First Toyota / First Land Cruiser Ownership Complaints After 1 Year

[DubDub]

Previous Subaru Ascent Touring owner here! Talk about two very different vehicles built for two very different purposes. We lemon lawed ours after four full brake rotor/pad replacements and two thrown bearings in the 18 months and 18k miles we owned it. I've talked to numerous prior owner with the shared opinion that the Ascent is Subaru's miss. If I wrote your post on that vehicle it would be ten times as long.

I do appreciate your candid assessment in the other areas though. I purchased the car knowing these things, but I get it for sure.

 

[Jack_]

"Thank you for trusting us to help you go places again, Jack. This is the beginning of another great adventure, and because you had so many choices, we truly appreciate that you decided to enjoy it with us. The benefits of owning the iconic Land Cruiser don't end with your vehicle. We'll be with you at every turn and stoplight with regular communications to help you get the most out of your new ride." Did you respond to all or any of the "thanks for buying" wanting our first impression emails? I'm not being a wise-cracker here I'm genuinely asking. Everyone getting these responding seems like something worthwhile. I have yet to respond to any of them. Has anyone? Could it help? I do actually trust the brand so I think they might listen.​

 

[ferrari1898]

Sounds like you should switch to the Subaru

Well when we bought our Ascent we were towing a pop-up camper. The Ascent handled it much better than the Outback. After it was totaled (by a 4-Runner driver that was not paying attention) we got a travel trailer. We did not realize the Subaru did not support a Weight Distribution hitch. We moved to a Honda Ridgeline which towed the camper much better, but the natural aspirated V6 struggled in the mountains.

The Land Cruiser tows the camper much better than the Subaru (keeping in mind this accounts for well over 30% of the miles last year). If the Subaru supported a weight distribution hitch, we would likely drive that.

The Land Cruiser (Ford Bronco / Jeep / Other Lifestyle SUV) are are all in the same boat in that having a frame provides certain benefits off road at the expense of being on road. While the Land Cruiser's 4WD and off road toys are great, the vast majority of owners will never utilize it.

 

[ferrari1898]

Previous Subaru Ascent Touring owner here! Talk about two very different vehicles built for two very different purposes. We lemon lawed ours after four full brake rotor/pad replacements and two thrown bearings in the 18 months and 18k miles we owned it. I've talked to numerous prior owner with the shared opinion that the Ascent is Subaru's miss. If I wrote your post on that vehicle it would be ten times as long.

I do appreciate your candid assessment in the other areas though. I purchased the car knowing these things, but I get it for sure.

They are very different in their design. For us not being able to use a Weight Distribution Hitch became a big issue. Also while Subaru says it can tow 5000lb, they do not mean towing on a regular basis (30%+ of the time). Our CVT was starting to give out (evidently later there was a recall).

And while the Land Cruiser can go further off the beaten path; Where I plan to stop could easily be handled by either and I think I am off the pavement (while not much) more than many.

 

[ferrari1898]

I have to say I disagree with your last point. While I understand most wont offroad much, its still a land cruiser. If you don't want all the off road stuff, maybe a grand highlander or a base model GX is the way to go. Kind of asking the LC to not be a LC

And I get it, the Land Cruiser must have a low range 4WD. But IF Toyota had a defect in the low range or the sway bar disconnect or the locking rear differential ; how many people would really notice? We have been on the soft sand of the Outer Banks and some rather washed out forest service roads which is more than most SUVs will ever see and it does not warrant the features.

The short coming of the Grand Highlander (and many unibody SUV) is the rear suspension really squats badly; I have seen several Highlanders towing and they tend to be REALLY bad. Weith beefier springs in the Subaru, it was decent but not supporting a Weight Distribution Hitch was an issue.

Rumor has it that the next Ridgeline my have a hybrid which would fix my biggest complaint with it (lack of low end torque). But I am not entirely sold I want to have another "truck". Having an enclosed cargo area is nice.

 

[Meteor]

Great write up, and I agree with most points at least to some extent. The one point I completely disagree on though is that they should have removed some of the off-roading features. These features are the core of what makes a Land Cruiser a Land Cruiser in my opinion. I would really hate if Toyota diluted the capability of the vehicle because people who buy it for other purposes may not need them. Just buy a 4Runner, Highlander, or Sequoia in that case!

