Toyota Land Cruiser

tidester

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tidester, host

jamesbass1

TOTALLY A HOAX, IMHO.

jessica1

I'm interested in purchasing a 2003 Land Cruiser. I had also been looking at 2000 through 2002 but found there were changes made in 2003. Is there any issues or concerns I should know about with that model year? One of the reasons I am interested in the Land Cruiser is the reliability. I have two young children and need something that is totally reliable. I had also been looking at the Volvo XC90 but I'm concerned about their reliability -- I love their safety though. I have been unable to find any info. on the safety of the Land Cruiser, any information on that also? I'm trying to make a decision soon. Any suggestions? Your help would be truly appreciated.

mercara

Volvo's have known to have reliability issues. I would go for a landcruiser 2003 model or newer. The 2003 and newer models have a 5 Speed auto and a nicer dash board. If safety is a concern, make sure that you pick up one with side curtain airbags option. If you don't need towing capacity and prefer a softer ride, I would recommend looking at the MDX. Again stick with 2003 or newer models as earlier Acuras suffered from transmission failures. IMHO MDX is the most value for money luxury soft-roader out there.

vavavavolvo

I second the above advice. I have had an unbelievable number of expensive problems with my volvo, whereas my LC has had none. I also have an Acura (not MDX) which has been extremely reliable. You aren't likely to find crash test data on a LC. Most expensive, low volume vehicles are not crash tested by NHTSA or the Insurance Institute. From the anecdotal reports I have read about LC collisions, along with the passive and active safety features in the vehicle and its mass, I am comfortable that I am driving a very safe SUV.

vegman

2006 TLC. looking at buying. First thing that struck me was how light the door felt and cheap the door handle was and the also the steering wheel. anyone have any opinions about this? Currently driving an FX45. Does the Lexus LX have heavier doors? I know the wood interior upgrade must bring some girth to it.

hprjr

Can anyone advise me on which is the best tran. fluid to use in our '01 LC-type III or IV? The manual says type III, although the dealerships mainly carry type IV. Thanks

vcheng

... replaces previous fluids for these transmissions. An alternative in Mobil ATF 3309. Either one of these would be better than T-III IMO.

mercara

The new caddillac escalades have really heavy doors. Check them out I like the weight of the doors. helps if you get get smacked on side by a semi. make sure get the side curtain airbags too.

nedzel

The 2003 LandCruiser is certainly reliable. It is relatively wide, so it is less likely to rollover than a narrower SUV. However, it still has a higher center of gravity than a car-based SUV or a minivan. And it gets very poor mileage.

One of the big strengths of the LandCruiser is its offroad prowess. If you don't need that capability, you might consider a car-based SUV or minivan instead. You'll get better mileage, better ride, and less chance of a rollover.

One other issue, the volvo SUV has a rollover protection system that uses differential braking to reduce the chance of a rollover. The 2003 Land Cruiser doesn't have that.

mcarter0

My '02 LC Nav system comes up with an error message. Took to dealer and they said $6k to fix. Anyone know of any shops that repair stuff like this - I'd rather pay a 3rd party shop $1K to fix a unit than spend that kind of money to get a new "older" unit. Fortunately all esle still works (radio, air) so it's just like not having a nav unit.

Thanks - new to this group - love my car and can't wait til the '08!

mercara

You could try one of those places who install NAVS, TV's etc. If it's too expensive to fix and if all the other things work, you maybe better off buying a Garmin or Magellan unit.

This is one reason, why I would prefer not to have the NAV optoin in my new TLC as I plan to keep it as long as I can. I wonder if I can special order one from the dealer without the NAV and the fancy suspension package. It the NAV and the suspension fail, it will probably cost crazy amounts of money to fix these things.

The NAV is useful, but I probably use it only a couple of times a year and will be more than happy with an external unit.

tidester

Hi, everyone. As you've probably noticed, we have been trying to refine the discussions into more narrowly focussed topics. Our objective is twofold. We want to make it easier for people seeking specific information about their vehicles to find it easily and without having to wade through hundreds or thousands of postings.

To those ends, we will be shutting down the general make/model discussions and work exclusively with specific issues. This requires us to populate the make/model subsections with relevant, interesting and timely topics. Rather than having the hosts simply create boilerplate topics for each make/model, we feel that you, the owner, the make/model enthusiast and the prospective buyer can best judge what those topics should be.

