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Toyota Land CruiserModel year report

1997 Toyota Land Cruiser Problems

Complaints
17filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
156,895miles, 1 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
13 mpgcombined, 4.5L 6-cyl 4WD/AWD · 12 city / 14 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 17 consumer complaints for the 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser. The part named most often is brakes, with 4 complaints (24% of the total), followed by equipment (3) and tires (3). 1 of the complaints include a mileage, and 0% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 156,895 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 34 technical service bulletins for this model year. Brakes complaints overlap with 6 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Equipment complaints overlap with 17 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “When brakes were applied, the vehicle locked up and flipped into an embankment. Please fill in additional information. Dealer is aware of the problem. Ph”

NHTSA complaint #10006791, filed 2003-02

Equipment: “I was pulling out from a stop when I got blasted in the face out of air conditioner ventilation with something that made me go blind hyperventilate have sever muscle cramps arms and legs went numb. The air in the truck was tested and it was isobutane, butane, 2-methyl butane,pentane,toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes blowing throughout my truck!!!!”

NHTSA complaint #701251, filed 1998-12

Tires: “- the contact owns a 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser. The vehicle has interco - trxusm/t, size 265/75/16 tires. The DOT#t 4fw8t5m 20504. The contact purchased 6 snow tires and 2 of them have blown out while driving at 62 MPH on an interstate highway. The contact's rear passenger tire blew out. The rubber unwrapped around the bead, and it exploded there and ripped through to the tread. The tread remained intact and each occurrence wasidentical. The incident occurred on december 29, 2006 and the weather was not a factor. The incident has occurred six times. …”

NHTSA complaint #10177907, filed 2007-01, 156,895 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

0% of the 1 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 156,895 and 156,895 miles.

0%0–100%10–250%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–150100%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (1 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 156,895 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

31999332001200620152022
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Land Cruiser Wagon 4WD4.5L 6-cyl4-speed automatic121413$5,150

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 34 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 34 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Land Cruiser

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2013671,1252—15—Not enough data
200963,6007—15—Not enough data
2008892,2505—15—Not enough data
2006962,3962—13—Not enough data
2005976,4243—13—Not enough data
20045156,0001—13—Not enough data
200310100,0001—13—Not enough data
20021256,7120—13—Not enough data
20019118,1000—13—Not enough data
200025111,0000—13Not compared (before 2008)Rising
199923179,5260—13—Rising
199816140,0000—14—Falling
199717156,8950—13—Falling
199612119,2500—13—Not enough data
19958159,7780—13—Not enough data
199420100,0000—12—Stable
19938137,0000—12—Not enough data
199210115,0000—11—Not enough data
199111180,0000—12—Not enough data
19905—1—12—Not enough data
198810—2—12—Not enough data
19845—2—11—Not enough data

All Toyota Land Cruiser model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser have?

NHTSA recorded 17 consumer complaints for the 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 4 complaints (24% of the total), followed by equipment with 3.

Has the 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser get?

The EPA rates the 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser (Land Cruiser Wagon 4WD, 4.5L 6-cyl) at 13 mpg combined, 12 city and 14 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $5,150 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser reported?

Among the 1 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 156,895 miles and the middle half falls between 156,895 and 156,895 miles; 0% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.