The 2008 Land Cruiser with the 5.7L V8 is generally tank-solid, but this year falls into the window of Toyota's oil consumption nightmare on 2UR-FE engines. Beyond that, it's typical heavy-SUV wear items—transmission coolers, mounts, and the stuff that comes with 6,000+ pounds moving down the road.
Excessive Oil Consumption / Piston Ring Failure (2UR-FE Engine)
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: burning 1+ quart per 1,000 miles, blue smoke on cold start or under load, fouled spark plugs, check engine light for misfires
Fix: Full engine rebuild or short-block replacement required. Pistons, rings, and often cylinder honing. 25-35 labor hours depending on shop speed and access complications. Some owners pursue TSB ZE5 warranty extension if eligible, but 2008 is often outside coverage.
Estimated cost: $6,000-10,000
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Failure
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 100,000-180,000 mi
Symptoms: transmission fluid leaking near radiator, pink fluid puddles under front of vehicle, transmission running hot, burnt ATF smell
Fix: Replace external cooler lines and often the cooler itself if internal corrosion present. 2-4 hours labor. Flush transmission system to clear contamination if coolant mixed with ATF.
Estimated cost: $400-900
Transmission Mounts Collapsing
Occasional · low severity
Typical onset: 120,000-200,000 mi
Symptoms: clunk or thud when shifting into drive or reverse, vibration at idle in gear, excessive driveline movement felt through chassis
Fix: Replace transmission mount(s). Front and rear mounts typically need doing together. 2-3 hours labor with proper lift access.
Estimated cost: $300-600
Front Lower Control Arm Bushings Wear
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 100,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: wandering steering feel, clunking over bumps, uneven tire wear on inside edges, alignment won't hold
Fix: Replace lower control arms as assemblies—pressing bushings is possible but arms aren't expensive enough to justify the hassle. Both sides, alignment after. 4-5 hours labor.
Estimated cost: $800-1,400
Rear Heater Core Leaking (If Equipped with Rear Climate)
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: null
Symptoms: coolant smell in rear cabin, wet carpet behind third row or under second row, coolant loss with no visible external leak, foggy windows in rear
Fix: Access requires removing significant rear interior trim and center console components. Heater core replacement plus coolant flush. 6-8 hours labor due to access nightmare.
Symptoms: brake pedal feels spongy or requires excessive travel, VSC/ABS warning lights on dash, pump runs continuously or cycles frequently, reduced braking assist
Fix: Replace brake actuator assembly—expensive Toyota part, no good aftermarket. Brake system bleed and calibration required. 4-6 hours labor.
Estimated cost: $2,500-4,000
Owner tips
Check oil level religiously every 500-1,000 miles—catch piston ring issues before catastrophic damage occurs. Keep records if pursuing warranty claim.
Service transmission fluid every 30,000-40,000 miles despite Toyota's 'lifetime' claims—heat kills the 6-speed in heavy SUVs.
Inspect coolant hoses and radiator for pink/red ATF contamination during every service—early catch saves transmissions.
Use Toyota OEM coolant only—aftermarket universal stuff causes issues with aluminum components and heater cores.
Buy one if the oil consumption issue has already been addressed with rebuild receipts in hand, otherwise budget $8K-10K for an engine or walk away—everything else is manageable.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 18V887000
2018-12-13
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2019 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX 570 vehicles. Over time, the seat belt tension sensor wire harness may break and deactivate the front passenger air bag, knee air bag, and passenger seat-mounted side airbag.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, deactivated air bags can increase the risk of injury .
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will modify the front passenger seat belt assembly or replace it with an improved one, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 11, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are Lexus Interim J2L and Remedy JLL, Toyota Interim J15 and Remedy J05.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 17V548000
2017-08-31
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2016 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2006 Lexus LX470, and 2008-2013 Lexus LX570 vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with an incorrect driver or front passenger air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: An incorrect driver or front passenger air bag may not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected air bag assemblies, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0S. Lexus' number for this recall is HLD.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 Lexus RX350 and RX450h vehicles, manufactured from November 28, 2008, through September 1, 2010, and model year 2008 through 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles manufactured from September 1, 2007, through September 5, 2011. In July 2012, Toyota filed a defect report to recall certain model year 2010 Lexus RX350 and RX450h vehicles. In November 2012, Toyota informed the agency that it was including an additional 10,565 vehicles including certain model year 2008 through 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 164,601. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Consequence: A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
Remedy: Toyota and Lexus will notify owners of affected vehicles and dealers will modify or replace the accelerator pedal and replace any driver's floor mat not specified for the vehicle. Owners of the Lexus vehicles were notified during August 2012. Toyota has not yet provided a notification schedule for the additional Land Cruiser vehicles. Owners may contact Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS · 11V148000
2011-03-04
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 FJ CRUISER, LAND CRUISER, TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)." WHEN FACTORY-INSTALLED WHEELS AND TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH TOYOTA AUTHORIZED ACCESSORY WHEELS AND LT TIRES PRIOR TO FIRST SALE, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS WERE NOT RE-CALIBRATED CORRECTLY AND THEREFORE DO NOT START ILLUMINATING THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING TELLTALE AT THE REQUIRED MINIMUM ACTIVATION PRESSURE.
Consequence: FAILURE TO WARN OF TIRE DEFLATIONS IS A NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 138 AND COULD LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: FOR THE LAND CRUISER, SEQUOIA, TACOMA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES, THE DEALER WILL RE-CALIBRATE THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM ON AFFECTED VEHICLES AND INSTALL AN UPDATED TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL AT NO CHARGE. FOR THE FJ CRUISER VEHICLES, THE TPMS CANNOT BE RESET SO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FOR THE TPMS WILL BE REPLACED. TOYOTA IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THE REMEDY ECU. IF AN OWNER IS NOT CERTAIN WHETHER HIS OR HER VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THESE ACCESSORIES, PLEASE CONTACT ANY TOYOTA DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS · 10V036000
2010-02-03
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
Consequence: A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
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