Toyota Land Cruiser 2016 Problems

I don’t think this is an isolated problem, Andrea, as I’ve heard of exactly the same thing happening to other 200-Series Toyotas. From the look of things, this type of recurring limp-home-mode problem with the LandCruiser is usually down to one of three things.

The first is a damaged or faulty stepper motor which controls both the throttle and the variable vanes on the turbocharger. Sometimes the vanes can become stuck, refuse to budge and burn out the stepper motor’s electronics in the process. If there’s a problem with any of those components, the stepper motor – at the very least -t will need to be replaced. The advice there is to use the genuine Toyota part, not a cheaper copy.

The second possibility is a fault with the EGR valve, and the third is a faulty accelerator pedal which, unlike older cars, does not connect via a cable to the throttle, but ends an electronic signal to the car’s computer. Any glitch here can send the car into limp-home. The fact that you’ve had problems while in cruise control makes me suspect either the accelerator or stepper motor, so they’d be the components I’d be checking first. For what it’s worth, I reckon the police-scanner explanation is a load of rubbish.

Was it a Toyota unit or an aftermarket one? If it was a Toyota one I would request the dealer to update the maps to then latest available, and I would expect them to do that at no cost to your son. If it was an aftermarket unit fitted by the dealer then Toyota is not responsible for it, and you have to talk to the dealer as the person who installed the unit.

200-Series owners commonly report the vibration you are experiencing. There was talk of revised engine mounts, but it's unclear if anything was released. We'll check with Toyota.

You could jump in and drive away, but I would recommend you take the time to run it in before putting it to work, particularly if you're planning on going on a long caravanning trip. Run it to the first service before doing any heavy towing with it.

Most 4WD utes are able to tow two tonnes or more, and they will deliver the fuel economy you appear to want.

I would take the Touareg over the Discovery but the real outback towing champion is the Toyota LandCruiser — which gets a big tick from me — because of its bulletproof reliability and Toyota's service network. The badge is not as prestigious and it will cost more for a fully luxury package but the 200-Series 'Cruiser is still The King.

The LandCruiser is bulletproof and the top choice for towing and outback travel. That also means you have to spend more to get one.

I’ve done some digging and Toyota has always had 10,000km service intervals, which can be annoying despite value in the capped-price servicing. Company spokesman Mike Breen says if you have a “doctored” service book he would be keen to investigate for you.