Most common 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser problems
Share of the 16 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Land Cruiser complaints by model year
Best Land Cruiser years: 2012, 2019, 2004. Years to avoid: 1997. Compare all years →
What 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser owners say
Brakes
I live in Utah, The incident occurred in San Francisco with children in car. going down one of the steeper roads towards fisherman wharf. the ABS alarm went off and I lost all breaking power. I immediately downshifted(automatic trans), used the emergency break almost killed some pedestrians.. pulled over. I checked all fuses, breaks. etc. I did not have any money, so as nightfall came upon us, with ABS glaring in our ears. I drove through the night back to Utah when the traffic was the lowest and used the emergency break all the way home, it was a horrific experience. The repair on this was not cheep where I had the ABS/brakes fixed so the breaks would work at our local dealer where I live, This was about 8-10 years ago, I am still pretty upset someone cold have been killed, why would the breaks fail if the ABS fails.. this could have killed my family and/or someone else. …
I was in a drive thru and as I approached the car in front of me, I pressed my brake pedal and had zero resistance as my pedal went to the floorboard and zero response from brakes. As I depressed pedal, my ABS light went on the dashboard and a beep alarmed. I tried hitting the pedal again to no avail and turned to attempt to miss the vehicle and pulled my emergency brake. I was moving at a low rate of speed and had zero history of brake system issues. After some homework online, I am seeing it is in line with a lot of other people's experiences with the same make and model having an ABS motor failure, booster motor failure, and/or an accumulator failure.
Transmission & drivetrain
The vehicle accelerated on its own when coming to a stop at a light. The transmission was completely overriden and it did not make any diference if the car was put in park or reverse, the car still was bucking forward. It stopped when the ignition was killed. This was the second time it happened and the most severe case. The first time it only started to rev but did come to a stop at the light. The incidents were approximately 2-3 weeks apart.
My 1998 Land Cruiser is also on its third front differential. Both had ring failure with one of them going through the case. This has to be a factory defect which the dealers will not address.
Body & structure
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser. While servicing the vehicle, the contact noticed that part of the frame was corroded. The contact also stated that the cross member that attached near the suspension mount and transmission cross member and the frame rail were all corroded through. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. The VIN was not available.
Experienced spontaneous sunroof explosion. Driving from estes park, co to louisville, co with my 9 year old son in back seat. Heard loud explosion overhead about 5 miles north of boulder, co on hwy. 93. Nearest car was 6-7 lengths in ahead and traveling at 60 MPH. It was a warm September day with intense 2:00p sun. We were finally able to safely pull over after 5 minutes. There was a nickle sized hole in the sunroof.
1998 Toyota Land Cruiser engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 15 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser a good car?
Based on 16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Land Cruiser rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Land Cruiser at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser?
The brakes — 7 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (3) and body & structure (3).
How many recalls does the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Land Cruiser?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2019 and 2004. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1997. See the full Toyota Land Cruiser years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 140,000 miles; 0% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.