2003 Toyota Land Cruiser: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 10 owner complaints on record; most reports concern service brakes.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 10 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Braking system failed. Unable to stop operating vehicle traveling 30 MPH without downshifting and allowing vehicle's momentum to dissipate. Vehicle towed to repair facility. Repair has been completed. Repair facility, Love Field Auto, in Dallas, TX diagnosed concern (master cylinder +'ABS system failure) and replaced components. Vehicle had approximately 155K miles.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · May 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota land cruiser. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph and making a left turn, a second vehicle crashed into the front of the vehicle. The front driver side and driver side curtain airbags did not deploy. During the crash the vehicle was destroyed and towed away. The driver sustained injuries to the neck, back, head, and hip injuries which required medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer was not notified regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 307,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · Feb 2020
“As I was driving, the vehicle's ABS, vsc trac, vsc off, and brake light all came on at the same time, with an audible buzzer. Once I approached the intersection, I realized that the vehicles brakes were not working and had to push the pedal hard all the way to the floor and prayed that the vehicle stopped. I had just dropped my son and my neighbor's child off at school. Luckily, there was no one in front of me at the light and I was able to avoid an accident.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Sep 2016
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“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota land cruiser. The contact stated that while traveling 30 mph and attempting a left turn, the steering wheel turned but the wheels did not respond. The contact had the vehicle towed to a mechanic and was told that the steering shaft was fractured. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 100,000.”Owner report · Steering · Jan 2013
“Excessive underbody rusting. I have a tundra whose underbody was changed upon recall by toyota. Car is garaged or left in driveway. Every mechanic comments on excessive rusting including prestige toyota but they maintain it's satisfactory. I had to change the thing holding the tire because it rusted through creating the danger the spare could break loose. Aaa would not change a spare tire because of rusting through. Toyota thinks the rust is ok. I don't and worry about safety.I cannot remember exactly when this happened.I can't accurately recall mileage when I noticed this”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2013
“Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked the side/ curtain airbags deployed. The contact sustained minor injuries. There had been no prior accident. The vehicle was driven to the dealership, but no defect was determined. The contact was injures when the air bag deployed and was seen by hospital and primary care physician. *ak”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2006
“From the toyota invoice: "customer states the back of the center console facing the rear seats gets very, very hot...almost burning fingers." and this statement is correct. The folks at clearwater, toyota say there is nothing mechanically incorrect with my automobile, but I am telling them, clearly there is something incorrect with my vehicle. Thus my reason for this complaint.*ak”Owner report · Structure · Apr 2004
“Unexplained acceleration in my 2003 toyota landcriuser. Once in a parking lot almost pushing me into pedestrians while my foot was on the brake. Another time when making a turn and almost pushed me into a car - my foot was on the brake and I didn't have a foot on the accelerator. I heard you were loooking into this on a camry - I have this also and it is a safety concern. I've called toyota with no acknowledgement there is a known problem.*ak”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2003
“I recently purchased a toyotal highlander which has a headrest problem - it is so large that it pushes the head of the person in the seat forward to the point it is very very uncomfortable - in my case very painful. Neither the dealer nor toyota will help me with the problem. I am not the only one who is having a problem with the headrest - neighbors are and I have seen people driving highlanders without headrests, which are a safety issue. In my case it is definitely a safety problem - I was rear ended twice in a vehicle without a headrest and am suffering cervical spine problems as a result. We need help with this problem.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2003
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags. The affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may be improperly programmed, causing the side curtain-shield-air bags to deploy inadvertently.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-271-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0C and GLB.
How other years compare
Check your exact Land Cruiser by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser reliable?
NHTSA has 10 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser. The most complained-about area is service brakes.
Does the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning air bags:side/window. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.