2002 Toyota Land Cruiser

Routine

Owners filed 12 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Vehicle Speed Control3
101
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch2
000
Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls1
000
Structure › Body1
000
Service Brakes1
000
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor1
000
Seat Belts1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling1
000
Electronic Stability Control (esc)1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Structure › Body
Filed Jul 9, 2023NJ

I have purchased this vehicle from the dealer at prestige toyota in ramsey NJ 2002- it was a certified dealer car. I have maintained my car and it still rides well, until about 2 weeks ago i felt the back of the car while driving 65mile hr highway that was curvy,felt like i was going to go out of control and it's never done that before. I took it to Toyota june 8th 2023 to get an oil change, and mechanic said my rear stable bar is missing due to excessive rot and the entire frame is rotted out and is not safe to drive, I am spending $1800.00 to get the AC recharged and rear brakes done. Come to find out that Toyota had recalls on the tundra and sequoia but if they used the same frame, why did they not recommend a fix before this happened, thousands of dollars later. I am not ready to give up my car, I have taken it there many times now my car is unsafe to drive. I am very upset and not ready to put out money for a new car. https://app.mykaarma.com/service-cart/mpi/p9qdyu1adwH03b-7zCmYM4OthQMfVtmzGdv-yqYEUMY/check/Your_CAR_CHECK_ID/media/0/view/1 above link is the video of the car

Service Brakes
Filed May 4, 2020239,000 milesPA

DURING NORMAL LOCAL DRIVING, TRYING TO STOP MY 2002 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER REQUIRES AN IMPOSSIBLE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. ON THE PHONE THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER SAID ELECTRIC BRAKE BOOSTER HAS FAILED, AND THE COST TO FIX IT IS ABOUT $4500--A HUGE AMOUNT FOR A 18-YEAR-OLD CAR THAT IS WORTH ONLY $7,000 OR $8,000. IT'S AN AMOUNT THAT IS DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO AFFORD. SO WHEN I NEED TO DRIVE, I HAVE TO DRIVE VERY SLOWLY.

Electronic Stability Control (esc)
Filed Sep 28, 2017209,000 milesCA

A FEW TIMES WHILE TRAVELING AT FWY SPEEDS, AS WE START TO GO UPHILL THE CAR VIOLENTLY SHAKES BACK AND FORTH (STEERING WHEEL HARD TO HOLD ON TO). VSC, TRAC AND THE LIITLE CAR WITH THE SKID MARKS BEHIND IT FLASH ON THE DASH ALONG WITH AN ALARM THAT LASTS FROM 3-5 SECONDS. WE HAVE HAD A HARD TIME KEEPING THE CAR IN THE LANE. ALMOST RAN INTO THE CENTER DIVIDER. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO OUR PERSONAL MECHANIC, CALLED TOYOTA, TAKEN IT TO TOYOTA OF SAN LUIS DEALERSHIP AND NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. IT IS IN OUR OPINION THAT THIS CAR IN UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND UNSAFE TO SELL.

Seat Belts
Filed Sep 1, 201597,000 milesCA

FIRST, MIDDLE SEAT BELT AT THE BACK WERE THE FIRS ONE THAT GOT STUCK, MEANT THE PERSON HAD FASTEN SEAT BELT AND WHEN HE TRIED TO UNFASTEN THE LOCK GOT STUCK WON'T OPEN AND SO WE HAD TO PULL HIM OUT ON THE SIDE TO GET OUT FROM THE SEAT BELT. AND NOW ALMOST ALL THE SEAT BELTS AREN'T WORKING PROPERLY.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jul 7, 201069,000 milesNC

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2002 LANDCRUISER FROM A TOYOTA DEALER IN GREENSBORO NC. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLES SUDDENLY STOPPED RESPONDING TO THE GAS PEDAL...THE ENGINE WAS STILL ON BUT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER GETTING POWER. WE HAD TO PULL OVER, STOP THE CAR. I THEN RESTARTED THE CAR...THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, BUT HE CAR WAS RESPONSIVE AND I DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID IT WAS THE THROTTLE HOUSING THAT NEEDED A CLEANING. THE ISSUE SEEMS SIMILAR TO THE RECENT LEXUS RECALL . WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PULL OVER BUT IT WAS FRIGHTENING NONETHELESS. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING INTO IT. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash1 injured
Filed Feb 24, 2010CA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 40 MPH CRASHING INTO HER SPOUSE WHO SUSTAINED A BROKEN LEG. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSURED WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls
Filed Oct 19, 20075,000 milesCA

CAR WAS NEW WHEN I PICKED UP AT DEALER. HAVE BEEN BACK WITH DRIVER DOOR WINDOW PROBLEM OVER SIX TIMES. AT THIS TIME THE WINDOW SEAL IS LOOSE AND THE WINDOW WILL NOT CLOSE. IT IS SAD TO PAY 56K AND STILL CAN'T GET THINGS FIXED...SECURITY IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND I HAVE IT.

