Most Disappointing Vehicle Ive Owned

[Defender-LC]

If you go onto any enthusiast site and then talk about how Sh*tty the object of said enthusiasm is, there are bound to be people who push back. Nobody should be surprised by, or complain about it.

Just take the good feedback with the bad and get on with your life. It’s not worth the angst.

 

[Masbirdies]

Regarding the MPG...(no tranny issues here yet), I got around 18mpg when the car was new and that gradually increased as I got a few miles on it. I've been at 21.5 for quite some time now.

 

[JSD]

A few of us have been writing about our transmission replacements over at this thread:

🪦 RIP Transmission at only 6500mi (2024 LCLC)

Yesterday I was at a stop light and as I was about to start driving the cruiser had a pretty viscous jolt, almost felt like I got rear-ended. Immediately 3 warnings came on: “System Malfunction” “Hybrid System Malfunction” “Drive/Start Control Malfunction”. The cruiser continued to operate...

www.landcruiserforum.com

 

[NoMe cruiser]

What difference would the assembly plant make?

You understand that engines and transmissions are made in another plant and delivered to Humura or Tahara right?

You may not be aware but the Tahara plant has received numerous awards for their dedication to building some of the most reliable vehicles in modern times. Tahara is owned by Toyota motors where as Humara is merely a subsidiary of Toyota. These are 2 separate plants and although components are built elsewhere they are assembled in one plant or the other. If people who have issues with their landcruiser all happen to have vehicles built in one plant exclusively… that is an issue. I personally trust the reputation of the Tahara plant and would have passed on a cruiser built elsewhere. Most people who say that there is no difference probably own a cruiser built at humara. Right?

 

[WookieBait]

thru September 11, 2025.....62,114 Toyota Land Cruiser 250 have been sold in the US. that's 1/10 of 1% facing transmission issues. 1 in 970 units.

Yes, I think that's higher than a normal failure rate for Toyota, but certainly would need to know how many are exacerbated by after market modifications, off road use, or even perhaps Toyota being more generous than other makers in diagnosing and committing to a replacement.

I also think there are so many stories of folks having to reset these transmissions, which I think is almost totally the result of driving style and can perhaps even lead some of the less sophisticated service departments to diagnose fixable issues incorrectly.

That's not how the math works at all. You are choosing a point in time and only a number that are waiting on transmissions right now per the source. You would need to know how many total over the course of 2 years have had transmission problems, not just on one single day. Please don't throw around numbers and percentages without having the actual data.

 

[WookieBait]

Regarding the MPG...(no tranny issues here yet), I got around 18mpg when the car was new and that gradually increased as I got a few miles on it. I've been at 21.5 for quite some time now.

Better than I get, I'm averaging around 15-16mpg in the city, it does get up to around 22-23 on the highway when I get to do so at least.

 

[Lukin]

Thanks for clarifying. Sounds like the realm of rumor, which is at least good for some internet hypothesizing.

Probably good practice to approach 90% of information on the internet as rumor. For context, I love my LC and hope that I have many years with it or its replacement. I’m not posting here to trash the brand or the vehicle. I’m posting so likeminded enthusiasts can gather information from my experience. With that information they can generate their own opinions and choose what to do with the information. The best outcome for me and other people with similar problems is that Toyota issues a TSB identifying the root cause and documenting the VINs impacted by the issue. I would be confident in accepting replacement parts if they could tell us what is happening and why. Thanks to others posting their experience on this forum with similar issues I’ve taken up the issue with Brand Engagement and it has been a positive experience thus far. Sources be damned my f-ing truck died at 3000 miles and it would be great if it could get fixed in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[RUN-8]

You may not be aware but the Tahara plant has received numerous awards for their dedication to building some of the most reliable vehicles in modern times. Tahara is owned by Toyota motors where as Humara is merely a subsidiary of Toyota. These are 2 separate plants and although components are built elsewhere they are assembled in one plant or the other. If people who have issues with their landcruiser all happen to have vehicles built in one plant exclusively… that is an issue. I personally trust the reputation of the Tahara plant and would have passed on a cruiser built elsewhere. Most people who say that there is no difference probably own a cruiser built at humara. Right?

