Engine Death Wobble

RGV Land Cruiser

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Jan 3, 2025
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2024 Toyota Land Cruiser LC
I’m posting here in hopes that someone can help or point me in the right direction. I haven’t seen anything like this on the Facebook groups or this forum so here it goes.

I have a 2024 Land Cruiser LC Edition that has about 12,000 miles. Despite some of the things below, I really enjoy driving this LC. I have done a break-in oil change at 1000 miles, oil change at a little over 5000 miles, and an oil change around 11,000 miles. I have used nothing but premium fuel. My LC is also bone stock, and I have the intention of eventually lifting it and adding bigger tires. Already got the Sequoia BBS forged wheels. Also during the break-in period, I did not go higher than 2500 RPMs. Lastly, I have not taken this off-roading yet. Before I get roasted in the comments, I want these things fixed first, and do not want Toyota to say that I caused this.

With that said, before the engine death wobble at 8,000 miles the best MPG I have ever gotten was 19.5 MPG. Not bad, but not near the promised MPG. However, before this incident, the first thing I’ve had were two hard shifts on the highway to the point where it felt like someone rear ended me. I did notice on the second hard shift my RPMs went from under 2000 RPMs to over 3000 RPMs. Took to dealership, inspected, and no codes thrown. Additionally, I have that annoying tick for the first 10 to 15 minutes whenever I start my LC that sounds like an exhaust manifold leak I had on my GX 470. I have a video of that as well, but service “couldn’t replicate it” and no codes thrown. Furthermore, my center locking diff has seized three times when engaging. Have a video of it not engaging and light blinking while driving at idling speeds for a good 30 seconds. No codes for that either. Lastly, I have had hard shifts when slowing down to a stop between 30% to 40% of the time. No codes for that and told a possible software update will come out soon.

At around 8,000 miles, the video below happened. I started my LC after work and the whole LC shook. The floor, steering wheel, seat, etc. vibrated like the death wobble on my Jeep Wrangler. I checked around the LC and did not see any damage. After that I started recording the engine. From the video it looks whenever it goes from gas to hybrid mode, the whole engine and LC shakes. I thought for a second that the radiator hose was about to pop off with how badly it was shaking. This went on for a good 10 to 15 minutes. I showed the service department the video and they said that everything checks out, no codes, and that it is a “one time event.“ This happened again when I started my LC at around 10,000 miles, but it lasted for only five minutes.

Since this happened, there’s been two major things I’ve noticed. The first is that my MPG’s have been gradually decreasing. Keep in mind this is bone stock, but I am now averaging between 16.5 and 17 MPG‘s. This is upsetting because a major factor in getting this LC was for the 22 city / 25 highway MPG. My 2008 GX 470 that I traded averaged about 15 MPG so I feel I’m exactly where I started without any modifications whatsoever.

The second major thing is that my Max Battery Gauge dropped from a solid 4 to 6 bars down to 3 bars. Same route driven every day. I have noticed that sometimes I get back to 4 bars, but that is rare at this point. The reason I think this is significant is because when I get to stoplights or coasting to a stop, my LC does not go into hybrid mode like it used to. At least as consistently as it used to. If I had to measure, I would say now that about 30% of the time it goes into hybrid mode. Before this happened, the battery would be between 4 to 5 bars and it would consistently go into hybrid mode when coming to a stop or slow slowing down. I’m assuming this is what’s killing my MPG’s.

Fast forward to this past couple of weeks, I showed the service department the video again, I told him about the hybrid battery, and told them about my decreased MPG’s. They said there’s no codes, the Max Battery Gauge was for the 12V battery, and, despite my manual calculations at the pump, that my MPG‘s were actually higher. Rather than argue with them, I created a case with Toyota corporate and was informed that if the dealership could not recreate the issue, there was nothing that could be done. Hence, now I am here posting this in hopes that someone could help.

Again, the reason I’m posting this is I’m hoping someone has dealt with this before and knows what is happening or what to tell the service department specifically to look for. I know this is the first model, and I know there will be some growing pains with any first model, but my patience is almost at its end.

