1999 Toyota Landcruiser Opinions?

I'm looking at a used 99 landcruiser. The car looks brand new. I was shocked when I found out it was 10 years old. It's also got 160k miles on it which is alot but I understand Toyotas can run 250k+. Any and all opinions welcome if you have any toyota knowledge or experience. They are asking 10K. Thanks.

the son in law has one the same vintage. they are good vechicles but only last as well as there former matainence. I just did a 4 wheel brake job with rotors and the parts are quite pricy but the quoted labor he got made him bring it over to my lift and take the time to save 6-7 hundred!!
I noticed a flaw in the design where by the a/c condensate drain hits the front oxygen sensor right behind the rf wheel and it rotted it very bad. the front pipe comes with the cat and was astromically expensive. removinging the exhaust and painstakingly mig welding saved the day there .

valve cover gaskets leak at high mileage and are another chore to replace. a very tough vechicle but repair costs at this age and milage can be a deciding factor. I believe 10 K is several thousand too high with that milage.

Yes, yes to much for the mileage. Look around on Craigslist (use Search Tempest for locating things in a broader area than just local). The Lexus lx470 is the same beast. Make sure everything works, lots of do dads and gadgets that will cost you if they need fixing. One thing for sure, they are a great ride!

I love my Toyotas! We got a Tercel Wagon fresh out of school because it was what we could afford. The routine maintenance requirements were minimal so we could count on not having a lot of unexpected repair bills. We ran the hell out of that car - cross country and city. 14 yrs, 3 kids and 250,000 miles later when it started nickel and diming us to death our mechanic recommended we start looking around for something else; it was just tired. We did and got two Corollas to replace it. The one - our around town car is a 2001 and has over 120,000 on it; little or no repairs beyond routine things like brakes and mufflers. The other a 2004 is pushing 90,000 and is with my daughter at school because I trust it will be there and working when she needs it. Again we've had little or no out of pocket surprises. A good friend ran her Seneca van for over 300,000 miles before it couldn't pass the emissions test. I know that with any car purchase you take a chance but I'll bet my money on a Toyota every time. Lisa

Back in the early '80s, I bought a brand-spankin new Toyota Starlett for $5000. 5-speed on the floor, 54ci, not much under the hood, but not much to fail, either. That thing was rated at 54MPG !!!! I even put a tow hitch on it to tow around my 14ft Jon-boat. Ran great! I had it for 10 years, 150k miles. NEVER a problem. Sold it to a friend of mine, who drove it for another 150k miles. The only thing that ever failed on it was the starter actuator spring. The body panels were beginning to rust away the last time I saw it, but it was still running great.
Having said that, 10k seems to be a little high for a 1999 Landcruiser. You should be able to get a couple thou knocked off that, by telling him hyour going to have the engine overhauled, or something like that. Look for any leaks, and any issues under the vehicle. Sounds like the body is in great shape, but if it breaks down, that nice body is not going to count for much.

I had a FJ40 1970 toyota landcruiser and it was one of the best 4x4 ever. a 327 chev bolted right up to the bellhousing and it was a beast! I worked at the toyota dealer in stroudsburg in the early '80's and the vechicles are indeed put together for the long run. the late model land cruiser and lexus's do indeed have excessive gadgets. Coming back from fla a few yrs back i too looked for that landcruiser for the winter. the price for high milage used ones prompted me to change gears and now i have a '01 Land Rover that has more gadgets than the yota for 7 grand less with apples and apples comparesion and I can fix all the headaches that arise from the limey machine. it is a stronger built vechicle althoufh the prince of darkness Lucas had his hand in it still......

I thought the price was steep too until..........

http://fortsmith.craigslist.org/ctd/1414369884.html

Saw another for $15500, doesn't make sense but I guess they can get it.

Coaledsweat, Thats not fair! The beast you have located is in Arizona, probably the best place you can buy a used car. If I could I would buy it!
Yes the Cruisers and Lx470 are up in price, but they have to start some where and you can start the deal making from there. Be picky with this one. (Price on a 1998 Lx470 ran about $70,000.00 just had to put that in the mix)

Thanks everyone. Per NADA guide, about 13k.

KBB trade in value $7400, private party value $9440. Me, i would say no way, 10 years old with that high mileage, any car in my book drops to $1000. Smell the transmission fluid, probably smells like burnt varnish. Problems with ABS $2500 repairs(google). V8 with a timing belt? They usually are a chain. Recommend change at 90,000 so it should have been done once,get paperwork to prove it was done, will need it again at 180,000. It is an interference engine, which means if the timing belt breaks because it wasn't changed, it bends the valves and costs major money to repair, likely the whole top of the engine. I've seen vehicles go over the recommend change interval but your driving on borrowed time. Most likely a dealer thing too unless you are pretty well familiar working on cars.

Maybe put $10k down on a less used 4-runner, Highlander or Sequoia. The Land Cruisers are a heavy nice riding beast for sure, gas mileage is bad 13mpg average the power options start to give out at 200k miles so beware, traction control will be the first to go then the power roof and the electric shocks (if equipped)are probably all done. 160k miles is high no matter what the brand, they all have steel crankshafts that ride on bearings which wear down over time and the suspension is made of wearable components, electrical connectors get corroded, gaskets get dried up and brittle with age, etc... The LC has a design life of 10 years 150k miles, after that they expect the owners to junk them. If it was a heavy duty diesel truck then 150k miles is nothing.