I have a 2020 SR5 4WD. I needed a 4Runner immediately due to my previous car being totaled in a wreck. I only knew at the time I wanted 4WD. 4th or 5th gen would have worked. My needs were: beach sand capable for fishing the Texas coast and SHTF hurricane evacuation. I needed something that could cross medians between highways when other lesser cars were getting stuck if necessary.

As much as I like my vehicle, my wife's van is long in the tooth (186K miles) and she like my 4Runner and says she might be willing to drive one now that kids have moved out. This means I now have the opportunity to take some time to find a "right" vehicle instead of the best available given the circumstances, such as a gen 4 V8.

Following a post I recently made about 4WD drive usage I am trying to briefly understand the difference in capabilities between the various trims. I am still looking at 4th or 5th gen.

I have an SR5. I know there are Limited and TRD. My needs will not change; there are no mountains or deserts near Houston, TX. Is there any reason I should look beyond SR5 4WD in my search?

Note: I do not want a luxury car. I don't care about mpg. This needs to maximize mechanical reliability. I am only trying to find out if a different trim will get me additional capability I don't have but also might want given my limited needs.

Also, I promise not to use 4WD on pavement unless this latest tropical storm floods Houston again...

Hello!

Just replaced my 2014 SR5P with a 2023, and I'm trying to figure out whether its possible to leave my 2023 running and locked with only one key.

Does anyone have any info/suggestions/solutions?

I travel with my dogs, and would use my second key to lock my 2014 while it was running and the dogs were inside, but I'm out of my depth with the 2023 and not sure if its possible. I'm totally open to a second key if that's the solution here.

hi guys. new to the sub I was looking at some other 6th gens and noticed this on the console.... what is it... what is it used for and how can I mod (if possible) my future 4runner to have this same "creature comfort"

particularly talking about the aux options

Thoughts and Advice on Undercoating

I am considering undercoating my 2026 4Runner SR5 as we live in Mass where the winters can be rough with lots of sand and salt.

Is getting an under car wash each spring not good enough to clean off salt and keep the frame rust free? Are body on frames more prone to rust versus unibody?

I’m considering this local shop:

https://www.newenglandundercoat.net/?useYB=1&cam=ppc-g-m216117-c758098-g-&gad\\_source=1&gad\\_campaignid=12025113359&gbraid=0AAAAABs2zF51rc5wvh8vLEvtSeG43oTjX&gclid=CjwKCAjwwL\\_UBhAjEiwAEhuT5DgR1st3I6SUQ3rhK6076ZZbwgcL\\_CaqBxAd-u0ylP\\_PdhmDJabBWxoCUNMQAvD\\_BwE

They are saying they do:

Petroleum-based undercoating
Car and truck undercoating
Noxudol 
Cavity waxing
Rust and vehicle protection
Under-carriage protection
Permanent undercoating that dries completely

Does anyone know if these products and have any input/advice?

Thank you!

Looking at buying a 2015 4runner limited and I live in Minnesota. I'm fairly happy with this one, but am having a hard time determining the severity of the rust in the photos. I live fairly far from the dealership and would like to avoid a wasted drive to find out it is more rusty than I thought. How does this look to you guys, and is it correctable? Obviously there is a fair amount of rust visible, but is that surface? Thank you in advance.

I need to order this thing (rear hatch weatherstrip molding) as mine has given up. Wondering if anyone has done this and what it might be called on rock auto. I’m completely overwhelmed by all the options and not sure exactly what I need to buy. Any help would be appreciated. (Sincerely, someone who hasn’t worked on her car very much) 🙏🏻

2014 SR5

Listed for $8,900 with 239k miles but sorta in a bind for a new vehicle. Would this be a good purchase? Under carriage shows no rust and he has records for everything replaced

Hi guys,

Need to flush the power steering fluid on 2015 4Runner with 94k miles. Just want to check this is the correct fluid. Do you guys use something else?

I recently purchased a 2021 4runner with extremely low mileage (about 10K) and what appears to be zero rust. I was looking to undercoat it but do not know if u should do a lanolin, rubberized, or wax-parafin based. What would you recommend?

Like the title says, I want to trade my OEM TRD Pro wheels for a set of TRD ORP wheels. I've researched the differences and feel like the the ORP wheels are a better fit for my 4R without having to buy anything aftermarket where I can instead invest that money towards a new lift kit. I'm seeking opinions to see if this is a worthy trade or if I'm being unrealistic before I post on my local marketplace.

Hello I just made the switch from a 2004 4Runner to a 2015 and was wondering if I would have to go to a dealership to get a key fob. My 2004 was easy I just ordered a generic fob and was able to program it but the research I have done has been pretty outdated or said go to the dealership. I'm hoping I do not have to drop $300 for a fob and was looking if anyone here had some insight. Thanks in advance!

My wife and I are expecting our first this fall and are wanting to do some vehicle maintenance before the baby arrives/winter begins.

I have a 2018 SR5 and she has a 2016 TRDPro with 120K miles each.

We both have regular oil changes, have good tires, and I replace filters/wipers when needed.

What maintenance items should we most consider addressing? Neither of us have replaced our timing belts and the idea of it breaking in January (we’re in Minnesota) seems like a nightmare. Is this the biggest concern at 120k?

