2001 Toyota Land CruiserRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

“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 FUNCTIONAL AND REQUIRED EXTREME FORCE TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. I DROVE TO MY NEARBY HOME AT A VERY SLOW SPEED AND PARKED THE VEHICLE IN MY GARAGE. UPON RETURNING FROM A TRIP I HAD THE TOWING COMPANY FLATBED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THEIR DIAGNOSTICS CONCLUDED THAT THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. TOTAL COST IS $3100 INCLUDING A SLIGHT DISCOUNT SINCE I HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR OVER 16 YEARS. THE SERVICE MANAGER COULD NOT RECALL A SIMILAR REPAIR DURING HIS 18 YEARS WITH THE TOYOTA AGENCY. I CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN I WAS STOPPED. HAD IT HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS OR DRIVING DOWN THE LONG AND STEEP ROADS IN MY COMMUNITY I COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS AND PERHAPS A FATAL ACCIDENT. I HAVE A PHD IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING WITH OVER 32 YEARS OF INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE. THE BRAKE SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE…”

“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. I ALMOST WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE OF MY BRICK GARAGE. LUCKILY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ALLOWED ME TO STOP BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT 70 MPH. I CANNOT IMAGINE IF THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED AT THIS SPEED. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 17 YEARS AND I HAD NEVER HAD A DASH LIGHT OR SOUND COME ON. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE OF A WARNING! BRAKES SHOULD NOT JUST COMPLETELY FAIL WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT OR WARNING. I HAVE SEEN A FEW OTHER POSTS ABOUT THIS HAPPENING FOR OTHER LAND CRUISER OWNERS AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED ON THE KING OF SUV'S.”

“VEHICLE SKID CONTROL LOCKS UP FRONT WHEEL AT LOW SPEEDS AND MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEAR INTERSECTION. OBJECTS AND PASSENGERS ARE VIOLENTLY THROWN FORWARD. 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. SOME OWNERS REPORT WHEELS LOCKING UP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS PUTTING VEHICLE IN DANGER OF ROLLOVER ACCIDENT. *TR”