2018 Toyota Land Cruiser: common problems

Owners of the 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and exterior lighting. The maker issued 80 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 4
involving a crash: 1
Technical service bulletins (TSB): 80

What fails most often

1 Air bags 50% of all complaints
2 Exterior lighting 25% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 25% 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: 2 complaints (50% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Powertrain: 1 complaints (25% 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, 8-speed

Drive: 4WD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 4 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

airbags did not deploy1 · 25%
hesitation when accelerating1 · 25%
headlights and tail lights1 · 25%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 25%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Air bags	2	1	6
Exterior lighting	1	0	0
Powertrain	1	0	0
Equipment	0	0	26
Structure	0	0	26
Electrical system	0	0	8
Service brakes	0	0	7
Engine and cooling	0	0	4
Backover prevention	0	0	3
Visibility	0	0	3
Communication	0	0	2
Engine	0	0	2
Lane departure	0	0	2
Seats	0	0	2

What owners report

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

The vehicle was in a front collision over 50mph and the airbags did not deploy.
Air bags · crash · 2019-10-08 · NHTSA complaint #11267000
The transmission hesitates shifting up between 1->2 gear or down 2->1 gear at less than 15 mph. Depending how far you push the accelerator to force it to shift into gear, the car can shift into gear after hesitating so hard it feels like the vehicle was hit from behind.
Powertrain · 2025-05-27 · NHTSA complaint #11663153
The contact also stated that the headlights did not illuminate as designed and the visibility range was limited to thirty feet. The contact called the manufacturer and was provided case numbers: [phone] and [phone]96.
Air bags · 2019-08-08 · NHTSA complaint #11242609

When owners complained

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

20192
20221
20251

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

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.

Manufacturer service bulletins

Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.

received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11028712 · Other Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a…
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11020657 · Electrical system The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air…
The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11012744 (+4 with the same text) · Structure The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix…
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11012743 (+4 with the same text) · Structure To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used…
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11012742 (+4 with the same text) · Structure Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical…
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11012735 · Structure Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal…
Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11012727 (+1 with the same text) · Structure Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad…
Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can…
received by NHTSA in 2020–2024 · № 11007455 (+3 with the same text) · Structure Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a…
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition…
received by NHTSA in 2020–2024 · № 11005153 · Structure Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal…
Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination.
received by NHTSA in 2020–2024 · № 11005119 (+1 with the same text) · Engine This Service Bulletin provides updated non-electric water pump leak inspection and diagnostic tips for…
This Service Bulletin provides updated non-electric water pump leak inspection and diagnostic tips for some 2008 – 2025 model year Toyota vehicles.
received by NHTSA in 2020–2024 · № 11003619 (+1 with the same text) · Electrical system Customers have expressed concerns about the performance of Qi Wireless Chargers
Wireless chargers on applicable vehicles are designed to work with Qi Certified devices only. MagSafe devices, that are not Qi Certified, may not charge as expected with Qi Wireless Chargers.
received by NHTSA in 2020–2024 · № 10253223 · Engine and cooling This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life…
This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life Coolant, effective March 1, 2024. These products are ordered through the Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC)…

NHTSA lists 80 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, exterior lighting, powertrain. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (25%), hesitation when accelerating (25%), headlights and tail lights (25%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser?

NHTSA lists 80 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 2018 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 2018 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.