I live in Utah, The incident occurred in San Francisco with children in car. going down one of the steeper roads towards fisherman wharf. the ABS alarm went off and I lost all breaking power. I immediately downshifted(automatic trans), used the emergency break almost killed some pedestrians.. pulled over. I checked all fuses, breaks. etc. I did not have any money, so as nightfall came upon us, with ABS glaring in our ears. I drove through the night back to Utah when the traffic was the lowest and used the emergency break all the way home, it was a horrific experience. The repair on this was not cheep where I had the ABS/brakes fixed so the breaks would work at our local dealer where I live, This was about 8-10 years ago, I am still pretty upset someone cold have been killed, why would the breaks fail if the ABS fails.. this could have killed my family and/or someone else. I would have to check with Menlove Bountiful Toyota for an exact date of repair.
The worst 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Brakes7
- Body3
- Transmission3
- Airbags1
- Electrical1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes7
- Body3
- Transmission3
- Airbags1
- Electrical1
- Seat belts1
- Steering1
- Suspension1
- Wheels1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser 90
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Obsolete notice
- Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN...
- TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a...
- POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground...
- Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign
- TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a...
- Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN...
- Obsolete notice
- Supersession notice
- Obsolete notice
1998 Toyota Land Cruiser fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 12 | 15 | 14 |
What 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I was in a drive thru and as I approached the car in front of me, I pressed my brake pedal and had zero resistance as my pedal went to the floorboard and zero response from brakes. As I depressed pedal, my ABS light went on the dashboard and a beep alarmed. I tried hitting the pedal again to no avail and turned to attempt to miss the vehicle and pulled my emergency brake. I was moving at a low rate of speed and had zero history of brake system issues. After some homework online, I am seeing it is in line with a lot of other people's experiences with the same make and model having an ABS motor failure, booster motor failure, and/or an accumulator failure.
Experienced spontaneous sunroof explosion. Driving from estes park, co to louisville, co with my 9 year old son in back seat. Heard loud explosion overhead about 5 miles north of boulder, co on hwy. 93. Nearest car was 6-7 lengths in ahead and traveling at 60 MPH. It was a warm september day with intense 2:00p sun. We were finally able to safely pull over after 5 minutes. There was a nickle sized hole in the sunroof.
For the second time, a complete braking failure due to master cylinder motor failure. Occurred while driving. Luckily was going under 20 MPH on a vacant street and was able to safely coast to a stop.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 toyota land cruiser. While servicing the vehicle, the contact noticed that part of the frame was corroded. The contact also stated that the cross member that attached near the suspension mount and transmission cross member and the frame rail were all corroded through. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. The VIN was not available.
Total brake failure without warning - when the ABS and brake light came on and the buzzer sounded there were zero brakes. Just starting out in the morning. As we live on a long twisting road that is mostly downhill into town, this could have been catastrophic. Who designs a brake system that fails to zero???
My 1998 land cruiser is also on its third front differential. Both had ring failure with one of them going through the case. This has to be a factory defect which the dealers will not address.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 toyota land cruiser. The contact was driving approximately 30 MPH under black ice road conditions. The vehicle began to slide uncontrollably and crashed into a concrete support column. The air bags failed to deploy with the impact. The driver sustained multiple injuries. There were fractures to the ribs, sternum and left tibia. The vehicle was completely destroyed and towed to a collision center. The dealer was notified and stated that the occupant was not in the properly seated position for the air bag deployment to occur. The failure and current mileages were 140,000.
My 1998 lc470 has had two front diffs. Fail now. Both times the ring gear failed, once going through the housing. I tried to contact toyota but no answer. Anyone else with this problem????
Tl* - the contact stated that when she applies the brakes of her 1998 toyota land-cruiser the vehicle vibrates. The first incident occurred approximately in may ' july of 2006 while driving at 60 - 70 MPH. The vibration now occurs at 30 MPH. The contact stated there are no warning indicator lights. The failure mileage was 50,428. The contact has repeatedly taken the vehicle to a repair shop. The vehicle continues to vibrate and the dealer is unable to diagnose the failure. The contact replaced, and balanced the tires, as well as, having the vehicle aligned. The contact has researched and found similar problems with toyota SUV's.
Compare the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser
Other model years
19901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112013201420152016201720182021
Questions about the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser
Is the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser reliable?
Owners have filed 16 complaints about the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser, 3.2 times a typical Land Cruiser model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser?
Brakes, with 7 complaints. Next is body (3).
How many recalls does the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser have?
No recalls on record.
What gas mileage does the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser get?
Official estimates for the 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser range from 14 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.7L 8-cyl, 4WD) gets 12 city and 15 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history