1988 Toyota 4x4 Reviews

Replaced the clutch at 136,000 miles.

Replaced the rear differential around 180,000 miles.

Most dependable vehicle I have ever owned; this truck has delivered freight, survived 2 teenagers, and 4 wrecks.

She looks like heck, but can haul a full load of firewood at 75 mph without breaking a sweat!

I drove her off the lot in 1988 with 11 miles on the odometer for $10,500.00 (I took about a 8 mile test drive). She has never let me down, and I have never had to be pulled out of the mud or snow; I have rescued larger 4x4's though.

I suspected that the head gasket blew, The compression was 175lbs for all six cylinders. The head gasket was leaking near a water jacket. The engine still ran great! Head gasket was changed at 270000 miles. No valve job was needed and the engine uses one quart every 1200 miles.

I had a "cold start" problem and the problem turned out to be a bad relay.

This is one of the best trucks I've ever owned! No matter how hard you treat it, It keeps running great! as long as you service it regularly! I've pulled several 3-4 thousand pound boats and 4X4'd for hundreds of miles.

In the last couple of years I've made many upgrades like: 6K winch, suspension, 5.29 gears, Detroit locker in the rear, aux fuel tank, and removed the front sway bar and added adjustable Rancho 9000 gas shocks.

Replaced the starter.

Replaced the clutch.

Replaced rotors at 210,000 miles.

Replaced power steering pump at 200,000 miles.

Replaced the head gasket at 150,000 miles, not because it needed it. There was a recall so I figured "Why not? With 150,000 miles and free!"

Repaired radiator.

Seats are very worn, even broken.

Small frame around interior door handles has started crumble from age.

Exterior mirrors broke at about 75,000 miles. They were just cheap factory plastic.

This is the best vehicle I have ever owned. It's tough, reliable, pretty powerful, good looking. I only have two complaints about it that I can live with; the exterior stock mirrors are garbage (from day one), and the defroster/defogger has been a piece of junk since day one. But, for as good as this truck has been to me I can't complain. It is now starting to fall apart cosmetically, but I can live with that. It is 15 years old with 217,000 hard miles on it and I live in a state with and average of 340 sunny days a year. In the summer the sun is brutal on our paint & interiors.