The 2019 Land Cruiser with its 5.7L V8 (3UR-FE) is generally bulletproof, but a small percentage suffer catastrophic engine failure due to piston/ring issues, and the transmission oil cooler is a known weak point that can lead to expensive transmission damage if not caught early.
Piston Ring Failure / Carbon Buildup Leading to Engine Knock
Rare · high severity
Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi
Symptoms: Cold-start knock or rattle that persists for 10-30 seconds, Loss of power and rough idle, Excessive oil consumption (1 qt per 1,000 mi or worse), Check engine light with misfire codes
Fix: Complete engine rebuild or short block replacement required. 25-35 labor hours depending on shop and whether you pull engine. Toyota extended warranty covered some early cases but 2019s are largely out of goodwill period now.
Estimated cost: $8,000-15,000
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Failure / Internal Leakage
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 60,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Pink or milky fluid in radiator or transmission pan, Transmission slipping or delayed engagement, Overheating transmission temp gauge, Coolant level drops without external leaks
Fix: Replace transmission oil cooler and all lines, flush transmission and cooling system. If cross-contamination occurred, transmission rebuild often required (add 18-22 hours). Preventive replacement of cooler lines around 80k recommended. 6-8 hours for cooler/lines only.
Symptoms: No-start condition or engine stalling while driving, Rough running or hesitation under load, Check engine light with fuel trim or low pressure codes
Fix: NHTSA recall 20V-490 covers defective low-pressure fuel pump (Denso). Dealer replacement free under recall. Non-recall pump failures require tank drop and pump assembly replacement. 3-4 hours labor if not covered.
Symptoms: Check engine light with P0410, P0418, or P0419 codes, Slight rough idle for first minute after cold start, Emissions test failure
Fix: Clean or replace air pump check valves and hoses. Often carbon buildup in valves. 2-3 hours labor. Preventive cleaning every 60k can avoid replacement.
Estimated cost: $400-800
Front Suspension Lower Control Arm Bushing Wear
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunking over bumps, Wandering or loose steering feel, Uneven tire wear on inside edges, Alignment won't hold
Fix: Replace lower control arms (bushings not serviceable separately on this generation). Alignment required after. 3-4 hours per side, typically do both fronts together. 6-7 hours total with alignment.
Estimated cost: $1,400-2,200 (both sides)
Owner tips
Change transmission fluid every 30-40k miles even though Toyota says 'lifetime'—pays for itself in transmission longevity
Inspect transmission cooler lines annually for seepage or soft spots; replacement is cheap insurance against $6k rebuild
Monitor oil consumption closely in first 50k miles—if you're adding more than 1 qt between changes, document for potential warranty claim
Use Top Tier fuel and consider periodic fuel system cleaner to minimize carbon buildup on intake valves
Buy one with documented transmission services and no signs of piston issues—most are rock-solid, but the rare engine failure is catastrophic and the trans cooler will eventually need attention.
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.
Fitment notes: Located under hood on driver side; standard top post terminals
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Every control module on the 2008-2021 Toyota Land Cruiser — where it lives, replacement time, and what it takes to program a replacement. Modules marked dealer / factory tool won't work after a part swap alone — budget for programming.
⚠️ Power seats with memory; position memory initialization required
LED Headlight Control Module (LED ECU)1.0 hr R&Rrelearn only +0.2 hr▸ programming details
📍 Behind headlight assembly
🔧 Techstream or vehicle settings
⚠️ LED headlights 2016+; auto-leveling initialization required
Aftermarket tool coverage varies by software version and vehicle build — treat "aftermarket tool" rows as "usually possible" and verify against your tool maker's coverage list before promising a customer. Spot a wrong location or hour? Tell us — corrections ship fast here.
Consequence: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS · 19V244000
2019-03-27
Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.
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.
Fuel economy (EPA)
City
13mpg
Highway
18mpg
Combined
15mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
Capability & size
EPA class
Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Wiper blades
J200 series (2008-2021). Rear wiper standard on all Land Cruiser SUVs.
Size-standard part numbers — verify your connector type before buying. Rear blades are model-specific; check the package's vehicle list.
Fuel economy figures are EPA data via fueleconomy.gov (median across matching trims). Performance figures are compiled estimates for the 2019 Toyota Land Cruiser 5.7L V8 and can vary by trim.
🔧 Database maintained under the daily editorial review of Chris Hackleman · Master Technician · 20+ years and Jeff Moore · Master Lexus & Toyota Mechanic · 20+ years.