You can help by adding a discussion (it's easy!) or suggesting one here.

To add a discussion, click on the last link in the "You are here" line at the top of this page. That will take you to the topic page for this make/model. Review the list of topics and click on the "Add discussion" link when you've decided what topic you'd like to add. Follow the directions and you're done! Feel free to add more than one. Just avoid duplicating existing topics and try not to make it TOO specific!

Your help and continued participation in the Forums is greatly appreciated! Thanks.

hypnosis44

That's right, very little crash data there, more information on the IIHS site, but still not too much on low production SUV's. They have geometry ratings on the TLC head restraints, but no crash ratings on them. They do show real world Injury, Collision and Theft Losses under that title in the left side bar link. TLC and LX have the lowest injury ratings in their category.

This link should take you to it.

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx

seattlecruiser

I own a 2000 LC with a little over 80k miles. I use it mostly for road trips, not day to day commuting, so I'm putting relatively few miles on it. As a result, I don't think the regular maintenance schedule works for me -- I'm assuming some of the fluids should be replaced even though the mileage doesn't call for it.

So, my question is this: When I go to the dealer and have them flush and replace fluids, which ones should I ask them to do? Engine oil is a given (and the one I have been taking care of religiously), but what about transmission, brake fluid, etc.? Which parts should I have lubed? I'm not much of a DIY'er (in case you haven't noticed), so what would be recommended by those of you who pamper your LCs? Should I insist on Mobil1 for engine and transmission? Is the dealer the best place to do this, or is a Midas or an indie shop just fine for this type of work? How different is the LC from other vehicles in this regard?

Any advice is much appreciated.

hypnosis44

For most all service and repair find a reputable, well trained independent who specializes in Toyota with a good level of experience working on TLC. The independent should be able to give you good advice on what to change and when based on your driving habits and geographical area. Stay away from Midas or any chain system if you value your vehicle at all! Others here will have some good input on "what and when" as well.

tidester

Please go to the group top level and create a discussion that fits your comments/questions or post in an existing discussion.

Toyota Land Cruiser

tidester

Enjoy!

tidester, host

cmkudija

Husband & I test-drove a 2001 TLC on Saturday with about 54K miles on it. It's a "certified used vehicle" and the dealership has it (ahem) "on sale" for about 38K. We're wondering if it's a good deal -we think it is and are wondering if we should not pass it up.

According to the Carfax report, it's just come off a 5-year lease and has been maintained well. From what I understand about the Toyota certification program, I think the vehicle's probably been screened fairly well.

Any comments on whether we should jump on this deal? We would definitely use all the TLC's capabilities driving in the mountains & desert, and are looking for this sort of vehicle, having just lost a '94 Grand Cherokee to a sleeping driver - of a peewee Honda Civic :P . Any thoughts would be appreciated - this forum's already been a tremendous help in my thought process.

cmkudija

Whoops - correction: the dealer has it on sale for $29K. Don't know where that 38K came from - perhaps because I was going to offer 28K .

coupedncal

In my opinion, that is quite a bit over-priced. Please check out Edmunds' prices and match those with prices in your local paper and cars.com. In this day of seemingly high gas prices, $29k is quite high for a six year old LC.

qualitynut

Jessica, my wife drives a 2003 and it has been 100% reliable (no repairs). Our children are 7 and 9 and they love riding in the vehicle because they can see out much better than in my Avalon. The vehicle came standard with skid control, electronic brake force distribution and ABS all of which are listed on the Sticker. Ours also has the optional side curtain airbags which protect the head, etc. We just put on new tires after 40k miles. I did extensive research before purchasing and found that it was the most reliable, best designed SUV in the market. Good Luck, Rick

qualitynut

Weight certainly can have an impact on crash worthiness. Something I have noticed on the LC is that when I close the door, it makes a very solid sound. Probably the best I have ever experienced was in my '95 BMW 530. Had a '89 Volvo 240 once and the car was totaled w/wife driving; the driver's door was caved in around the bent side-protection beam (Volvo was one of the few putting these into their doors at that time). Car was totaled, however the inside of the cabin, including the doors was in perfect shape! Made me a believer of sound engineering contributing to crashworthiness. I personally put high value on engineering and the presence/absence of such might be difficult to discern based only upon weight alone. No problems with door handle after 3 years and 40k miles of use. Hope this helps with your decision.

