1989 Toyota Land Cruiser: common problems

Owners of the 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 3

What fails most often

1 Fuel system 67% of all complaints
2 Fuel/propulsion system 33% of all complaints

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

Fuel system: 2 complaints (67% of all).
Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (33% of all).

Engines and transmissions

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

4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: AWD

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Fuel system	2	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	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.

There is an active recall on my vehicle and toyota states that they do not have the part to remedy the recall
Fuel/propulsion system · 2017-10-23 · NHTSA complaint #11035899
The contact was dispensing fuel into the fuel tank when he noticed a substantial amount of fuel leaking from under the vehicle near the rear axle. In addition, the fuel level gauge failed and the contact mentioned an overpowering gasoline fuel odor from the exterior and interior of the vehicle.
Fuel system · 2011-03-21 · NHTSA complaint #10392384
Vehicle was repaired under recall 91v110 problem in the fuel tank has reoccurred. Manufacturer has been notified.
Fuel system · 1999-02-17 · NHTSA complaint #825601

When owners complained

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

19991
20111
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Land Cruiser has 7 complaints (43 years in the data). This year has 3, below average.

What to check before buying

Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system 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 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (33%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 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 1989 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 1989 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.