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Comments
Aside from that, buying out of state is usually uneventful if you don't need dealer arranged financing.
Part 2: any challenges buying in Nevada/Arizona, and registering in California?
Link4 got me thinking, and NV/AZ have better incentives at the moment.
I suppose for head-to-head comparisons, Toyota has a case for offering it. I just don't understand why it has any actual appeal in this vehicle. Just seems to me the Sequoia or a minivan would be the way to go if you really need to carry a lot of people. At least that way you can do it comfortably.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 3rd row isn't offered with either the JBL or NAV, or is it just NAV? Wonder if the seat interferes with the speakers in the 10-speaker system?
Last but not least, I'd love to hear from someone in the Truckee area. I know many get their vehicles in Reno but I don't know how they get them registered here unless they're using a friends address in Nevada for about a year. I hear its much easier to register a used vehicle after about 7000 miles or 1 year. Many work at casino's in Reno & I suspect thats how they're circumventing California's taxing attitude. But then again maybe the Reno dealers are doing California paperwork due to the volume of California customers. Can anyone from Truckee add to this?
Are there any things to check out, like when the belts were replaced or valve troubles, aircon problems or specific weakness's etc. I will get a CarFax report to check its title/mileage history etc.
As this is the first car I will have bought in LA (I'm moving over from England) what things do I need to sign or obtain from the seller to ensure I own the car after/before handing over the hard-earned cash?
All comments would be welcome.
Thanks Bill
But, to each their own.
I had a '97 and it was a very good truck, no specific weaknesses to talk about but I hated the cupholders. If your a coffee drinker (maybe tea since you're from England...j/k) you will find out what I mean.
Drive the truck under stop and go driving conditions and up to 50 mph in 4WD (poor traction conditions or in a short straight-line only) and make sure the drive train makes no noise. If the previous owner neglected to grease the propeller shaft fittings, then there may be expensive work needed in that area.
If you have one, make sure the 4WD indicator stays on without blinking and turns off without much delay after switching back to 2WD.
Get a reference from friends for a mechanic you can trust and get the undercarriage looked at carefully. Although most 4Runners are not treated harshly, some are taken off-road and will show it. I would avoid an off-road truck. There are many that have only been used to drive to and from work. No need to take one that has been worked hard.
Also, some owners will take their trucks on the beach. This is not a problem unless they are careless and not hosed off the undercarriage after the sand exposure. I have been told that sand may cause excessive wear in the drive train components (u-joints, sleeves, etc.). This goes along with the test drive and mechanical inspection mentioned above.
Alot of 4Runners have been equipped with a supercharger from TRD (Toyota Racing Development). The owner might remove it before selling the vehicle. Ask about this. You might ask if he/she has one for sale to find out if one had been installed. I would think twice about buying a truck that has had one installed. The engine is very strong, but like I said above, there are alot of cream-puffs running around.
steve_ Aug 25, 2003 8:26pm
Nice distinction about the lemon law, Cliffy. I've seen posts that say the car had to be purchased in your state, but just looked up Idaho's law and it also says sold or licensed.
Steve, Host
What should a California resident look for when buying a new vehicle from another state?
California residents are prohibited from importing, purchasing, or leasing a new vehicle from another state, unless the vehicle was manufactured for sale in California and the Environmental Protection Agency label certifies the vehicle has California smog equipment. California considers a new vehicle to be any vehicle with less than 7,500 miles on the odometer at the time it is purchased or aquired.
My wife's car came from out of state, but it was registered in California after it had over 7,500 miles. She had no problems.
After being told he'd call me in a week and not recieving a call from him, I called 10 days after the deal. He said he was still making submissions using the proper protocol via the Toyota dealer allocation and swap system and no bites yet. 2nd call I made was 7 days after that, same response. 3rd time was a visit to the dealer 7 days after the 2nd call, 4th and last call I've made was 4 days after the 3rd call. In the last two he stated that his district manager is aware of the situation. He has promised he would call the sales managers at the out of state dealers where the near match future production vehicles are slated to go to. This is something he said he would do when I cut the deal.
I've been cordial, calm, and reasonable. I have wanted to see the process moving forward and have routinely asked what was done and what will he be doing next to "make this happen." I'm also stepping up the calls. The calls are short an sweet and I don't sense I'm being a PITA...he always say call anytime you'd like.
