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2004 Toyota Land Cruiser problems

The most common problem on the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser is brakes. Its complaint count is close to a typical Land Cruiser model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Owner complaints
5
Recalls
1
Service bulletins
145
Worst area
Brakes
Fuel economy
13mpg

The worst 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Brakes
    3
  • Electrical
    2
  • Driver assistance
    1

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Brakes
    3
  • Electrical
    2
  • Driver assistance
    1

Recalls 1

Air bags: side/windowReported February 5, 2016 · 320,409 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags. The affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may be improperly programmed, causing the side curtain-shield-air bags to deploy inadvertently.
Risk
If the side curtain-shield-air bags deploy unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of occupant injury.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑888‑271‑9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0C and GLB.

Recall number 16V065000 · Recall details

See all 1 recalls for the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser

Technical service bulletins for the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser 145

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 145 bulletins for the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser

2004 Toyota Land Cruiser fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
4.7L 8‑cyl4WD121613

What 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Mar 13, 2026 · Electrical · 300,000 miles · OR

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the vehicle's mileage was 300,000. It was later discovered that the mileage on the title was 30,895. The contact stated that a Carfax Report indicated that the mileage was 300,000.

Filed Jun 9, 2019 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 223,000 miles · MD

While driving at approximately 30 MPH, the "brake" warning light illuminated along with the high pitch audible brake failure alarm. Approximately 1,000 - 2,000 feet later all brake function ceased entirely, only by applying parking brake and placing the vehicle in neutral was stopping possible. There were no injuries or property damage. Popping hood to look for signs of fluid leak, etc, we noticed that the brake fluid in the reservoir was over filled significantly - it had not been earlier and the brakes had recently been serviced. A cursory search of "land cruiser brake failure" online yielded numerous reports on toyota message boards of identical situations: brake light and alarm, total loss of braking power within moments, owners finding that the failure resulted in fluid returning to the reservoir overfilling it. There appear to be no fluid leaks or brake line failures. In addition to the brake warning lights, all of the traction control, anti-skid, and ABS warning lights are now illuminated - I understand that each are also powered by the brake system. We have not yet had our vehicle inspected by a mechanic, in most of the situations identical to ours we found online, the cause was the failure of the brake booster motor. We understand that all components may fail eventually. However, in our situation, there was insufficient warning of imminent brake failure. Had the vehicle been on a highway or a windy mountain road the results could have been catastrophic. Finally, we strongly urge you to cross-check this situation with other toyota suvs and trucks from 1995 - 2006 as in our initial research online these incidents seemed common to toyota vehicles model years spanning a long period.

Filed May 12, 2015 · Brakes · 156,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota land cruiser. The contact stated that the brake system failed without warning. The lights on the instrument panel illuminated and the brake pedal extended to the floor. The contact was able to use the emergency brake and shift the vehicle into neutral to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and the brake system needed to be replaced. The brake module failed and the dealer had to replace the entire unit that consisted of the vsc trac (traction control), ABS pump, ABS accumulator, and the brake master. The failure mileage was 156,000.

Filed Nov 29, 2006 · Electrical · 46,800 miles · OH

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 MPH on normal road conditions, the navigation system was difficult to make selections, and the map system had a limited display. Also, the view options did not work at all on some occasions, and the rear camera stopped working from time to time. The vehicle's panel displayed check system occasionally. The vehicle was not checked by the dealer.

Filed Jan 8, 2005 · Brakes · 9,000 miles · AZ

Brake pedal goes lower than gas pedal. Can pump pedal back up and pedal feels normal. Brakes don't seem to be gripping as they should until pumping pedal. Dealer say this is within manufacturers specifications.

Compare the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser

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Questions about the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser

Is the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser reliable?

Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser, close to a typical Land Cruiser model year.

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser?

Brakes, with 3 complaints. Next is electrical (2).

How many recalls does the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser have?

1 recall, covering air bags.

What gas mileage does the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser get?

Official estimates for the 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser range from 13 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.7L 8-cyl, 4WD) gets 12 city and 16 highway.

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