Should I buy a 2008 Toyota Tundra 5.7l SR5 360k miles

Hey guys...

I'm looking to buy a toyota tundra mostly to haul a 7x12 ft single axle enclosed trailer that we use for my mobile DJ business.

I found one for sale and the guy is asking 6,900 bucks.

Looks good but the main issue is it has 360,100 miles on the odometer.

Am I crazy for considering it since the price of all vehicles seem to be sky high right now?

 

If $7000 is your budget, your options will be very limited. Are you mechanically inclined? Can you afford an occasional repair?

 

7k isn't my budget... but at the end of the day it's going to be a work truck.

I can do basic stuff like change brakes, and I know it's going to need some work.

I'm also thinking that even if I have 7k into the truck... a guy could buy a used engine that has 120k on it and have it installed for about 8-9k total. Even at that point I'd still only be 15-16k into the truck.

 

5.7 engine, i think it would be fine. I'd be most concerned about rust first. No way id pay $7k though, or maybe im out of touch.

Low ball at $5k and see what happens. That mileage will scare off most people except the die hard toyota lovers.

 

Post some pictures underneath the truck. Where is the truck? Where are you?

It's possible you may need transmission work down the road, but even if you drive the truck 3-4 years and need to dump 4K into a major repair, that hardly seems worth complaining about. You never know, you might go a lot longer than that.

 

I'm in Minnesota. I think I'll buy it tomorrow.

 

I would be very concerned about rust. Definitely look for rust between the frame and the bed, as that can be a tough to spot problem. If the truck is super rusty, run away!

 

Every truck is rusty in Minnesota. LOL.

 

Personally, no. You are trying to run a business. Do you really want to risk breaking down on the way to a job? I would look at renting a vehicle if you can't afford to buy something that you know is reliable. Of all the vehicles out there with 360k miles on them I would only buy a Toyota. I just think the risk is just too high.

 

I get that and I agree there is risk.

Worst case scenario I'll be out 7k dollars.

Although the other thing is that I don't really want to spend 40k on a Tundra either.

 

Mini soda= RUST. Be careful!

 

I would. It looks well maintained from the one photo. My 08 is probably on the road somewhere with a salvaged title. It drove like the day I bought it at 210k miles. I got into a wreck and insurance totaled it out. Here’s the main pieces to look for

Last spark plug change (easy enough to do yourself)
Transmission fluid changed every 100k miles. If it’s due then do it only at Toyota or read the detailed thread here. There’s a special way to do it to ensure it is flushed properly and you need a good OBD scanner.
Differential fluid: rear, front, and transfer case. Easy to do yourself plenty of videos. Just be sure to undo the top plug first. If fill plug is seized up or rusted you don’t want to have drained it first.
08 was a good year not many issues with them. I guarantee he has changed the water pump as that was a known failure piece if not look under the vehicle and check for signs of coolant leaking.
Speaking of coolant I would flush all coolant and replace.
Lastly and biggest is to be sure he’s on top of oil changes.

given the current market a 4x4 tundra 5.7l without a salvaged title is a tough find for under $6k

also sounds like the trucks been driven quite a bit with highway miles to get 300k in 12 years. Highway miles equals less stress on parts.

lastly you may have to change brakes.

I wouldn’t worry about a new engine the 5.7L is bullet proof as long as oil was changed on schedule

 

I’d give him the list of all the stuff mentioned along with brakes/tires needing to be replaced and try to haggle him down a bit to 5500-6k.

 

Did you ever end up getting this truck? Curious to see more pics/details if so. I hear these trucks can go 300k plus easy but haven’t seen many

 

Id low ball him. Nobody else is considering a 360k mile truck.

 

I would haggle, and who cares if it has rust. You would have a reliable work truck that can go a million miles with basic care.

 

I did end up buying the truck. I paid 6k for it... and then put another 2k into with new exhaust headers, starter, and replaced a gasket around the valve covers.

So far so good.

I'll post some more pictures in the near future.