I think you have a very unrealistic view of what happens at a vehicle body and final assembly plant.

They’re not cracking open engines or transmissions that show up off of a truck or rail car from the engine assembly plant or the Aisin transmission plant. QA and QC are done at those respective plants not Hamura or Tahara. That goes for nearly every other part or sub assembly that is not manufactured at Hamura or Tahara.

If you’re worried about paint quality, panel gaps, or other fit and finish measures by all means have a preference.

What is not happening is anything beyond final assembly and finished vehicle QC/QA at either plant. The mechanical quality of the driveline is not going to be any different unless employees are wildly damaging delivered parts like engines and transmissions. I’m not even sure that the components show up as separate items, they might be paired up at the engine assembly plant and shipped as a unit to final vehicle assembly.

 

[NoMe cruiser]

I think you have a very unrealistic view of what happens at a vehicle body and final assembly plant.

They’re not cracking open engines or transmissions that show up off of a truck or rail car from the engine assembly plant or the Aisin transmission plant. QA and QC are done at those respective plants not Hamura or Tahara. That goes for nearly every other part or sub assembly that is not manufactured at Hamura or Tahara.

If you’re worried about paint quality, panel gaps, or other fit and finish measures by all means have a preference.

What is not happening is anything beyond final assembly and finished vehicle QC/QA at either plant. The mechanical quality of the driveline is not going to be any different unless employees are wildly damaging delivered parts like engines and transmissions. I’m not even sure that the components show up as separate items, they might be paired up at the engine assembly plant and shipped as a unit to final vehicle assembly.

Safe to say your cruiser built at the Hino facility?

 

[RideWithYanu]

Sources be damned my f-ing truck died at 3000 miles and it would be great if it could get fixed in a reasonable amount of time.

It’s totally unsat and I’d be livid. Don’t mean to diminish your actual experience. F’ing sucks dude.

 

[RUN-8]

Safe to say your cruiser built at the Hino facility?

Probably, I think most of them are built at Hino.

Hino has built a lot of commercial body on frame vehicles for decades. Given their vast experience at medium duty and heavy duty commercial body on frame vehicles I’d rather buy a truck made by Hino.

At any rate the likelihood there is any statistical difference in transmission reliability between two plants that use transmissions sourced from the same manufacturing facility is basically nil.

If it makes you feel better yours was built at Tahara great. Whatever makes you happy. Believing there will be any quality difference in an engine or transmission shipped to Tahara vs Hamura from the engine or transmission plant is pretty much retarded though.

 

[NoMe cruiser]

Probably, I think most of them are built at Hino.

Hino has built a lot of commercial body on frame vehicles for decades. Given their vast experience at medium duty and heavy duty commercial body on frame vehicles I’d rather buy a truck made by Hino.

At any rate the likelihood there is any statistical difference in transmission reliability between two plants that use transmissions sourced from the same manufacturing facility is basically nil.

If it makes you feel better yours was built at Tahara great. Whatever makes you happy. Believing there will be any quality difference in an engine or transmission shipped to Tahara vs Hamura from the engine or transmission plant is pretty much retarded though.

Just you being pissed off that your vehicle was built at hino is proof that the more desirable cruiser’s are built at the Tahara plant. Thank you for confirming my suspicions and good day ma’am.

 

[Midwest Duo]

Sorry about your experience. Every now and then I click on these posts (the brake posts too when I heard a few squeaks) and I count my blessings. But then I’m running stock (and premium gas) and just being a good little boy with everything through the warranty period.

I’m not a mall crawler. I’m not an overlander. Just an old dude who might do fire roads and boondocking, hoping he got a good one made on everyone’s best day at the factory.