Thank y’all in advance for your responses and help.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I’m posting here in hopes that someone can help or point me in the right direction. I haven’t seen anything like this on the Facebook groups or this forum so here it goes.

I have a 2024 Land Cruiser LC Edition that has about 12,000 miles. Despite some of the things below, I really enjoy driving this LC. I have done a break-in oil change at 1000 miles, oil change at a little over 5000 miles, and an oil change around 11,000 miles. I have used nothing but premium fuel. My LC is also bone stock, and I have the intention of eventually lifting it and adding bigger tires. Already got the Sequoia BBS forged wheels. Also during the break-in period, I did not go higher than 2500 RPMs. Lastly, I have not taken this off-roading yet. Before I get roasted in the comments, I want these things fixed first, and do not want Toyota to say that I caused this.

With that said, before the engine death wobble at 8,000 miles the best MPG I have ever gotten was 19.5 MPG. Not bad, but not near the promised MPG. However, before this incident, the first thing I’ve had were two hard shifts on the highway to the point where it felt like someone rear ended me. I did notice on the second hard shift my RPMs went from under 2000 RPMs to over 3000 RPMs. Took to dealership, inspected, and no codes thrown. Additionally, I have that annoying tick for the first 10 to 15 minutes whenever I start my LC that sounds like an exhaust manifold leak I had on my GX 470. I have a video of that as well, but service “couldn’t replicate it” and no codes thrown. Furthermore, my center locking diff has seized three times when engaging. Have a video of it not engaging and light blinking while driving at idling speeds for a good 30 seconds. No codes for that either. Lastly, I have had hard shifts when slowing down to a stop between 30% to 40% of the time. No codes for that and told a possible software update will come out soon.

At around 8,000 miles, the video below happened. I started my LC after work and the whole LC shook. The floor, steering wheel, seat, etc. vibrated like the death wobble on my Jeep Wrangler. I checked around the LC and did not see any damage. After that I started recording the engine. From the video it looks whenever it goes from gas to hybrid mode, the whole engine and LC shakes. I thought for a second that the radiator hose was about to pop off with how badly it was shaking. This went on for a good 10 to 15 minutes. I showed the service department the video and they said that everything checks out, no codes, and that it is a “one time event.“ This happened again when I started my LC at around 10,000 miles, but it lasted for only five minutes.

Since this happened, there’s been two major things I’ve noticed. The first is that my MPG’s have been gradually decreasing. Keep in mind this is bone stock, but I am now averaging between 16.5 and 17 MPG‘s. This is upsetting because a major factor in getting this LC was for the 22 city / 25 highway MPG. My 2008 GX 470 that I traded averaged about 15 MPG so I feel I’m exactly where I started without any modifications whatsoever.

The second major thing is that my Max Battery Gauge dropped from a solid 4 to 6 bars down to 3 bars. Same route driven every day. I have noticed that sometimes I get back to 4 bars, but that is rare at this point. The reason I think this is significant is because when I get to stoplights or coasting to a stop, my LC does not go into hybrid mode like it used to. At least as consistently as it used to. If I had to measure, I would say now that about 30% of the time it goes into hybrid mode. Before this happened, the battery would be between 4 to 5 bars and it would consistently go into hybrid mode when coming to a stop or slow slowing down. I’m assuming this is what’s killing my MPG’s.

Fast forward to this past couple of weeks, I showed the service department the video again, I told him about the hybrid battery, and told them about my decreased MPG’s. They said there’s no codes, the Max Battery Gauge was for the 12V battery, and, despite my manual calculations at the pump, that my MPG‘s were actually higher. Rather than argue with them, I created a case with Toyota corporate and was informed that if the dealership could not recreate the issue, there was nothing that could be done. Hence, now I am here posting this in hopes that someone could help.

Again, the reason I’m posting this is I’m hoping someone has dealt with this before and knows what is happening or what to tell the service department specifically to look for. I know this is the first model, and I know there will be some growing pains with any first model, but my patience is almost at its end.

