Toyota Prado Review, For Sale, Colours, Specs, Interior & Models

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• My 2001 Toyota LandCruiser prado is shifting roughly when cold

  The first thing to check is the level of the transmission fluid. If this is incorrect, it can cause all sorts of drive and shifting problems. Also, how long since this vehicle had its automatic transmission serviced? We tend to forget that these hard working components benefit from a periodic change of filter and fluid and a general check-up to make sure there’s nothing that needs adjusting inside the gearbox.

  The reason the transmission begins to feel better after it’s warmed up is possibly to do with the temperature of the fluid and the friction surfaces inside the transmission. When the gearbox and fluid are cold, the fluid is thicker (and harder to pump) and can’t lubricate or operate the transmission as effectively. Even so, the gearbox should not shift harshly even when it’s cold. When it does, it’s trying to tell you something.

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• My 1997 Toyota Prado GX will crank but not start

  Before you buy more parts that may or may not fix the problem, have the vehicle electronically scanned. This is by far the most cost-effective way of finding out what’s wrong and then being able to tackle the actual problem. You could spend weeks and months, not to mention hundreds and thousands of dollars, replacing random parts that have no relationship to what’s causing the engine to refuse to start.

  There are literally thousands of reasons for the symptoms you’ve noted, so try to finding the root cause before committing to more replacement bits and pieces.

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• I am having acceleration problems with my 1998 Toyota Prado

  The clue here is that the problem started after the repairs were made post-crash. It sounds awfully like some of the turbocharger's plumbing has been damaged/gone missing after the crash. If so – and it only takes a minute crack in the piping – the engine can lose turbo-boost, which will produce the precise symptoms you've noted.

  While the turbocharger itself will be working fine, the boost it produces is being allowed to escape into the atmosphere instead of being pumped into the engine to produce more power. That's why it sounds noisy, and also why it's not delivering the performance you're expecting.

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• How can I fix the Apple CarPlay in my 2020 Toyota LandCruiser Prado?

  No that it's any consolation, but Toyotas have, for years, had owners complaining about the Bluetooth connectivity and clarity in some of its cars. In some cases, the dealer has been able to improve things, in others, the owner has resorted to an aftermarket head unit with better Bluetooth performance.

  Toyota has been working hard on this and, to be fair, later models seem to be better than ones from a decade or so ago. Again, though, that doesn't help you, nor is it acceptable that a modern car can't nail this now basic connectivity function. The advice would be to keep on the dealer for a fix. You could also call Toyota Australia's customer service division if the dealer can't resolve the issue.

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