 

[Daytonacoupe66]

Bummer for those who are experiencing troubles, or are unimpressed with the build or quality. My 2025 Premium is only 2 months old but has been flawless in 4300 kms. Averaging 10.5L per 100 kms (24 mpg) since day one. For short trips around town or on secondary roads I'm getting as high as 9.1L per 100kms, or 31 mpg, where the battery is often the driver. These are imperial gallons, so US gallons are 20% less volume, and the US numbers will look better when converted to imperial gallons. Stock tires and a roof rack. Just offering another data point; break in mpg numbers were not dissimilar. I've owned many Landcruisers since 1986, and this one is so luxurious, and for the weight and shape, fuel efficient! Typical Toyota high quality in my opinion. Loaded with oodles of electronic gadgetry, which is what people want, and with that comes problems. High end also means really, really high expectations. I'm not minimizing the breakdown/failure trauma that some folks are experiencing because that is indeed tragic. I received what I paid for, and I expect Toyota will continue to stand behind their product if a failure is their fault.

 

[mpauly]

WOW! Bizarre all three components mentioned would concurrently fail. Are you speaking of the hybrid portion of the transmission? And of course the torque converter is generally considered part of the transmission. So, possibly the entire assembly? What were the failure indications? Agree re that Toyota does not have an ECU flash procedure for larger tires, which many owners do.

They found metal in the transmission fluid which flows through the hybrid unit, so all three are being replaced. My fear is the new assembly we’ll call it won’t be of any better quality.

 

[mpauly]

Bummer for those who are experiencing troubles, or are unimpressed with the build or quality. My 2025 Premium is only 2 months old but has been flawless in 4300 kms. Averaging 10.5L per 100 kms (24 mpg) since day one. For short trips around town or on secondary roads I'm getting as high as 9.1L per 100kms, or 31 mpg, where the battery is often the driver. These are imperial gallons, so US gallons are 20% less volume, and the US numbers will look better when converted to imperial gallons. Stock tires and a roof rack. Just offering another data point; break in mpg numbers were not dissimilar. I've owned many Landcruisers since 1986, and this one is so luxurious, and for the weight and shape, fuel efficient! Typical Toyota high quality in my opinion. Loaded with oodles of electronic gadgetry, which is what people want, and with that comes problems. High end also means really, really high expectations. I'm not minimizing the breakdown/failure trauma that some folks are experiencing because that is indeed tragic. I received what I paid for, and I expect Toyota will continue to stand behind their product if a failure is their fault.

My electric motor only runs at below 10mph. Here in the US the electric portion is solely for torque and the gasoline engine drive the vehicle over 10mph. I haven’t met anyone here that get anything about 18mpg

 

[Guest8178]

My electric motor only runs at below 10mph. Here in the US the electric portion is solely for torque and the gasoline engine drive the vehicle over 10mph. I haven’t met anyone here that get anything about 18mpg

What are you talking about? You have now met me, and I get well over 18mpg. Averaging 22.8 with normal driving around a Virginia city.

 

[mpauly]

What were the signals that these pieces were failing and led to you bringing it in for service?

While driving mine at a steady 40mph it just suddenly receded over 4000rpm and the vehicle was just coasting. Finally picked back up enough to get me to the dealer I happened to be driving by.

 

[mpauly]

What are you talking about? You have now met me, and I get well over 18mpg. Averaging 22.8 with normal driving around a Virginia city.

Did you get that mileage out of the box or did it have to go through a break in period. I’ve been told it gets better after break in. I’ve never had to wait for a break in period on a vehicle other than a racing motor for my BMW.

 

[Guest8178]

Did you get that mileage out of the box or did it have to go through a break in period. I’ve been told it gets better after break in. I’ve never had to wait for a break in period on a vehicle other than a racing motor for my BMW.

I only have 1500 miles and it’s been like that since new. I’ve reset it a few times to check and it seems to settle back in around there. 22-23, mixed driving.

I reset it a few days ago again and my wife took it on a 400 road trip, mostly 75+ mph. Even that was over 22.

Also, I’d be pissed if I lost the transmission this early. I really hope that’s not what we all get to look forward to.

I own a Tundra and saw posts like this as engines started to fail on the new generation. It started like this and ended with one of the biggest engine recalls in history.