Just to be clear, as tone often doesn't carry accurately in written form, this isn’t a critique of your experience or opinion, just a friendly conversation.

Exactly. These features are the reason I bought this vehicle. I use them! Ironically, this truck is so capable when configured correctly for off-road, e.g., tires, tire pressure, etc., I haven't had to lock the differentials yet. But I'm glad they're there.

The point is, if I wasn't off-roading, I would not have bought this vehicle (not even considered it) for the reasons OP mentioned. I wouldn't have used any of the features and sacrificed fuel mileage for what, the sake of vanity? I don't get the "lifestyler" ambition when it comes to cars. Function over form, for me.

 

[DubDub]

They are very different in their design. For us not being able to use a Weight Distribution Hitch became a big issue. Also while Subaru says it can tow 5000lb, they do not mean towing on a regular basis (30%+ of the time). Our CVT was starting to give out (evidently later there was a recall).

And while the Land Cruiser can go further off the beaten path; Where I plan to stop could easily be handled by either and I think I am off the pavement (while not much) more than many.

I'm so biased that I had to delete 90% of what I had originally posted IRT the Ascent. Ours was a nightmare ownership experience. 2020 Loaded Touring model that we impulse bought after we found out we were pregnant with a third kid and the third row of our 4R LTD was just an unsafe/impractical option.

We are a Toyota family, but have diverged a couple of times for a pair of Subarus and a pair of Hondas. That Subaru was excellent for about 3 months, but it was just downhill, like off a cliff downhill after that. The brakes were the Lemon Law qualifier since they couldn't resolve the rotor warping issue after a dozen appointments, 3 full replacements and over 100 days of driving around in loaners. We only ever towed a popup single axle, so WD hitches were of no concern to us at the time. Even with only 15-20% of rated load behind the car, that drive train was noticeably stressed. The thrown bearings were a completely different thing discovered when we tried to trade it in, which prompted us to go the Lemon Law route (which was the better choice both financially and sanity wise). On trade we were looking to eat about 35% of MSRP at 18 months/18k miles and this was 2021-2022 when COVID created a trade-in benefit.

From the nauseating "sway" motion felt by third row passengers to the AWD steering dynamics in a plussed up car architecture, I can't find single thing nice to say about that mistake of a purchase.

 

[fftfk]

I don't think so. Probably a much larger percentage than that doing similar. I have no idea what percentage, but definitely double digits. But I bet it is around 1% doing rock crawling and major articulation scenarios where a stabilizer bar disconnect is needed or at least helpful.

I’m glad I’m in the 1% in at least 1 area of my life!

 

[Sugarloafer80]

This is one of my gripes with the fuel tank size as well. While 225-275mi is a perfectly reasonable distance to plan for a stretch and a bathroom break, you aren't going to risk it and expect gas stations out in the middle of nowhere to line up with your range. Realistically you end up stopping for gas every 150-200mi which depending on your bladder size is not really long enough.



I use it all the time on washboard or rough dirt roads and forest roads, it has a very noticeable smoothing effect, i just wish it could go up to ~25mph instead of automatically turning off at 19mph. I would be sad to lose it. On the other hand i have never locked my rear differential outside of just testing/learning how it works.

You just confirmed what I suspected thank you. With a live rear axle, their biggest weakness has always been washboards. If the SDM actually lets the vehicle travel over that crap better....AWESOME and it will get used a lot! One thing people sometimes forget. Sometimes a big square box can hold bigger, taller boxes, furniture etc.
Why is the sound of a door closing such a concern? From the testing numbers, its seems the LC is quite quiet on the highway.
I will hold reservations on range till I get to test for myself. Sounds like it will be pretty efficient running around the mountain...Most vehicles literally slurp fuel in the cold and hills. Sounds like 21mpg highway at 75-80 is probable which easily gets me to my gas stop on way to mountain. If I can eek 22 out of it, no complaints.
Range has been reduced on many remotes for safety reasons I read somewhere.

Wonder what percentage of owners tow routinely??

I guess hitting the lock button on the remote is too hard. Never trusted auto lock anyway.

I wish we could get back to ordering vehicles without mandated functional roofs. I would be fine with a shade and fixed glass or nothing.