Thank y’all in advance for your responses and help.
Watching the video it could be something simple like MPI injectors are in need of cleaning or replacement which is quite common in other toyota D-4S equipped engines like the one used in Camry/Rav4.
I've seen similar symptoms with engine shake at idlea with those engines when the pmi injectors are contaminated somehow and you may want to try something simple like using fuel additive injector cleaning solutions that are widely available.
 
I’m kinda curious why you are locking the center differential but you haven’t taken it off road? I personally would not lock it on dry pavement, if you have done that, it could be the reason for it “seizing “ as you say. If there is no wheel slippage it may have a hard time engaging or disengaging.
I don’t really know about many of your other issues. The hard shift while coming to a stop is normal from what I’ve experienced. It not that hard but is noticeable having never had a hybrid vehicle before.
You took the right path by taking it to the dealer and opening up a case with corporate. Good luck bub.
 
Don’t these engines have some type of injector cleaning procedure? I know last gen V6 on Tacoma had one and it caused shaking while cleaning was running.

Diff lock and battery gauge sounds normal. Diff lock does not necessarily engage instantaneous and battery gauge is influenced by many things that draw power like A/C.
 
Dunno about that shudder but I think the tick ing sound you’re mentioning on cold startup is due to the high pressure fuel injectors. Once the engine warms up a bit the engine switches injectors and the ticking sound goes away.
 
All you can do at this point is document every episode, and getting a case opened right away is critical. If it continues in any way, hound them until you get some attention. Sorry for this as these trucks have so far been pretty rock solid, albeit some quirks. It's highly unlikely it was something you did, though it could be gas quality causing injector issues, as mentioned.

The Max battery guage is not for the 12volt battery it's for the hybrid battery, and I don't know about your truck but when I manually calculate mileage, the truck matches it remarkably close. I'd be immediatly suspect of a dealer that incorrectly challenged those things. Dealers range from absolutely garbage, to excellent. If you have the option to visit a different one, it might be worth a shot. Purchasing dealer and servicing dealer don't have to be the same.
 
Watching the video it could be something simple like MPI injectors are in need of cleaning or replacement which is quite common in other toyota D-4S equipped engines like the one used in Camry/Rav4.
I've seen similar symptoms with engine shake at idlea with those engines when the pmi injectors are contaminated somehow and you may want to try something simple like using fuel additive injector cleaning solutions that are widely available.
Thank you for the suggestion. I'll give it a shot.
 
Dunno about that shudder but I think the tick ing sound you’re mentioning on cold startup is due to the high pressure fuel injectors. Once the engine warms up a bit the engine switches injectors and the ticking sound goes away.
Good to know. Was told they couldn't recreate the sound, which surprised me because I hear it every single day. But it did sound like an exhaust manifold leak. Here's a clip of it:
 

Attachments

  • engine tick.mov
    8.4 MB
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All you can do at this point is document every episode, and getting a case opened right away is critical. If it continues in any way, hound them until you get some attention. Sorry for this as these trucks have so far been pretty rock solid, albeit some quirks. It's highly unlikely it was something you did, though it could be gas quality causing injector issues, as mentioned.

The Max battery guage is not for the 12volt battery it's for the hybrid battery, and I don't know about your truck but when I manually calculate mileage, the truck matches it remarkably close. I'd be immediatly suspect of a dealer that incorrectly challenged those things. Dealers range from absolutely garbage, to excellent. If you have the option to visit a different one, it might be worth a shot. Purchasing dealer and servicing dealer don't have to be the same.
Thanks. At this point, just been documenting and making sure they document it. I'm going to try to go to another dealership, but not sure if I'll get a different result. Will update this thread if anything changes or happens.
 
Good to know. Was told they couldn't recreate the sound, but it did sound like an exhaust manifold leak.
All the Land Cruisers have the noise you’re hearing. There are a couple threads on here talking about this noise. The cause for the noise hasn’t yet been identified.
 
Good to know. Was told they couldn't recreate the sound, but it did sound like an exhaust manifold leak.
Thank you for sharing the video. This has been well documented on this forum.

