The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Toyota Land Cruiser common problems

What fails on the Toyota Land Cruiser at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 19,612 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Toyota Land Cruiser's most common MOT problems are suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, body and structure, recorded in 35.4%, 29.3% and 23.4% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2004 cars pass most often (66.3%) and 2006 cars least (62.7%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Toyota Land Cruiser that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 19,612 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Land Cruiser

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Toyota Land Cruiser tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Suspension bushes

    35.4% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained7.1%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained5.9%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained5.6%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained5.5%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  2. 2.Bulbs and lamps

    29.3% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained11.9%
    • “An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained6.7%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained6.1%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained4.5%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  3. 3.Body and structure

    23.4% of failed tests

    Structural corrosion within 30 cm of a seat belt, suspension or steering mounting fails; it is a disease of age, salt and wet storage.

    • “Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point” — explained13.6%
    • “Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced” — explained5.2%
    • “Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced” — explained4.7%

  4. 4.Parking brake

    16.4% of failed tests

    Cables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.

    • “Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained6.9%
    • “Parking brake inoperative on one side” — explained4.8%
    • “Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment” — explained2.4%
    • “Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement” — explained2.3%

  5. 5.Suspension arms and mountings

    13.6% of failed tests

    Arms bend on impact and mountings corrode into the body; a corroded mounting is a structural item and fails as one.

    • “The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired” — explained13.6%

  6. 6.Driveshaft gaiters

    11.9% of failed tests

    The rubber boot over each CV joint splits with age and flexing, then throws grease and lets grit destroy the joint.

    • “A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained11.9%

    Across all cars, driveshaft gaiters failures climb 21-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long driveshaft gaiters last

  7. 7.Wiper blades and washers

    11.8% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained9.0%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.7%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  8. 8.Brake pads and shoes

    10.9% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained10.9%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long brake pads and shoes last

By registration year

Land Cruiser problems by year

MOT pass rate for Toyota Land Cruiser cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. No single step here is large enough to point at a generation change.

200364%
200466%+2.3
200566%−0.5
200663%−3.1

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn Land Cruiser owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Toyota Land Cruiser tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the Land Cruiser file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Toyota Land Cruiser?
Going by what fails the MOT, suspension bushes (recorded in 35.4% of failed tests), bulbs and lamps (recorded in 29.3% of failed tests), and body and structure (recorded in 23.4% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 19,612 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Toyota Land Cruiser year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Toyota Land Cruiser cars registered in 2004 do best at 66.3% and 2006 cars do worst at 62.7%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar.
Is the Toyota Land Cruiser reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Toyota Land Cruiser passes 82.5% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Toyota Land Cruiser?
Start with what fails most: suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, driveshaft gaiters. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of