Should I buy this Tundra with 297k miles?

Hi everyone,
I'm in the market looking for a used inexpensive 4x4 truck for my house work and probably build it for camping and overlanding next year. I found this 2003 -see the link below- TRD SR5 with 297k miles on it. Price wise it fits in my budget and it looks like a pretty clean truck, and being TRD and having the canopy is a good deal to me. But I don't have any idea about how many more miles it can go.

I was wondering if you can help me and any advise is appreciated!

P.S. I drive a 2WD FJ Cruiser and this Tundra will be my 4x4 adventurer.

http://www.marysvilleford.com/used-cars/detail/2003-Toyota-Tundra-SR5/950/5TBBT44113S355151

 

There have been Tundras with way more miles than that. As many will tell you it all depends on how it was maintained by previous owners. As long as it was maintained well and there is no rust I would say go for it.

 

I’d probably take it and have it thoroughly checked over. Compression test etc. make sure the transmission is acting right and any available service records shown to you.

 

I paid $4900 for mine with a little over 224K miles. If it's clean, rust free, and has good maintenance records then I'd offer them 4 grand otd. Be prepared to walk. They'll probably backstop you before you get to your car. Good luck.

 

$4,000.00 is a fair price. I turned down $7,500.00 6 months ago on my 2000 limited TRD access cab with then 360,000 miles.but I have taken very good care of it and have a large stack of maintenance records.

 

Do it.

 

I have had three but the one that comes to mind when I read this is my first.. a '95 T100 I bought new. I sold it in 2011 with 250,000 miles on it. I sold it to a friend so I could get a newer model. He now has over 350,000 on it and still drives it every day. I gave my 2004 Tundra to my son just last week with 150k and he is in high cotton. I just bought a 2006. You aren't risking much money. It looks very good. I would go for it. If you weren't 3000 miles away I would look at it myself!

 

Thanks everyone for replies! Well, on Saturday I went and checked the truck. Honestly it was way cleaner than it looks in the pictures! At the dealership they had already maintained the truck and the ride was perfect. I checked underneath the car and surprisingly it has ZERO rust in compare to my 2007 FJ. Also didn't notice anything bad with the engine and transmission and it was shifting pretty smooth, no smoke and shake and whatsoever. Oil pressure was good, all the power amenities (windows, mirrors, 4HI, 4LO, heater, AC, lights) work. Also the body has zero scratch and dent!
The listing price was $4999, but I offered $4000 and walked, but they called me and said they can't go any lower than $4500, sooooooo,,, I BOUGHT IT!

 

Congrats! Let’s see some pics of your new truck!

 

Congrats on the new ride

 

Congrats!! Are you a Washingtonian also? I'm down in Bellevue. I'm glad somebody finally bought that truck! It was on their site for quite some time

 

Thanks guys. Here are a couple pictures for now!

 

Oh nice, yes I live in Kirkland! I guess the main reason was the milage and the fact that they didn't list the truck anywhere else other that their website. Anyways I took the risk and trusted my heart! The truck has a lot of advantages to me as I'm planning to build it up step by step as my overlanding vehicle.
The only thing is the tires which are about %40-%45 and it wasn't a huge deal to me anyways as I'm planning to upgrade the stock wheels and bigger tires.
Any advise would be appreciated regarding the maintenances at this point.

 

Looking good, nice truck! Start off with the cheap stuff. I recommend giving those headlights a good polish before they get worse. I have an 03 sequoia and when I got those things looking crystal clear, it made it look younger.

 

Go to the ‘What have you done to your 1st Gen Tundra’ thread to see what everyone has been doing. Also, their is a ‘1st Gen Build’ thread section that everyone showcases their individual stuff. Some people are very talented on theirs.

 

Complete fluid/filter change. Pull you coils and inspect them. Change the plugs. Clean the maf. And keep us updated on the new ride!

 

Nice clean looking truck. Welcome to gen 1 Tundra.

