1990 Toyota 4Runner

What buyers say

Reputation: what owners and the press report

Sought after: 22RE four-cylinder Four-cylinder

Nine members across three threads prefer the 22RE to the V6 for reliability and easy repairs, most of them in one thread. One who has owned both calls the 22RE with the 5-speed the most reliable, while saying their 22REs needed head gaskets too.^1,2,3
Avoid: 3.0L V6 V6 Less sought after

Seven members across three threads point to the 3.0's head gasket trouble, and three say theirs blew one. Two advise against rebuilding one. Six others call the worry overstated, and one reports about 300,000 miles on theirs.^2,1,4,3
Avoid: Unusually low miles All years Less sought after One source so far

Two members in one thread distrust unusually low miles on a 2nd gen. Both say it can mean a rolled-back or swapped odometer or a truck that sat for years, and one calls under about 4,000 miles a year suspicious.⁵
Avoid: As a daily driver or family car All years Less sought after One source so far

Autotrader does not recommend the first two generations for daily or family use, saying they lack even basic safety systems.⁶

Every warning and recall for this generation, with a box to tick.