2001 Toyota Land Cruiser: common problems

Owners of the 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 9

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 33% of all complaints
2 Vehicle speed control 33% of all complaints
3 Electronic stability control 22% of all complaints
4 Equipment 11% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
6 Tires 11% of all complaints

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

Service brakes: 3 complaints (33% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (33% of all).
Electronic stability control: 2 complaints (22% of all).
Equipment: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (11% of all).

Engines and transmissions

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

4.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: AWD

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Service brakes	3	0	0
Vehicle speed control	3	0	0
Electronic stability control	2	0	0
Equipment	1	0	0
Powertrain	1	0	0
Tires	1	0	0
Other	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.

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.
Service brakes · 2018-07-16 · NHTSA complaint #11111799
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…
Service brakes · 2013-06-24 · NHTSA complaint #10521473
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota land cruiser. The contact was driving 5 mph over a speed bump when the spare tire cable failed, causing the spare tire to separate from the vehicle.
Tires · 2011-05-11 · NHTSA complaint #10400059
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.
Service brakes · 2010-08-22 · NHTSA complaint #10351106
Dealer has been unsuccessful in resolving this dangerous condition, even after I paid to replace the yaw sensor, the warning lights for abs and vsc came on the way home after repair. This problem had been discussed for years on the ih8mud land cruiser enthusiast site.
Electronic stability control · 2008-10-15 · NHTSA complaint #10245599
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.
Vehicle speed control · 2007-04-27 · NHTSA complaint #10189102
My car suddenly accelerated when I pressed the brakes going down an incline.
Vehicle speed control · 2004-03-11 · NHTSA complaint #10061901
Paint peeling (black matte finish) from factory installed roof rack - all sides.
Equipment · 2002-08-22 · NHTSA complaint #765931

When owners complained

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

20021
20041
20071
20081
20101
20111
20131
20151
20181

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Land Cruiser has 7 complaints (43 years in the data). This year has 9, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, vehicle speed control, electronic stability control. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (11%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 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 2001 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 2001 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.