For those of you who know about this end of the business, am I being too patient or is this simply how long this type of process takes. Level headed input and suggestions are appreciated.
TIA,
Leah G.
You gave him plenty of time to make the deal. Get your money back and go with another dealer that can make it happen for you.
What stands out in my mind is the fact YOU had to call every time. He has never bothered to even pick up the phone.
Time to cut and run to a reputable dealer- and tell the manager why you are taking your business elsewhere.
Upon reading your story, one of the first things that struck me was that you've not mentioned having any contact or working relationship with a "new car" sales associate at your chosen dealership. These sales associates are supervised by, and answer to, their sales mgr. In my opinion, your sales person of record should be the one who advocates for you and keeps close tabs on the progress of your order, as well as keeping you regularly informed, reassured (if possible) and updated. In other words, the sales associate should not only be your "hand-holder", but also the person who dogs the sales mgr. on your behalf, until the deal either falls through or succeeds to your utter satisfaction.
In my opinion, I can't help but wonder if you're feeling ignored partly because you've somehow bypassed a sales associate and instead placed your confidence with a sales MANAGER whom you're expecting to do the legwork and "hand-holding" that would normally be conducted (for the most part) by one of his subordinate sales associates. By the same token, why hasn't this sales mgr. delegated a sales associate to work with you and keep you reassured and regularly updated as much as possible?
Like Terrafirma (and you!), I would be very concerned about the fact that this "reputable" dealership seems to have forgotten about you and your new vehicle once the ink on your "deal" had time to dry. Even more worrisome is the fact that they've never called you or returned your calls, and that you've had to repeatedly call them and even go so far as to visit them in person in order to tactfully confront them and just have a conversation about the status of your order.
If I were in your shoes, I would give this dealership the boot and go elsewhere, all the wiser.
Leah
tirerack.com and they were not the highest rated tire. Thanks.
They are all-terrains though, maybe not the tire type wanted if you're sticking to the street only.
Yesterday am, the dealer changed out the amplifier that shipped with it (a TSC). They said that it may not fix my problems, but because of the TSC and the documented noise that the original amp could cause, it was worth a shot. If the radio controls freeze again, they will replace the radio too.
They also probed the system to see if any trace of the high RPM's were evident. Nothing was found. If it happens again, and it hasn't after the first time well over a month ago, I'm to bring it back immediately.
One other thing they changed were 'cushions' to do with the front suspension (another TSC). I had earlier reported squeaking when driving over rather large speed bumps around my residence.
I'm not happy that I've been having some issues with a new vehicle, but I haven't any reason to complain about the dealer I've chosen.
I'll post if these computer related issues continue.
Cross Terrains offer excellent winter and wet weather traction/handling, as well as great reliability, extended tread wear (e.g., a limited 65,000 mile warranty) and minimal road-noise. They are also a very handsome looking tire.
If you don't have "abusive" driving habits, then under normal driving conditions a set of Cross Terrains may last well beyond 65,000 miles if you faithfully rotate them every 5000 miles, and otherwise keep them well maintained.
For those of you who have these tires on your 03/04 Runners, check and you'll see what I mean. I've searched and can't find any info on the change.
I have about 9000mi on my 2003 4Runner V8 Limited with nary a problem. I consistently use 87-89 octane and haven't smelled any sulfur even under hard acceleration for the past 4000mi. I have no problems mentioned under prior TSBs and am satisfied. In the spring, I'll try driving with the rear cargo window open just to see if any sulfur enters the vehicle.
You must remember the internet is skewed to enthusiasts who can't get enough of their cars and people looking for solutions to problems.
The vast majority of 4Runner owners, it seems, have positive experiences
To top it off, the 4Runner is a tough SUV than can take you anywhere.
By the way, no smell problems, no vibrations, and I find the JBL to be fantastic. The navigation system is extremly user friendly, the back-up camera is very useful, and the seats as comfortable as my old Lexus. I am extremly satisfied with my 04 4Runner.
Anyone who is holding back on the purchase based on the postings on this board should relax, take several test drives of the vehicle, and be assured that this is an awesome vehicle.
bmc5 - I had the exact thing you describe happen to me once. It went away as soon as I shut the vehicle off and turned it on again. Haven't seen it in the 10 months since. Go figure.
