Total Complaints
11 filings
TOYOTA LAND CRUISER · model year
11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2003TOYOTALAND CRUISER carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2003 LAND CRUISER is unknown or other with 3 filings, followed by service brakes (2) and structure (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 51 investigation files overlapping the 2003 LAND CRUISER, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
11 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 2 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
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 c
Braking system failed. Unable to stop operating vehicle traveling 30 MPH without downshifting and allowing vehicleâs momentum to dissipate. Vehicle towed to repair facility. Repair has been completed. Repair facility, Love Field Auto, in Dallas, TX diagnosed concern (master cylinder +âABS system failure) and replaced components. Vehicle had approximately 155K miles.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, A SECOND VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DURING THE CRASH THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED AWAY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK, BACK, HEAD, AND HIP INJURIES WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL TREATMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 307,000.
Mileage: 307,000
EXCESSIVE UNDERBODY RUSTING. I HAVE A TUNDRA WHOSE UNDERBODY WAS CHANGED UPON RECALL BY TOYOTA. CAR IS GARAGED OR LEFT IN DRIVEWAY. EVERY MECHANIC COMMENTS ON EXCESSIVE RUSTING INCLUDING PRESTIGE TOYOTA BUT THEY MAINTAIN IT'S SATISFACTORY. I HAD TO CHANGE THE THING HOLDING THE TIRE BECAUSE IT RUSTED THROUGH CREATING THE DANGER THE SPARE COULD BREAK LOOSE. AAA WOULD NOT CHANGE A SPARE TIRE BECAUSE OF RUSTING THROUGH. TOYOTA THINKS THE RUST IS OK. I DON'T AND WORRY ABOUT SAFETY.I CANNOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN THIS HAPPENED.I CAN'T ACCURATELY RECALL MILEAGE WHEN I NOTICED THIS
Mileage: 96,000
EXCESSIVE UNDERBODY RUSTING. I HAVE A TUNDRA WHOSE UNDERBODY WAS CHANGED UPON RECALL BY TOYOTA. CAR IS GARAGED OR LEFT IN DRIVEWAY. EVERY MECHANIC COMMENTS ON EXCESSIVE RUSTING INCLUDING PRESTIGE TOYOTA BUT THEY MAINTAIN IT'S SATISFACTORY. I HAD TO CHANGE THE THING HOLDING THE TIRE BECAUSE IT RUSTED THROUGH CREATING THE DANGER THE SPARE COULD BREAK LOOSE. AAA WOULD NOT CHANGE A SPARE TIRE BECAUSE OF RUSTING THROUGH. TOYOTA THINKS THE RUST IS OK. I DON'T AND WORRY ABOUT SAFETY.I CANNOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN THIS HAPPENED.I CAN'T ACCURATELY RECALL MILEAGE WHEN I NOTICED THIS
Mileage: 96,000
AS I WAS DRIVING, THE VEHICLE'S ABS, VSC TRAC, VSC OFF, AND BRAKE LIGHT ALL CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME, WITH AN AUDIBLE BUZZER. ONCE I APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION, I REALIZED THAT THE VEHICLES BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AND HAD TO PUSH THE PEDAL HARD ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND PRAYED THAT THE VEHICLE STOPPED. I HAD JUST DROPPED MY SON AND MY NEIGHBOR'S CHILD OFF AT SCHOOL. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME AT THE LIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT.
Mileage: 223,000
DURING NORMAL DRIVING AND BRAKING CONDITIONS, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATES, EXTENDING BRAKING DISTANCE.
Mileage: 205,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED BUT THE WHEELS DID NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING SHAFT WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,000.
Mileage: 100,000
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE SIDE/ CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THERE HAD BEEN NO PRIOR ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT NO DEFECT WAS DETERMINED. THE CONTACT WAS INJURES WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND WAS SEEN BY HOSPITAL AND PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. *AK
Mileage: 60,081
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A TOYOTAL HIGHLANDER WHICH HAS A HEADREST PROBLEM - IT IS SO LARGE THAT IT PUSHES THE HEAD OF THE PERSON IN THE SEAT FORWARD TO THE POINT IT IS VERY VERY UNCOMFORTABLE - IN MY CASE VERY PAINFUL. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR TOYOTA WILL HELP ME WITH THE PROBLEM. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO IS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE HEADREST - NEIGHBORS ARE AND I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE DRIVING HIGHLANDERS WITHOUT HEADRESTS, WHICH ARE A SAFETY ISSUE. IN MY CASE IT IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY PROBLEM - I WAS REAR ENDED TWICE IN A VEHICLE WITHOUT A HEADREST AND AM SUFFERING CERVICAL SPINE PROBLEMS AS A RESULT. WE NEED HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM.
FROM THE TOYOTA INVOICE: "CUSTOMER STATES THE BACK OF THE CENTER CONSOLE FACING THE REAR SEATS GETS VERY, VERY HOT...ALMOST BURNING FINGERS." AND THIS STATEMENT IS CORRECT. THE FOLKS AT CLEARWATER, TOYOTA SAY THERE IS NOTHING MECHANICALLY INCORRECT WITH MY AUTOMOBILE, BUT I AM TELLING THEM, CLEARLY THERE IS SOMETHING INCORRECT WITH MY VEHICLE. THUS MY REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT.*AK
UNEXPLAINED ACCELERATION IN MY 2003 TOYOTA LANDCRIUSER. ONCE IN A PARKING LOT ALMOST PUSHING ME INTO PEDESTRIANS WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. ANOTHER TIME WHEN MAKING A TURN AND ALMOST PUSHED ME INTO A CAR - MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND I DIDN'T HAVE A FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. I HEARD YOU WERE LOOOKING INTO THIS ON A CAMRY - I HAVE THIS ALSO AND IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. I'VE CALLED TOYOTA WITH NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM.*AK
Mileage: 10,000
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.