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Aug 17, 200754,047 milesAL

SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE DEAR SIRS, THIS MONDAY OF THIS WEEK (13 AUGUST 2007) WHEN I WAS PUTTING MY 3-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER'S CARSEAT IN MY TOYOTA, THE PASSENGER SEATBELT JAMMED IN THE FULLY EXTENDED POSITION. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL DEALER (TUSCALOOSA TOYOTA) AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE SEAT BELT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED AND WAS NOT COVERED BY A CRADLE-TO-GRAVE WARRANTY, MERELY A 5-YEAR, 60K WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF NEARLY $300. I BELIEVE THAT LEGALLY REQUIRED SAFETY ISSUES ON AUTOMOBILES NEED TO BE COVERED CRADLE-TO-GRAVE AS THEY HAVE PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS IN THE SAFETY OF DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS. AS A SIDE NOTE, AFTER 21 YEARS OF SERVICE MY 86 HONDA CRX NEEDED SIMILAR SERVICE. THIS WAS IMMEDIATELY REMEDIED BY MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER (TOWNSEND HONDA) AT NO COST, WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED. JAMES WESTON *TR

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Apr 28, 200556,712 milesNC

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY IN EARLY DECEMBER 2004, 60 MPH AND CAR WENT COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL AS IF A FRONT TIRE HAD BLOWN. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN 3 DAYS LATER, UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. THOUGHTS WERE THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WAS KICKING ON (FOR NOT APPARENT REASON) DUE TO A WIRING/COMPUTER MALFUNCTION. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS OCCURED AT LEAST 15-20 TIMES WITH US ON THE HIGHWAY - WE HAVE THE CAR PARKED, EXCEPT TO TAKE IT BACK AND FORTH TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO CANNOT SEEM TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP HAD IT 4 DAYS THE FIRST TIME AND 2-3 WEEKS THE SECOND AND THIRD TIMES. TOOK IT TO LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DUPLICATED PROBLEM WITHIN THE FIRST 15 MILES OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE (WHICH IS A 2002 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER). NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY THE DEALERSHIP, AS THEY CLAIM THEY CAN'T "DUPLICATE CUSTOMER'S REQUEST". MANUFACTURER TOOK CLAIM BUT HAS DONE NOTHING. LOCAL MECHANIC NOTED ON HIS WORK ORDER THAT THIS PROBLEM MAY NOT BE FIXABLE AND THAT VEHICLE IS VERY DANGEROUS AND IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS. HE ALSO "DIAGNOSED" PROBLEM, AS IN FACT, BEING A MALFUNCTION IN THE AUTOMATIC TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM" AND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL IS HAVING THE BREAKS APPLIED (AT HIGH SPEEDS, FOR NO REASON) AND SYSTEM COMES ON MOMENTARILY, SOUNDING ALARM AND CAR SWERVES OUT OF CONTROL.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Aug 5, 200449,500 milesNY

CONSUMER RECEIVED TWO COMPUTERIZED KEYS WHEN PURCHASED. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW DAYS THE KEYS DID NOT WORK, AND COMPUTER CHIP FELL OUT. DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT CONSUMER MUST ORDER NEW ONES AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. THE OTHER KEYS TO ANOTHER VEHICLE WERE ALSO DEFECTIVE.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Jan 15, 2004MA

THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN THE SPRING OF 2002 WITH A FULL WARRANTY. IN APPROXIMATELY THE SUMMER OF 2002, THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL CHANGE. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EMIT BLUE SMOKE AND THE ENGINE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THE OIL WAS REPLACED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE FOR A LONG DRIVE TO BURN OFF THE OIL. WE DID SO. THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE IS RUINED AND WOULD COSTS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.00 TO REPAIR DUE TO OIL PROBLEMS.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Jul 20, 20034,010 milesCO

THE POWER DOOR LOCKS INTERMITTENTLY LOCK WITHOUT MY PARTICIPATION.*AK

12 of 12 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20211000Routine
20190300Routine
20184200Routine
20174100Routine
20164300Routine
20152400Routine
20142400Routine
20136200Routine
20120200Routine
20114500Routine
20103600Routine
20096700Routine
20088500Routine
20073100Routine
20069200Routine
20059300Routine
20045100Routine
200310100Routine
2002 — this page12000Routine
20019000Routine
200025011Fatalities reported
199923010Routine
199816001Fatalities reported
199717000Routine
199612000Routine
19958000Routine
199420000Routine
19938100Routine
199210100Routine
199111100Routine
19905100Routine

Compare every Land Cruiser year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.