 

[katekebo]

After 8 months of ownership, here are my $0.02.

• Fuel economy: Every Toyota I had before (8 in total) matched or exceeded the mileage estimates. The LC is the only one that falls short.
• Transmission: Again, every other Toyota I owned had a very smooth transmission. But not the LC - gear shifts are harsh, both when accelerating or slowing down, especially at low speeds.
• Lack of storage space: There isn't enough storage space in the cabin. Both the glovebox and central console are tiny.
• Controls layout: This is a perennial problem with Toyotas. The location of the different contol buttons is haphazard and lacks any logic. For example, why isn't the TOW/HAUL button located in the same general area as the brake contoller or the MODE control instead of being tucked in a completelyinvisible place? Moreover, the location is not consistent across different Toyota models, so when you have multiple cars, you have to remember where the different controls are. The auto high beam button is a good example. In some Toyotas it's a separate button, in other it's located on the turn signal / headlights stalk. Toyota ergonomics sucks.

Would I buy one again? Probably not. It's overpriced for what it offers. Unfortunately it's closest competitor - the 4Runner - is worse as a family and road trip vehicle. I wish Honda had launched the 2026 Passport earlier as it is probably the closest thing to an "active family" vehicle you can buy these days, with strong, simple V6 engine, great comfort, very nice interior, reasonable price and still somewhat off-road capable, more than most unibody SUVs.

 

[fftfk]

After 8 months of ownership, here are my $0.02.

• Fuel economy: Every Toyota I had before (8 in total) matched or exceeded the mileage estimates. The LC is the only one that falls short.
• Transmission: Again, every other Toyota I owned had a very smooth transmission. But not the LC - gear shifts are harsh, both when accelerating or slowing down, especially at low speeds.
• Lack of storage space: There isn't enough storage space in the cabin. Both the glovebox and central console are tiny.
• Controls layout: This is a perennial problem with Toyotas. The location of the different contol buttons is haphazard and lacks any logic. For example, why isn't the TOW/HAUL button located in the same general area as the brake contoller or the MODE control instead of being tucked in a completelyinvisible place? Moreover, the location is not consistent across different Toyota models, so when you have multiple cars, you have to remember where the different controls are. The auto high beam button is a good example. In some Toyotas it's a separate button, in other it's located on the turn signal / headlights stalk. Toyota ergonomics sucks.

Would I buy one again? Probably not. It's overpriced for what it offers. Unfortunately it's closest competitor - the 4Runner - is worse as a family and road trip vehicle. I wish Honda had launched the 2026 Passport earlier as it is probably the closest thing to an "active family" vehicle you can buy these days, with strong, simple V6 engine, great comfort, very nice interior, reasonable price and still somewhat off-road capable, more than most unibody SUVs.

Honda passport? That’s a unibody SUV…it’s not really the same class of vehicle.

 

[Sugarloafer80]

Sounds like your only other choices are Jeep or Land Rover. If you REALLY want to complain about gas, buy the Ineos. 15mpg highway, 13 around town or on trail. After 20yrs teaching, I will see what I get on the highway.................usually within an mpg of ratings in summer and within 2mpg in winter. That suggests 24 summer and 23 winter. Time will tell.

 

[DubDub]

I’m not going to speak to the subjective stuff mentioned above, other than to say I disagree OR was aware of it before I signed the papers.

IRT xmission: I don’t feel anything our pilot trailsport didn’t do outside of a definite jolt when coming down from speed and the battery takes over while still braking.

IRT mpg: I drive like a reasonable person would reasonably drive this type of vehicle on public roads, 0-300 ft above sea level. In my first 2,500 miles I have averaged 25.6mpg.

 

[PDPete]

The door unlock thing where you have to stand there for a few seconds holding the door handle, at the end of which maybe the car will unlock the other doors and maybe it won’t - that doesn’t work too well.

Mine always unlocks instantly as soon as I grab the handle..to the point where even if the door is locked, I can essentially just grab the handle and open the door in one motion, I’m not “waiting” for it to unlock at all…

So, I’m pretty sure there is a setting somewhere that determines whether the driver’s door handle will default to unlocking all doors or just the driver door…apologies I don’t have the manual in front of me right now to look it up.