Rick

hypnosis44

Hi Jessica. I was recently totaled in a Volvo - great car and did what it was supposed to do very well. I am now also looking to buy a Lexus LX470 (which is a TLC with more goodies for me), when I can drive again, and have done extensive research on it. The 2003 did have significant improvements and additions to it over the also excellent prior years.

Here is a link that should help with the safety questions - it shows results for the LX470 and the TLC.

http://www.iihs.org/brochures/ictl/ictl_4wd_lux_suvs.html

Good luck

marcus9

At $28k-$29k you could be shopping for the Lexus LX470, sis/brother of the TLC. Much nicer amenities. Better leather too.

fisherboy

Well I am out of the 6 yr extended warranty and now fixing things myself (when I can). Recently my power antenna only goes up 4-5 inchs when you turn on the radio. The motor is very quite and I could not hear it finish it's cycle after the first 4-5 inchs popped up. Anybody know how I can diagnose if it is broken teeth on the mast or a relay or motor? I would really like to know the job at hand before taking it all apart.

Also, any instructions on how to do it? (I assume it is like my previous 4R where motor is accessed through wheel liner)

Thank you

steenh

Mine went out on both my 100 and my 80 in the same week and what I discovered is that the antenna mast is one of the very few things on the LC that is susceptable to breaking. It's almost always the mast itself. I had Toyota fix it so I don't have any advice on doing it yourself. I think the mast was $80. Complete fix was $150.

fisherboy

Thanks.

I read on the Tundra forum and may try it just to get old mast out and inspect. I only think this will work if you broke the mast outside the housing, not if teeth are broken down in motor.

REPLACEMENT
1. Auto Antenna Models:
REMOVE ANTENNA ROD
HINT:
Do this operation with the battery negative (-) cable connected
to the battery terminal.
(a) Turn the ignition switch to ”LOCK” position.
(b) Remove the antenna nut.
(c) Press the ”AM, FM” buttons on the radio receiver, and simultaneously
turn the ignition switch to ”ACC” position.
HINT:
 The rod will extend fully and be released form the motor
antenna.
 After removing the antenna rod, leave the ignition switch
as ”ACC”.
NOTICE:
To prevent body damage when the antenna rod is released,
hold the rod while it comes out.
2. Auto Antenna Models:
INSTALL ANTENNA ROD
(a) Insert the cable of the rod until it reaches the bottom.
HINT:
 When inserting the cable, the teeth on the cable must face
toward the rear of the vehicle.
 Insert the antenna approx. 300 mm (11.8 in.).
(b) Wind the cable to retract the rod by turning the ignition
switch to ”LOCK” position.
HINT:
 If the ignition switch is already in ”LOCK” position, do step
1 (c) first, then turn the ignition switch to ”ACC” position.
 Even if the rod has not retracted fully, install the antenna
nut and inspect the antenna rod operation. It will finally retract
fully.
(c) Inspect the antenna rod operation by pushing the radio
wave band select buttons.

I hope it is only the mast!

darby124

78,000 miles and will need new shocks soon. The Toyota dealer can get some that are Toyota branded for $47 ea. for front and $43 ea. for rear. This seems like an attractive price, but I wonder if anyone has tried Bilstein shocks (much more expensive)on a TLC and how it affected the ride. I did like the factory ride when the shocks were new, but added Bilsteins to my old 4-Runner and they remediated the sway problem on that vehicle. Any thoughts about shocks for a TLC, stay with Toyota shocks, or go with other brands and models that are good?
Thanks in advance for responding to my post.
David

steelcruiser

First thing I did when I got my '02 was replace the rear springs and all the shocks with Old Man Emu components. This allowed me to lift the LC slightly and firmed up the ride nicely. The stock ride was much to soft for my tastes, plus I wanted a little more ride height as I also fitted BFG 285/75-16 tires

HTH

syl1

Has anyone experienced this problem or know the fix?
My 01 LC loses it's memory to some electrical functions when the ignition is turned to "acc" or "lock". When the key is turned back to "on" everything works fine but doesn't retain the memory from the last setting. The clock resets to 1:00 whenever the key is turned to "on". The automatic climate control defaults to "off" and resets to 75 degrees. The trip meters reset to zero (but the odometer remembers the mileage...darn). The dome light doesn't come on when a door is opened unless the key is turn to "on". The headlights turn off immediately when the key is turned to "acc" and "off" rather than wait until the door is opened. The power door locks doesn't operate unless the key is turned to "on". The key fob doesn't work at all. I started having these problems after the JBL amplifier was replaced. Someone else had a similar if not the identical problem in post #298 but no one responded with a fix and I don't know how to contact him (Frank Willis) to ask if or how he got it fixed.

