2013 Toyota Land Cruiser: common problems

Owners of the 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 6

What fails most often

1 Air bags 17% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
3 Electronic stability control 17% of all complaints
4 Engine 17% of all complaints
5 Fuel/propulsion system 17% of all complaints
6 Powertrain 17% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
8 Vehicle speed control 17% of all complaints

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

Air bags: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Electrical system: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Engine: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (17% of all).

Engines and transmissions

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

5.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 6-speed

Drive: 4WD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

A/C or heater2 · 33%
stalls while driving2 · 33%
door locks, latches, handles1 · 17%
engine failure or replacement1 · 17%
warning lights, check engine1 · 17%
windows, sunroof1 · 17%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Air bags	1	0	0
Electrical system	1	0	0
Electronic stability control	1	0	0
Engine	1	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	0	0
Powertrain	1	0	0
Service brakes	1	0	0
Vehicle speed control	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.

The driver door window / lock control module will not learn or retain the connections to the other doors. While the car is shut down the control module works as if it is in normal mode and can control all the windows. The 4 door locking does not work while the car is running but works while it is shut down.
Electrical system · 2020-09-27 · NHTSA complaint #11361361
The contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, the vehicle began shutter and stall without warning. The contact was able to coast the vehicle into a parking lot as an unknown light illuminated on the vehicle.
Engine · 2020-01-30 · NHTSA complaint #11306160
No incident involved. Just was notified by the toyota dealership there is a passenger classification system fault that has generated a safety recall. That was dec 2018 and the remedy is still not available. It is nhtsa recall #: 18v887 issued in dec 2018.
Air bags · 2019-06-04 · NHTSA complaint #11217719
Now the check engine light is on and code relates to issues with evaporator canister. This type of check engine light disables to safety features 1)trac off and 2) 4 low option.
Electronic stability control · 2018-03-21 · NHTSA complaint #11080721
Problem is more noticeable if an accessory such as the a/c compressor turns on and causes the engine idle speed to increase very slightly. Until yesterday my biggest concern was bumping a vehicle in front of me at a stoplight.
Service brakes · 2016-07-02 · NHTSA complaint #10882247
On a sporadic basis, when attempting to accelerate from a low speed to high speed, such as, merging into a traffic lane, there was a lack of response (similar to a stalling sensation). On two occasions, the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they were unable to identify the problem.
Powertrain · 2013-08-05 · NHTSA complaint #10533559

When owners complained

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

20131
20161
20181
20191
20202

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Land Cruiser has 7 complaints (43 years in the data). This year has 6, about average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, electronic stability control. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (33%), stalls while driving (33%), door locks, latches, handles (17%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 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 2013 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 2013 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.