Check out our 1997 Toyota 4Runner 4X4

We bought it from a rancher north of St George in December of 2020. It had been sitting in the sun for a while and the paint shows it. We come down from Alaska twice a year and it has provided reliable transportation on the back roads east of Zion Park since a few days after we bought it. I didn’t like automatic transmissions either, but Toyota builds an impressive tranny with manual shift high range low range. This drive train is the same as the 1997 Toyota SR5 Pickup and our rig has climbed some steep trails along the Skutumpah road and a number of slot canyons that I don’t want to tell you about.

The timing belt was replaced before we owned it at 160,000 miles and we replaced the tires, a cracked and leaky heater hose, and had the Pro Auto mechanic maintain the engine. This trip to the shop happened shortly after we bought it.

The mechanic did not like what he found. The engine did not pass a compression test and it still doesn’t six years later. He said the cause could be a blown head gasket due to low coolant from the leaky hose, but he said the car was not worth the money it would take to have him fix it.

So we change the oil, top up the fluids, and use it whenever we are in Utah. During a dozen trips to Utah its never let us down.

I should mention a few bad things.

Multiple failed compression test. My wife is worried that it will die and leave her on the side of the road.

Bent front fender

Dings and scratches on both sides

Missing rear bottom seat cushions.

Faded paint, some of it repainted in a flat black

Some tears on the interior.