 

[Altitude]

Mine always unlocks instantly as soon as I grab the handle..to the point where even if the door is locked, I can essentially just grab the handle and open the door in one motion, I’m not “waiting” for it to unlock at all…

So, I’m pretty sure there is a setting somewhere that determines whether the driver’s door handle will default to unlocking all doors or just the driver door…apologies I don’t have the manual in front of me right now to look it up.

I think there is. It’s presumably a safety issue to have all the doors unlock at first - someone could run up and hop into the passenger seat. I’d rather the thing just worke better than it does so I wouldn’t have to change the setting.

 

[chris_in_phx]

Mine always unlocks instantly as soon as I grab the handle..to the point where even if the door is locked, I can essentially just grab the handle and open the door in one motion, I’m not “waiting” for it to unlock at all…

So, I’m pretty sure there is a setting somewhere that determines whether the driver’s door handle will default to unlocking all doors or just the driver door…apologies I don’t have the manual in front of me right now to look it up.

Yes you can set the door unlock options in the main center “entertainment” screen/console under the toyota settings.

 

[Sugarloafer80]

I think there is. It’s presumably a safety issue to have all the doors unlock at first - someone could run up and hop into the passenger seat. I’d rather the thing just worke better than it does so I wouldn’t have to change the setting.

Live in the country and a non issue

 

[HarvLC]

After 8 months of ownership, here are my $0.02.

• Fuel economy: Every Toyota I had before (8 in total) matched or exceeded the mileage estimates. The LC is the only one that falls short.
• Transmission: Again, every other Toyota I owned had a very smooth transmission. But not the LC - gear shifts are harsh, both when accelerating or slowing down, especially at low speeds.
• Lack of storage space: There isn't enough storage space in the cabin. Both the glovebox and central console are tiny.
• Controls layout: This is a perennial problem with Toyotas. The location of the different contol buttons is haphazard and lacks any logic. For example, why isn't the TOW/HAUL button located in the same general area as the brake contoller or the MODE control instead of being tucked in a completelyinvisible place? Moreover, the location is not consistent across different Toyota models, so when you have multiple cars, you have to remember where the different controls are. The auto high beam button is a good example. In some Toyotas it's a separate button, in other it's located on the turn signal / headlights stalk. Toyota ergonomics sucks.

Would I buy one again? Probably not. It's overpriced for what it offers. Unfortunately it's closest competitor - the 4Runner - is worse as a family and road trip vehicle. I wish Honda had launched the 2026 Passport earlier as it is probably the closest thing to an "active family" vehicle you can buy these days, with strong, simple V6 engine, great comfort, very nice interior, reasonable price and still somewhat off-road capable, more than most unibody SUVs.

How many of those 8 prior Toyotas were turbocharged? Once you learn to manage the boost, you can achieve fuel mileage consistent with the ratings.

 

[Mikie]

I agree with all the points you made -- but am surprised that you left off the 12V battery issue... For me, the small and quickly-discharging 12V battery is the number one Achilles heel for the Land Cruiser. I've had my LC since January, and at this point, I still haven't decided for sure that I'm going to keep it.

The weather up here in the mtns has finally cleared up, so next week I'll be starting my series of weekly trips to CO and UT backcountry, that will run thru October. I'm more than a bit anxious to see how big a problem the battery is while camping...

 

[CNew9000]

For anyone shopping for a Land Cruiser etc, here are my issues after 1 year. I will say that overall, I like the Toyota, and would likely buy it again. There are some shortcomings & some quirks related to Toyota that I have had to adjust to. The Land Cruiser was purchased mainly for towing our 3,500lb camper and & my daily driver to drop my daughter off at school. My wife has an EV which is used for most evening & weekend trips.