Some of us have been offered full engine replacements. Short block.

We do not have exact cause but have been told there was a redesign to the main bearings. Would look over this entire thread and join the discussion there as well.


This is becoming more and more common. Not looking good.

I would have your oil checked for high amounts of metal. Blackstone labs is good place.
 
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I’m kinda curious why you are locking the center differential but you haven’t taken it off road? I personally would not lock it on dry pavement, if you have done that, it could be the reason for it “seizing “ as you say. If there is no wheel slippage it may have a hard time engaging or disengaging.
I don’t really know about many of your other issues. The hard shift while coming to a stop is normal from what I’ve experienced. It not that hard but is noticeable having never had a hybrid vehicle before.
You took the right path by taking it to the dealer and opening up a case with corporate. Good luck bub.
Thanks. In response, I'm just checking to make sure that everything works. Habit I guess. I understand that you can engage the center locking differential on the road, but you should avoid engaging any lockers (front and rear) on pavement. Here's a clip of what I was referencing:
 

Attachments

  • center diff.mov
    12.3 MB
Thank you for sharing the video. This has been well documented on this forum.

Some of us have been offered full engine replacements. Short block.

We do not have exact cause but have been told there was a redesign to the main bearings. Would look over this entire thread and join the discussion there as well.


This is becoming more and more common. Not looking good.

I would have your oil checked for high amounts of metal. Blackstone labs is good place.
Thanks for the update. Last I saw on here was that it was normal, but there was differing views. I'll check the thread and post the tick on there. FYI, it happens every single day for me.
 
Thank you for sharing the video. This has been well documented on this forum.

Some of us have been offered full engine replacements. Short block.

We do not have exact cause but have been told there was a redesign to the main bearings. Would look over this entire thread and join the discussion there as well.


This is becoming more and more common. Not looking good.

I would have your oil checked for high amounts of metal. Blackstone labs is good place.
Did you have your oil analyzed by Blackstone? I've had the oil analyzed with each oil change. It'd be interesting to see what your analysis looks like. Here is my most recent analysis:
Screenshot 2025-06-04 at 6.45.09 PM.png
 
Thanks for the update. Last I saw on here was that it was normal, but there was differing views. I'll check the thread and post the tick on there. FYI, it happens every single day for me.
In my opinion. I don’t think it is normal.

1. Toyota is offering full engine replacements.
2. I was told and others have been told it may (or may not be) caused by an issue with something in the crank/oiling passage/main bearings.
3. We have seen extremely high amounts of aluminum in the oil on the 4th change after all break in changes.

Toyota corporate, FTS and engineering was aware of this issue since August 2024.

I have documented this since July 2024.
 
Read the manual
Thanks. In response, I'm just checking to make sure that everything works. Habit I guess. I understand that you can engage the center locking differential on the road, but you should avoid engaging any lockers (front and rear) on pavement. Here's a clip of what I was referencing:

You should read the manual or if you can find someone that has had a 4wd before take a ride with you and engage the center differential on dry pavement. While you’re at it go through the drive thru at Wendy’s.
 
You shouldn’t lock any of the diffs unless on a low-traction surface, but it’s probably perfectly fine to do so very briefly to check that the systems are engaging - especially low concern with the center diff.
 
In my opinion. I don’t think it is normal.

1. Toyota is offering full engine replacements.
2. I was told and others have been told it may (or may not be) caused by an issue with something in the crank/oiling passage/main bearings.
3. We have seen extremely high amounts of aluminum in the oil on the 4th change after all break in changes.

Toyota corporate, FTS and engineering was aware of this issue since August 2024.

I have documented this since July 2024.
Like I said in the original post, service hasn’t been able to recreate it. I find it hard to believe but I’ll have to try at the next closest dealership.

Did mention to the case manager that folks on here are mentioning the contamination in the oil and one post I saw had it in the transmission fluid. She said she never heard of it. Not promising but just documenting and going through the motions. Hopefully this is resolved soon.
 
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