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Toyota Land CruiserModel year report

2003 Toyota Land Cruiser Problems

Complaints
10filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
100,000miles, 7 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
13 mpgcombined, 4.7L 8-cyl 4WD/AWD · 12 city / 16 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 10 consumer complaints for the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser. The part named most often is brakes, with 3 complaints (30% of the total), followed by other or unknown (3) and air bags (2). 7 of the complaints include a mileage, and 14% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 100,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 104 technical service bulletins for this model year. Brakes complaints overlap with 6 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Other or unknown complaints overlap with 2 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.

Example complaints

Brakes: “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.”

NHTSA complaint #10909745, filed 2016-09, 223,000 miles

Other or unknown: “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”

NHTSA complaint #11297568, filed 2020-01, 96,000 miles

Air bags: “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. …”

NHTSA complaint #11320945, filed 2020-04, 307,000 miles

Body and structure: “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.”

NHTSA complaint #10067598, filed 2004-04

Mileage when problems were reported

14% of the 7 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 96,000 and 205,000 miles.

0%0–1014%10–250%25–5014%50–7514%75–10014%100–15043%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (7 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 100,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

2004320062013201620202021
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 2003 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 4WD4.7L 8-cyl5-speed automatic121613$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

Recall details for the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser → · Check a 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. 104 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 104 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 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser have?

NHTSA recorded 10 consumer complaints for the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 3 complaints (30% of the total), followed by other or unknown with 3.

Has the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser get?

The EPA rates the 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser (Land Cruiser Wagon 4WD, 4.7L 8-cyl) at 13 mpg combined, 12 city and 16 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 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser reported?

Among the 7 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 100,000 miles and the middle half falls between 96,000 and 205,000 miles; 14% 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.