First Toyota / First Land Cruiser Ownership Complaints After 1 Year

[Altitude]

Live in the country and a non issue

Or the door could work and it’s a non issue no matter where I live.

 

[RideWithYanu]

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

Yeah purchasing the Land Cruiser for towing is a bit of a head scratcher.

 

[ultane]

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

X

 

[ferrari1898]

Yeah purchasing the Land Cruiser for towing is a bit of a head scratcher.

Since the camper only weighs 3500lb, there really isn't any need or desire for a full size truck with a V8. While not towing we get 22+mpg. The turbo provides plenty of low end torque which was sorely missing from the Honda Ridgeline. A little bit longer wheel base would be more ideal for towing (though that compromises the off road ability). While the Land Cruiser is quite capable off road, I never expect to be anywhere that warrants additional articulation or locking the rear differential; And the VAST majority won't either (IMO the same can be said for the Brono, Wrangler, etc, etc).

 

[ferrari1898]

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

Not really. We really do not need a full size for a 3500lb camper. We can return 22mpg around town while not towing.

The Tahoe really wasnt looked at heavily due to the V8 along with some quality issues (though less so compared to the other american competitors).
You could not pay me enough to take a Jeep (quality)
And Ford is not too far behind Jeep.

The closest alternative we were looking at was the Rivian R1S. Being $20k more than the Toyota was an issue (w/ the max battery). And while the towing range is poor with EV's; we just took my wife's EV to the beach 500 miles away without issue. The issue really came down to many close camping destinations would require a charge which would require disconnecting the trailer at most charging stations.

We also eyed the Nissan Pathfinder. While quality has been shaky, their 3.5V6 is decent and they use a ZF 9HP transmission (same as the Honda Ridgeline) which is solid. But with a V6 (at least in the Honda) there is a lack of low end torque, something turbos greatly help with.

 

[D-mac]

We also eyed the Nissan Pathfinder. While quality has been shaky, their 3.5V6 is decent and they use a ZF 9HP transmission (same as the Honda Ridgeline) which is solid. But with a V6 (at least in the Honda) there is a lack of low end torque, something turbos greatly help with.

Probably why Nissan has the 516 ft-lb twin turbo V6 on the Y63 Armada (8500# tow rating).

 

[Sugarloafer80]

ZF 9 speed is the worst transmission they have ever built.

 

[BILL]

The battery died and the rear windows stopped being runnable from the driver door. Now all have reset but the right rear. I decry the plastic trim around the wheel wells. I have a habit of tearing them off driving through sage brush. Same with the front plastic panels. They don't survive either. I have a feeling these cars are not sent to Africa or S. America either. I don't like the ready light. God forbid I don't get that light and the car stops. Already this has stopped being my ranch vehicle and now a road vehicle. Disappointed. I still have the 76, 05 and 21 and those are real bush vehicles.

 

[awburton]

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.

There is a TSB/fix for the front brake pad squeal issue (Lexus released it like 6 months before Toyota)- the good news, fixed my issue. You can look it up in this forum- funny the dealer should know if you've brought the issue to them....

 

[ferrari1898]

There is a TSB/fix for the front brake pad squeal issue (Lexus released it like 6 months before Toyota)- the good news, fixed my issue. You can look it up in this forum- funny the dealer should know if you've brought the issue to them....

We have had the TSB done on the brakes. So that (after over a year of ownership) is no longer an issue.

 

[ferrari1898]

ZF 9 speed is the worst transmission they have ever built.

So before the ZF, the Honda had a 6 speed which had serious reliability issues with the Ridgeline. While the transmission was essentially the same in the Accord and Pilot; failures in the Ridgeline were significantly higher (potentially from more severe service). While under hard acceleration the shifting is a little awkward (After a 1000 miles I just got used to it); if you are regularly driving a Ridgeline like that, you are doing something seriously wrong. For The Honda Ridgeline and Nissan Pathfinder (CVT), the ZF provides a much welcomed improvement in reliability.

 

[BILL]

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.

And I would l ike to add the plastic bumpers front and back are too easily detached when bashing around the bush. Why do the wheel wells have plastic covers around the edge. None of the other Land Cruisers ever did. They get torn off easily. The car has been cheapened to get better mileage and you only get the mileage if you drive around at the speed limits. People drive at the traffic speed unless the weather is bad. Haveing torn up and the wheel well plastic and the front left plastic I can say this is not proper for a Land Cruiser. Too much unnecessary plastic around the vehicle. I will have to use my 2005 and 2021 if I want to go bashing around the brush. I will add however that the transmission and drive train did not cause me any trouble nor did the transfer case when bouncing around breaking trail.

 

[RideWithYanu]

And I would l ike to add the plastic bumpers front and back are too easily detached when bashing around the bush. Why do the wheel wells have plastic covers around the edge. None of the other Land Cruisers ever did. They get torn off easily. The car has been cheapened to get better mileage and you only get the mileage if you drive around at the speed limits. People drive at the traffic speed unless the weather is bad. Haveing torn up and the wheel well plastic and the front left plastic I can say this is not proper for a Land Cruiser. Too much unnecessary plastic around the vehicle. I will have to use my 2005 and 2021 if I want to go bashing around the brush. I will add however that the transmission and drive train did not cause me any trouble nor did the transfer case when bouncing around breaking trail.

I dislike all of the plastic trim as well (I’ve had several pieces pulled off on trails), but it’s nothing new - Land Cruisers like almost all other vehicles have had plastic exterior trim for decades at this point.

 

[imann777]

Spot on Assessment . But I still love this truck and do accept the drawbacks you have quoted; for now me there's nothing to complain. I'd advise anyone who can to keep making mods until they're perfectly satisfied. I won't bother comparing it to other models because they simply don't have the staying power, and their resale value is non-existent. The advantages of owning this brand are simply undeniable, durability and unmatched resale value. I am a living proof to owning multiple European or American models. The sheer amount of maintenance spent, I have regretted. Nevertheless. This LC FE I cherish everyday to drive.

 

[TheMightyGoose]

Yeah purchasing the Land Cruiser for towing is a bit of a head scratcher.

Depends on what you intend to tow, I guess.

 

[lar317]

The posters that state the Honda, Ridgeline, Pilot, Passport, has a V6, Remember this is cylinder deactivation engine, which has its problems also.

 

[RideWithYanu]

The posters that state the Honda, Ridgeline, Pilot, Passport, has a V6, Remember this is cylinder deactivation engine, which has its problems also.

Also, they are comparing unibody cars to a body on frame 4x4 truck. Inane comparisons.

 

[JFinCA]

Two things:

1) Hold the fob to the side of your jaw while locking/unlocking/panicking activation. This will double your range at the very, very least. This is not a joke, it works, or else come back here and expose this as fraudulent.

2) There is TSB fix to the squealing brakes. I have a 2024, bought in may of the same year and logged 35K miles in that time. The squealing brakes persisted throughout, so no amount of break in will remedy this. The TSB fix (no charge) took care of the morning wakeup call to the neighbors. Now, having been conditioned to the squeal every morning, I have a reverse PTSD going on with the silence, LOL.

 

[Gator]

Good points! My only comment would the that the thud noise coming from doors is not related to weight of the doors, it is related to deadening material or the lack of it.

I was informed that the doors have a lightweight insulation material that is superior to the older heavier type and while working welll to dampend noise it makes the doors sound lighter and more hollow.

 

[EOD Guy]

I was informed that the doors have a lightweight insulation material that is superior to the older heavier type and while working welll to dampend noise it makes the doors sound lighter and more hollow.

Mine had zero insulation in the doors.