• Brakes – The issue has been less prevalent in recent months, but when backing out of the garage (only) in the morning there is a loud squeal. Toyota is aware of the issue and “working” on a fix (for the past year). This brake noise IMO is unacceptable in any new vehicle, let alone one that pushes $70k. Toyota & the dealer support has not been great, but not any worse than other car brands I have dealt with.
• Automatic Door Locks – For the last 10+ years I have owned Chevrolet, Honda, & Subaru which have ALL locked the doors for me when I exit the vehicle. Not Toyota!? The key fob is limited in the range, so being able to confirm after you pass a few vehicles is impossible. Sure, the app allows you to remotely lock the vehicle, but after a year Toyota wants more $$$.
• Fuel - With some almost 15000 miles put on the Land Cruiser over the past year, I am reporting 17mpg overall. I built my own app to manage the fuel economy & account for towing. In the last year over 1/3 of the miles were driven while towing our 3500lb camper which returned ~12mpg. In comparison while not towing the camper the fuel economy stands at ~21mpg (we have factory 18" all season tires). While these numbers are slightly better than the previous Honda Ridgeline, the Toyota's drivetrain makes towing effortless. Besides wanting a few more mpg, the Toyota "requires" premium fuel (we knew up front) & adds a couple dollars a month more to operate (compared to the Honda). The small fuel tank is really my biggest complaint, but not directly due to the lack of range towing. We get about 200+ miles towing which is about the limit to stay in the seat for our daughter before a stop to use the potty, or get a snack, or stretch is required. The complaint I have is that a larger fuel tank would make some trips a little less stressful. Even if we could hold 100 gallons of fuel, we would be stopping every 200-ish miles. The small fuel tank leaves little room for a reserve on many trips. Charlotte to the Smoky Mountains is +/- 200 miles which means we roll into the camp on fumes. But gas stations (especially larger ones that are convenient when towing) start to become few & far between after leaving Asheville, so we are filling after only 130 miles. When you start to leave the interstate and/or are in the middle of nowhere, we must confirm we won’t end up on the side of the road.
• Toyota App / Remote Connect / Digital Key – Over the past year the app has been less flaky and slightly more reliable. The idea of not having to carry keys around (especially for short trips) sounds nice, but the app doesn’t always work & you need to unlock your phone to start the car. A couple of instances I shut the Toyota off while in the carpool line only to struggle to restart it. One time (while pouring down rain) the app did not want to unlock the doors. Then after a year Toyota wants $$$. IF it worked reliably, I would consider it, but it doesn’t.
• Sunroof Controls – I have had a few vehicles with a sunroof that slides and tilts. They ALL had a single button to control it; the same button was used to slide and tilt the sunroof. The Toyota has separate buttons and once you slide the sunroof you can not tilt the sunroof until you close it. This has just irked me for the past year on the rare occasion I opened the sunroof.
• Cheap Doors – In an effort to save weight (MPG & $$$) the doors do NOT shut with a solid thud. Compared to previous vehicles that were $30k less expensive I find this a little disappointing.
• Towing Mode / MTS / Driving Modes - I really like the rotary knob to change between the 3 modes. My complaint is that there are too many extra buttons that could have just been additional modes. The MTS, Crawl & Towing should just be all integrated into the rotary dial. Then there is the towing button (which is used a lot). I hate the location & have no idea why it is not also in the rotary mode switch?! What I really hate is that EVERY time I start the Toyota up while towing, I need to remember to click the towing button. After every gas stop (which is frequent), I will drive off and a few miles down the highway notice how poor the Toyota is towing, only to then realize I did not re-enable the tow mode.
• Storage - From the outside the Land Cruiser appears to be a decent size. The seats are all fine with sufficient space, but storage is limited. Having the cool box does not help as it takes up the center console, but I can't remember the last time I had a car that did not have a sunglass holder in an overhead bin. The glove box is accurate to the name, with enough space to barely fit a pair of gloves. It is also shocking how little cargo space there is. The Subaru had 43 cubic feet behind the 2nd row. The Toyota is only 35. This does not impact us frequently but a couple times of a year we need to bring 2 X freezer chests that barely fit in the Toyota for summer camping with family. When camping without power we have a small generator. This all fits (easily) in a Subaru Ascent, impossible in the Toyota.
• Sway Bar Disconnect / 4WD – We purchased the Toyota for Towing. The Land Cruiser is an iconic SUV to go offroad. There are plenty of other lifestyle SUVs out there & many / most are all for show. The only time many people will ever use the sway bar disconnect will be when they accidentally press it. Many Land Cruisers will not go off the pavement unless the driver cuts the turn into Home Depot too tight. For most drivers, I think a locking center differential is sufficient. Keep the limited slip rear and add a limited slip in the front. The locking rear, low range & sway bar disconnect can all be removed or added to an off-road focused trim.

Seems like a Tahoe may be better suited for your use case.