Now my biggest pet-peeve (other than stuff sliding out of the rear cargo area due to the double-decker system, which I've solved with how I unload the area now...) is the remote keyless system FOB. It seems to me all my other keys on my keyring always hit the 'unlock' button when I'm just holding the ring in my hand, or taking it out of my pocket, etc. It seems way too easy to hit those buttons with the design of the FOB. Never had that problem with the keyless on my Audi. Grrrrr. It's minor, but annoying.
later and hope that the radio will work for my commute home from nyc. It will be a long quiet ride without being able to listen to my favorite radio station 95.5 WPLJ. So far I really like my vehicle and hope this is just a minor system glitch that doesn't continue. Thanks.
Regards, JC
Thanks.
Oh ya and I took mine into the dealer to get the JBL system checked out and they advised it was the amplifier and that they will replace it.
VSC works in both 2WD and 4WD modes.
I did a long post a while back (around the first of the year) describing my experimentation with this sort of thing, including more detail on what the manual says. That post might be useful to you in this case. Good luck, and post again if your questions aren't all answered.
Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TC) are separate but closely inter-related safety systems. As I understand it, TC can be thought of as a last line of defense mechanism to bring the potentially careening vehicle back to a safe attitude when certain parameters are met or exceeded, such as a serious loss of traction as well as a marked deviation from the "intended" path of the vehicle. [The onboard computer constantly monitors, compares, and even calculates a multitude of data, including the position of the front (steering) wheels and any deviation from this intended path; as well as other parameters such as angular momentum; yaw; wheel slippage, etc.] If I'm correctly remembering the information I've read in the owner's manual, the beeping you described is an alarm telling you and warning you that the vehicle's onboard computer is sensing sufficient "loss of control" conditions to kick in the *Traction Control* function. when the TC kicks in and we hear this beeping alarm, it is an indication to proceed with more caution. (I do believe that VSC and TC can be disabled by locking the center differential.)
Try taking the vehicle to a wide-open and icy parking lot, and with the VSC and TC engaged, try to get the vehicle "out of control" and you should get a better sense for how the system works. If you do this, you may find that TC may essentially bring the vehicle to a halt despite the driver's throttle, brake, and steering inputs. It's important to know this information, since it can guide the more advanced driver to know when locking the center diff. (and thereby disabling VSC/TC) might be a good idea.
When I accelerate from a stopped position (for example) on and icy road, the vehicle chugs a bit and the icon with the car skidding pops up (Im assuming that is the Traction Control)???
It does not beep at that point. It did beep when I was going at a much greater speed on the highway and appeared to lose control.
So I guess Im a bit confused as to the difference b/w Vehicle Skid COntrol (VSC) and the Traction Control....
Vehicle Skid Control is activated when it senses the vehicle losing control (skiddig sideways, etc.) and it tries to bring the vehicle back into control by applying separate wheel brake force and/or cutting power. When VSC kicks in, it beeps because this is more serious. It is warning you that the vehcile is losing control, not just losing traction.
If you've got beeping, I'd say that you are going too fast or attempting turns that put you in danger of a real spin, where the vehicle is sliding sideways or spinning around. This is definitely stuff to avoid. For stability control, the vehicle computer looks at vehicle motion (from wheel sensors and accelerometers/yaw sensors) and which way you are pointing the front wheels. It figures out what you are trying to do and does things like braking individual wheels (or both wheels on one side) and backing off on the throttle to get the vehicle to do approximately what you want. If you're on a really slick surface or traveling too fast, or if you make large and sudden steering changes, there may be too big of a difference between what you are asking for and what the vehicle (assisted by VSC) can do. When the computer detects this it beeps to tell you that it thinks you are losing control.
In general, leave the vehicle in 4WD and don't use the center differential lock button if you don't have a specific reason. Some occasional sounds and sensations (including the blinking light on the dash) are normal for slick roads, whether accelerating, decelerating, or turning. But if you've got beeping, you're in danger of having a very bad day, and should either slow down or avoid the conditions that produce it. Unless you change to better tires, beeping means you don't have enough traction for the vehicle to do what you're asking.
For a vehicle with all these features I think it really makes sense to go to a slick area that's open, so you can experiment. That's the best way to learn what to do and not to do. This VSC/TC/ABS system is a superb one for most conditions, but it's not magic.