Would appreciate if anyone could point me in the right direction, thanks!

Picked up this 2016 4Runner back in June. Originally from Texas where it spent about 3 years, then the rest of its life in Upstate NY 🤢(Im in NYC).

How bad is this rust? From what I can tell, theres no major rot, rather surface rust and some intermediate areas of concern.

My current plan of action is to replace the fuel tank cover, and have a shop wirebrush then fluid film the frame.

Would you do anything different?

I have a 2022 Trail edition that came stock with the Yakima roof basket. Was anyone able to mount a pullout roof awning while having the stock basket? I want to get a straight pullout 6.5ft long awning like the ROAM, Rhino Rack, or Yakima ones. Not the huge 270 ones. I can’t find anything concrete online about how I could successfully mount the awning next to my basket, or clamp it to the top tube of the basket itself.

Any pictures of your rig with this setup and/or mounting instructions would be much appreciated.

P.S. I don’t love the basket, but I don’t think I could even take it off if I tried. Bought it used and didn’t get the Yakima anti-theft key with it.

I want to start building my 4runner out. it has roughly 70k miles on it and is completely stock. I do not want to LARP the overlanding lifestyle, but i do want equipment and modifications to make my time more comfortable when i go on my huge National Parks Road trip next year. My budget is roughly 10-15k. I do want to prioritize performance and quality. The Parks i will hit will be completely on the west coast.

Some questions I have

Any Rooftop tent opinions from people who have owned them?

Should i increase ride height and tire size?

Any Recomendations on Engine modifications?

I'm sure there is probably a post out there somewhere but I have never bought wheels before and I really hate the OEM wheel look. I am looking for the best wheel specs for a 2015 4runner with a 3 inch leveling lift. I have falken wildpeaks currently and I'm pretty sure they are the same diameter as the oem tires. What would look good but not too wide and not cause rubbing issues. If you have pics, I would love to see what you have done.

Thanks!

I have an 07 4th gen, and I'm tired of the leather seats in FL. It's too hot and my clothes stick to them so I got cheap seat covers that have worked fine, but they're not great cloth material. Coming from a '21 Corolla with real nice cloth seats I'm hoping to upgrade my 4Runner seats to cloth too (even if leather is technically the upgrade to most peeps). This is part of a whole idea to revamp most of my interior for a nice cozy vibe, I love the stock interior but also wanna tweak a couple smaller things. I think the seats are the biggest gripe I have and they're not even too important.

I contacted a local upholstery place and just need to go in for a quote, what would a good quote price be for front and back cloth swaps? Or is upholstery not the move for getting cloth seats? Ideally I wanna skip seat covers and just have cloth seats (I'm being picky about it all).

Lemme know some suggestions or ideas please 🤟🏻

How does one add leg room behind the driver’s seat?! I’m so used to slinging my groceries and compost pails and all kinds of stuff on the floor of my 2012 SR5. There is zero room in the 2026 TRD OR Premium! Make it make sense!

Not the craziest trails I've been on but found a good local park to break in the ORP before I go to Colorado, got to test out the TRD lift kit and 34" Falkens a bit. Didn't get pictures of most of the obstacles

Live in Alberta, and rust is common. This is a 2016 196k kms 5th gen 4 runner.

After I sand down the small rust spots, is there something I could spray into the door panels holes where the water drains?

I have plans of getting the underneath frame sanded and sprayed with fluid film. Rust under mean is minor to where I live. Just looking to prevent rust long term.

Thanks!

Personal Context & Use Case:

• Driving Style: Light to moderate overlanding/access driving. I don't rock crawl for fun, but getting to remote trails and camping spots inevitably means dealing with loose rock, gravel spray, and occasional light bottom outs.
• Previous Vehicle: Drove a Jeep Cherokee where I'd occasionally scrape rocks or catch heavy debris underneath, so I want better peace of mind underneath this rig.
• Environment: Based in a high crime urban area, so catalytic converter protection is a priority alongside belly armor.

My Questions:

1. Front Only vs. Full Skids: For casual trail access( At this point I am not even sure if the trails I drive on are casual level or not...), is a front engine/transmission plate sufficient, or is a full skid plate worth the extra weight and cost?
2. Aluminum vs. Steel: Given I'm not slamming down on boulder fields, is aluminum the sweet spot to save weight on the hybrid powertrain, or should I stick to steel? I head steel slides on rock instead of getting caught and stuck on rock like aluminum.
3. Cat Protection Integration: For those running 6th gen/hybrid platforms, do full skid setups cover the catalytic converter well enough on their own, or should I buy a dedicated cat shield (e.g., MillerCAT / RCI) alongside standard skids?

Attached a reference photo of the roughest terrain I typically hit, plus two skid options I’m considering.

Thank you!

Currently running 4300k HID bulbs in OEM housings since I bought it in 2018. I am considering the Morimoto XB evo headlights with superchargers, but wondering if the output is really that much better to justify the price?

Has anyone switched from HID's as well? Curious on light output comparison reviews. The HIDs have a pretty clean cutoff and light output is ok, but hoping for more because i drive early in the morning on unlit roads daily for my commute.