1991 Toyota Land Cruiser: common problems

Owners of the 1991 Toyota Land Cruiser filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 11
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
2 Fuel system 18% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 18% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
5 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
6 Structure 9% of all complaints
7 Tires 9% of all complaints
8 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints

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

Electrical system: 2 complaints (18% of all).
Fuel system: 2 complaints (18% of all).
Powertrain: 2 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Service brakes: 1 complaints (9% of all).

Engines and transmissions

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

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

Drive: AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 11 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

overheating, coolant loss2 · 18%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 9%
stalls while driving1 · 9%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	2	0
Fuel system	2	0
Powertrain	2	1
Engine and cooling	1	0
Service brakes	1	0
Structure	1	0
Tires	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	1
Visibility	1	0
Wheels	1	0

What owners report

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

On september 12, 2009 after parking the vehicle and stepping out of it, the vehicle rolled backwards. The contact was pinned in between the door and severely injured. He was hospitalized for ten days and placed in a rehabilitation unit. The failure and current mileages were 196000.
Powertrain · crash · 2009-10-01 · NHTSA complaint #10285912
Driving on I-40, western oklahoma, about 65 mph. Driver side rear tire disintegrated, complete separation of tread/belt section from sidewalls. Replaced with spare, continued without further incident.
Tires · 2009-06-19 · NHTSA complaint #10274378
Consumer states that the fuel injection relay constantly overheats, then fails, causing vehicle to stall. The electrical line that carries load to relay is rated too small for load. Consumer lives in the desert and it gets very hot on the road.
Electrical system · 2003-07-14 · NHTSA complaint #10027141
Engine died without warning. Vehicle towed to toyota dealer. Dealer has been unable to diagnosis the problem after 2 weeks.
Engine and cooling · 2002-08-09 · NHTSA complaint #765174
Center inside of rear tailgate bends in with normal wear&tear compromising weather seal and allowing exaust fumes into passenger cab.
Structure · 2000-11-07 · NHTSA complaint #735756
The mirrors are defective. I have spoken to seven land cruiser owners and all have had the same problem with the sideview mirrors. They are structurally unsound. The plastic part inside breaks in three different areas--two little attachments near the top and the screw hole at the bottom (it strips out and splits).
Visibility · 2000-01-15 · NHTSA complaint #717383
The narrower guage causes electronic fuel injection relay to overheat and burn out. The fix was to install 10 guage wire.
Fuel system · 1998-08-25 · NHTSA complaint #540352
While driving experienced engine low speed, engine shut down in mountains, won't restart due to ignition switch failure, parts hav ebeen replaced several times, problem persists.
Electrical system · 1996-12-04 · NHTSA complaint #805913

When owners complained

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

19951
19961
19971
19981
19991
20002
20021
20031
20092

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Land Cruiser has 7 complaints (43 years in the data). This year has 11, above average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1991 Toyota Land Cruiser?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel system, powertrain. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: overheating, coolant loss (18%), rollaway, parking brake (9%), stalls while driving (9%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1991 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 1991 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 1991 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.