Most common 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser problems
Share of the 9 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 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser owners say
Speed control & acceleration
In the past few weeks I have encountered a situation which I feel is quite dangerous. The following has happened on four occasions while on highways and interstates. What occurs is that I will be driving on a highway at about 65-70 miles/hr when suddenly the transmission shifts into a much lower gear. I am not sure which gear it is, but it is into a very low gear. Two things happen. The car suddenly slows down rapidly without the brake lights coming on which causes the car behind me to come close to rear-ending me. But a worse situation is that the sudden drop into a low gear causes the car to suddenly Dodge to the right - I assume because of the enormous torque generated by this shift that occurs without the engine slowing down first. This has occurred twice on interstates and twice on two lane highways, always at high speeds between 65 and 70 MPH. …
On May 29,2013 at approximately 1 pm, I was stopped at a traffic light waiting for approaching traffic to clear so that I could make a left turn. Suddenly, I heard a buzzer alarm and numerous dash board lights lit up, including ABS, vsc, brake, etc.completing the turn, I realized that the brakes were virtually non functional and required extreme force to slow down the vehicle. I drove to my nearby home at a very slow speed and parked the vehicle in my garage. Upon returning from a trip I had the towing company flatbed the vehicle to the dealer. Their diagnostics concluded that the hydraulic brake booster had failed and needed replacement. Total cost is $3100 including a slight discount since I have been a customer for over 16 years. The service manager could not recall a similar repair during his 18 years with the Toyota agency. …
Brakes
I was driving home on 7/15/18 and as I was pulling into my garage a loud noise started buzzing from my dashboard and my brake light, ABS, and vsc lights all came on at once. My brakes had completely failed without any warning. The pedal went right to the floor when I pressed it and it would not stop the vehicle. I almost went right through the other side of my brick garage. Luckily the emergency brake allowed me to stop before this happened. I had just gotten off the highway traveling at 70 MPH. I cannot imagine if the brakes completely failed at this speed. I have owned this vehicle for 17 years and I had never had a dash light or sound come on. There should have been more of a warning! Brakes should not just completely fail without any incident or warning. I have seen a few other posts about this happening for other Land Cruiser owners and Toyota needs to be held accountable. …
On 8/14/10 at approximately 6 pm, I was traveling with my family southbound on interstate 5-freeway in north los angeles county (city of valencia) when an audible dash alarm and several dash panel lights lit up on my dash panel. Shortly after this occurred, I lost all power assist in my braking system and was forced to use both extreme foot pressure on the brake pedal and the hand brake to bring my car to a stop. I would classify this as a catastrophic failure of the braking system. The car was towed to a Toyota dealership, where the problem was diagnosed as a failure of the ABS actuator system. Cost to repair exceeded $2700. Toyota customer care was notified - an attempt to obtain good-will repair based on the circumstances of the problem was denied by Toyota. …
2001 Toyota Land Cruiser engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 15 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser a good car?
Based on 9 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Land Cruiser rates average: 14% fewer complaints than 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 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser?
The speed control & acceleration — 3 complaints, 33% of all complaints for this model year, most often about cruise control. Next are the brakes (3) and stability & traction control (2).
How many recalls does the 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2001 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 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 118,000 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.