1989 Toyota Landcruiser Reviews

Power steering pump is starting to lose pressure at idle.

Engine leaks.

Steering knuckles are starting to leak.

A hole rusted the muffler and needed a replacement.

Passenger rear window come off regulator (20 minute fix).

Throttle position sensor malfunctioned at 145,000.

I purchased this truck to replace my old '78 FJ40, due to the fact that it made a terrible daily driver. Overall it has been a decent vehicle.

The gas mileage is awful (10-12 MPG in town, maybe 15 on the highway if you are lucky), but that is to be expected in such a large heavy vehicle. The engine does alright pulling the truck around town, can easily do 75 MPH on the highway, but any sort of uphill grade whatsoever will put you in the slow lane.

When it's in 4WD, nothing can stop it! I have had it in snow drifts deeper than the hood, and it pushed through them with no problem. Plenty of low end torque as well for pulling your friends out.

Working on the vehicle can either be quite simple, or incredibly frustrating, depending on what you are working on. The EFI system simplifies the engine bay quite a bit, and does away with the constant carburetor adjustments, and many of the emissions components of the 87 and down models.

One thing I don't like at all is the design of the cooling system, and how difficult it is to service. The water pump, for example, requires you to remove the alternator holding brackets, the power steering pump, as well and the brackets that hold it to the engine, and in order to remove those, you have to removed the A/C compressor and the brackets it goes on, because it is bolted on top of the P/S pump brackets. In essence, you have to dismantle the whole front of the engine, and since there is an unusually large amount of hoses and gasketed joints, chances are good you will have a leak and have to do it all over again.

The interior is cavernous and can seat 4 adults comfortably. Works wonders when moving. I did wish it had third row seats, seems silly that such a large vehicle only has seating for five.

Factory A/C still blows cold, and it has never left me stranded. In several cases with battery and equipment failures, the truck always seems to get itself home.

If you are looking at one of these, be sure and get one in good running shape, as when in good condition, they will give you many years of trouble free service. However, once they start requiring attention, parts are hard to find and VERY expensive.

Springs wear out every 150k.

Shocks are shot every 75k.

Tires last about 50k, same with plugs, wires, cap & rotor.

Brakes: front @ 30k, rear @ 100k.

The steering gears are a bit loose, I might have to fix it in the next couple years.

Wiper blades are the poorest performing part, lasts only a year or so.

It doesn't get there first, but it always gets there, and gets back. Many times it has come home towing one of its friends with all the people and stuff inside. On the trail, it does red cross duty to save a lot of expensive American crawlers (Japanese and Brit's too) stuck, stalled, broken or just too tired to go on.

Bulletproof, predictable and forgiving. Wife and dog should be so appropriate and satisfying.

Replaced transmission at 187000 miles.

Replaced water pump 4 times.

Will climb anything and go anywhere. Out performs V8 trucks and diesel powered lifted 4 X 4s.

13 MPG. A true gas hog.