1987 Toyota Land Cruiser: common problems

Owners of the 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 4

What fails most often

1 Seat belts 100% of all complaints
2 Fuel/propulsion system 50% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Seat belts: 4 complaints (100% of all).
Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (50% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

4.2 L · petrol · 6 cyl
manual, 4-speed

Drive: AWD

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Seat belts	4	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	2	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Outboard rear seatbelts do not extend or retract. So my kids cannot ride in it. Fuel tank issue involves extremely high vapor buildup. When I take the cap off to add fuel, vapor pressure is so bad that it has blown the cap out of my hand when removing it.
Seat belts · 2020-09-12 · NHTSA complaint #11354539
Rear seat belt recall. Toyota dealership (larry h miller toyota, murray, utah) notified me of the open recall during a routine oil change service. They checked for the parts to satisfy the recall work, and could not find them. After checking for parts for about 2 2 weeks, they told me to call "toyota customer care".
Seat belts · 2020-06-18 · NHTSA complaint #11329620
Rear seat belts have a hard time retracting. They have the recall seat belt guides but they don't help. I have to put my hand under seat to get the seat belt to retract.
Seat belts · 2002-03-08 · NHTSA complaint #759010

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20021
20203

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Land Cruiser has 7 complaints (43 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.

What to check before buying

Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (100%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1987 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.