).
Lot's of room in the cargo area.
The 3.0 V6 engine does not have the greatest acceleration, especially at higher speeds. I think it should have a 4.0 V6.
THE TRUCK IS AMAZINGLY HOLDING ITS VALUE!!! I bought it for $10,000 (it was a pretty good deal). It is now 2 years later, and I will probably be able to sell it for around $9,000 or maybe even as much as $10,000 according to the current going prices.
I am selling the vehicle because the insurance is very expensive. I am going to buy a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee because it has much cheaper insurance, a more powerful engine, and more features for a lot cheaper price.
TOYOTAS LAST FOREVER!!!
Recommended reviews
| A very like-able car that treats me right |
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| Just because you buy a Toyota, doesn't mean it's going to be a good vehicle!!! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1993 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.0 V6 (4WD) Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 143000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 154000 miles |
| Previous car | Oldsmobile Ninety Eight |
| Date of Entry | 19th January, 2001 |