This problem doesn't affect the navigation system and radio as they still retain the memory from the last settings.

I've checked all the fuses under the hood and under the driver's side dash and they are all good. I don't know if there are fuses anywhere else to check.

Appreciate anyone who can help troubleshoot the problem.

chstroud

I have a 98 LC that won't crank about once a week in the morning. When you turn the key you get nothing. After 3 or 4 attempts it fires right up.

If anyone else has had this problem what was it?

Starter relay, ignition key, security system, starter solenoid, ???

:sick:

grantchstr

This happens infrequently - just press the over-ride button and twist the steering wheel. That works for me.

grantchstr

Why was it closed - it was working just fine thank you very much.

tidester

You didn't go back far enough. Here's the relevant post: tidester, "Toyota Land Cruiser" #5085, 15 Oct 2006 10:59 pm

If you are really interested in a full account go to Forums Software! Your Questions Answered... and browse back to the same time period.

tidester, host

fisherboy

My guess is sounds like a flat spot on your starter. when you turn it and nothing happens it actually advances the starter just a little. after several tries it gets to a good coil and cranks. The flat spot (and area where the coil is bad) will get bigger and you will need more and more clicks to get it going.

steelcruiser

Usual gremlin with the starters on these.

bullethead

have a 2000 with 65k on it, figure I can wait a few years before looking again but have not heard anything as to what the strategy is for the TLC vs the LX470 - any info would be appreciated - thanks

kcharles

Has anyone experienced a rough ride and tight steering on their Land Cruiser? I have a 2003, with 275/60/18 tires. I've replaced the tires (with the same size)and had a four wheel alignment but the problem has not been solved. It seems like the ride is softer when the tire pressure is at the recommended amount but then the steering gets tight. If I put more air in the tires, the ride is harder but the steering loser. If anyone has had this problem, I'd appreciate if you can let me know how it was solved.

another_person

is it tight or heavy...everyone will have a different diffinition, but I know on my 2000 TLC, the ride is soft most of the time (sometimes it depends on the roads though) As for steering, its light, but not as light as my camry's but not as heavy as a moving truck

trinascruiser

i have a 2003 n mine came wih a 17inch tires..maybe your tire size is not what it came wihti know they changed the size the year after...

bsull

Did you have any problems with your PIAA Super Whites and the OEM wiring harness, i.e. melting? I'm looking to replace the stock lights in my 98 but have been warned about overheating.

steelcruiser

No, none at all. And FWIW, I've had the bulbs for about 4 years now with no issues.

tidester

I moved a couple messages to the new Toyota Land Cruiser vs. Jeep Commander topic. Enjoy!

tidester, host

jeffs5

I recently bought an undercover Landcruiser with the Lexus badge. It is a 1997 excellent condition with now 110k. I noticed when steering at a slow speed that there seems to be a ratcheting noise coming from the front end. Anyone know or have experienced similar issues. I have had dealer look at and repack bearings, still noisy??

jeffs5

Went back to dealer today, now they say it the steering noise or should I say rotating click might be the axle. I have had the knuckles repacked a few thousand miles ago and they did not notice anything. Does anyone know if the axle would need to be replaced due to the clicking noise. I spoke with the tech in great depth as to the problem and that is what he thinks, the CV joints. Also having some trouble with tranny. A lot of hesitation between 25-35mph when you go to step on it to merge in with traffic? He thinks the ignition components might be the culprit due to these are aftermarket items (apparently) they were replaced prior to purchase. After everyone speaks so highly of the smooth tranny, I am really starting to question my purchase of this vehicle. Any help would be much appreciated!! Soon!!!

steelcruiser

Did they do the birfields on your front end work?

jeffs5

I did not, though not sure if they looked at them on their own. I will check with the dealer now and check. Thank you for the reply I really appreciate it

steelcruiser

The birfields are potential problem areas on the live axle 80 series--which is what the LX-450 is.

bullethead

This started some time in Jan - easy to hear wit hte sunshade pulled back or wit hthe moon roof open - any clue whether this is a do-it-yourselfer repair?

Also, the rooftop weather strip on one side is loose - can this just be glued down?

thanks