 

Hi everyone! It's been a few weeks since I bought this truck and realized to share my experience so far about it. As the dealer told me that they have already changed the fluids I didn't change the oils and fluids yet. I was mostly determining and prioritizing my tasks about the truck and my build plan. Overall the truck is performing well and I love it so far! It's been my daily driver and I barely drive the FJ as the Tundra is more comfortable inside and more powerful! below are my issues and I need to know your ideas about them:
------
1- I couldn't see any timing belt replacement in the CarFax history and I was wondering should I replace it now? Considering that I don't see any symptoms of a bad timing belt.
2- The water pump has been replaced only once at 187000 miles and now I'm on 297000 miles. Do you think that I have to replace it as well? (again, don't see the symptoms of a bad water pump)
3- I hear a kind of squeaking noise from the suspension (mostly on bumps and turns) and didn't get a chance to diagnose that yet. Any ideas?
4- Looking for replacing the stock alloy wheels and tires with 9" wheels, so do you recommend 17" or 18"? Also in 265-315 range is there any specific thickness that you suggest?

Thanks in advance guys!

 

check the bushings on the squeaky suspension. also if any leaks on the shocks.
I would go 17" even 16" if possible. For overlanding, you want the bigger tire you can fit. more tire sidewall is better.

 

1) and 2) Most mechanics recommend doing the water pump and timing belt simulaneously. Sounds like you should do both as soon as you can.

3) Squeaky bushings at lower control arms probably. You can wash them with degreaser which helped mine. Ultimately, I had my front end rebuilt which is the best fix.

4) I run 285/75/r16’s (very slight rub and biggest you can fit without lift?) Michelin Defender M/S. Great tire so far. This is my 3rd set of 285/75r16 Michelins. Great tire IMO.

 

#1+2 get them done soonish. The belt is supposed to be changed every 90k, it may be fine but if it breaks there can be severe engine damage. The pump can be changed at the same time for no extra labor so it makes sense to do both.

 

I got an estimate form Toyota dealership for replacing timing belt, water pump and drive belt for $1200 plus TAX. Does that reasonable price?

 

Depends on the labor rate in your area. Mine quoted $800 and my usual mechanic did it for $600 here in NW PA.

 

That is high! Fox toyota in Clinton Tn wanted $800.00. last year. I went to eBay and bought a kit and did mine myself.kit came with water pump(aisin brand) ,high grade timing belt and serpentine belt.also idler tensioner,upper and lower radiator hoses,timing belt tensioner. I pulled up A1A auto on youYouT and the show step by step how to do the entire job.first time took me 8 hrs! Second time took 4 hrs. It would be a good test to flush and replace the thermostat and anti-freeze also.

 

It's sounds like the dealer is charging full MSRP for the parts, what's their labor rate?

 

Well, I called a couple dealers in the area and most of the prices were in the $1300 range. Midas auoted for $1500!!
Looking for some local mechanic shops to see if they can do the job for cheaper. I can't do that myself as don't have time and energy to mess with that actually! )

 

Around here its averaging about $1000 total parts and labor. Plus or minus if you do dealership or local shop. Try a local foreign auto shop in your area if you have one.

 

Hey everyone! Finally I found a place to do the timing belt package for me for $1000 and today they got the job done. The package included Timing belt, water pump, thermostat, coolant, drive belt and all the seals. Also they did a complimentary inspection around the squeaking noise and realized it comes from the front shocks strut and they have been worn out. So next thing would be replacing the front shocks. As I was going to build this truck for camping and overlanding adventures, I had to replace those anyways, so please let me know if you have any recommendations about what front shocks should I use? Oh, and I need to level the truck (lift the front), so I don't know what parts exactly I need. Any advise would be appreciated.

Below is a couple more things that they diagnosed, but they aren't critical for now:
- I might need to replace the rear leaf springs in the future as they've been worn a little bit (they told me it's normal for truck's age)
- Same situation on the drive shaft (normal wear and tear) as it's just a little vibrating on high speeds over 70mph

 

Shocks: Do not get Bilstien 5100’s as they are great for street, but not off-road. I have them and love them for the street.

Leafs: Hellwig add a leaf. Do your research.

Propeller Shaft: Buy an OEM carrier bearing from online and have the shop put on new u-joints, as well, while the shaft is dropped.

What products did they use for your Timing Belt/Water Pump? Saw Aisin (OEM) offers a kit online for around $150!

 

cool, another Washingtonian.. welcome to the club.