Common problems · 1960–84
Land Cruiser FJ40 problems: 8 things to check
The problems owners and specialists flag most on the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40, the repairs they end up doing and what those cost, plus the years and recalls to watch. Sourced, not scraped.
Land Cruiser FJ40 problems to check before you buy
- Rust beats everythingIH8MUD veterans rank rust above every mechanical issue combined. Check door bottoms, the rear sill, the body behind the under-seat fuel tank, wheel wells, the outer front fender brace, inside sills and windscreen pillars. Get underneath and look at all of the metal.
- Body mounts and floorsOn 1979-and-later trucks, look hard at the body mounts. If they're heavily rusted, expect the floor pans and door pillars to be rotten too. Reproduction floor pans exist, but a badly rusted frame may not be worth saving.
- Frame endsCheck the rear frame horns and the body around them, a spot IH8MUD members flag as the biggest worry on many listings.
- Signs of hard wheelingHeavily dented skid plates, gouged differential drain plugs and leaf springs with a slight S-shape all suggest a hard life. None is fatal, but they mean work ahead.
- Driveline slop and leaksCheck both driveshafts for play ('any slop is too much'), look for cracks or welds on the transfer case, and watch for leaks at the transmission, transfer case, axles and wheels. Oil between engine and gearbox often means a rear main seal.
- Compression, not the odometerMileage tells you little on a truck whose engine may have been rebuilt. A compression test does. Members put a full 2F rebuild at $2,000–3,000 in the mid-2000s, and expect $1,000–2,000 of catch-up work after purchase.
- Brakes and fluidsFour-wheel drums need constant adjustment. Black brake or clutch fluid suggests the previous owner skipped bleeding, and probably other maintenance too.
- Smog and wiringIn smog-check states, make sure the emissions equipment is all present and the truck passes. Messy wiring is a sign of future electrical gremlins.
The repairs Land Cruiser FJ40 owners end up doing
| REPAIR | SYMPTOMS | DIFFICULTY | TIME | COST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front knuckle and Birfield rebuild | Grease and gear oil oozing from the knuckle wiper seals, a mix of grease and 90-weight inside the knuckle, or play when you lift a front wheel and shove it. | 3 / 5 | ≈ Two days the first time; half a day once experienced | Knuckle kit about $160 (Cruiser Corps) plus seals and grease |
| Valve adjustment on the F / 2F | Loud ticking from the top end (loose valves), or poor running and burned valves (tight valves, which are the ones to worry about). | 2 / 5 | ≈ 1–2 hours | Valve cover gasket about $17–22 (Cruiser Corps) plus washers |
| Carburetor rebuild | Hesitation, stumbling, rough idle or stalling at low rpm on a truck with an original carburetor. | 2 / 5 | ≈ Half a day | Keyster kit about $35 |
| Front disc brake conversion (pre-1976 trucks) | Drum brakes that pull, fade or need constant adjustment on a 1960–1975 truck. | 3 / 5 | ≈ 4 hours with a bolt-on kit | Kits about $550–700; a mini-truck parts swap about $800 |
| Lift and anti-inversion shackles | Sagging springs, cracked leaves, or a rear shackle that flips over center on a lifted truck. | 3 / 5 | ≈ A day | Old Man Emu 2" kits about $2,350 (Cruiser Corps) |
| Floor pan replacement | Soft or holed floors, often found with rotten body mounts on 1979–84 trucks. | 4 / 5 | ≈ A weekend per side | OEM-reproduction pan about $195 each |
| Tighten sloppy steering | Excessive play or backlash at the wheel after tie rods and the center arm have been checked, or fluid weeping from a factory power-steering box. | 3 / 5 | ≈ Half a day for a seal job | Power-steering seal kit about $91; Saginaw conversion about $900 |
| Five-speed swap | Screaming highway rpm on 33s with a 1:1 top gear. | 4 / 5 | ≈ A long weekend | Parts plus labor |
Each repair links to a step-by-step guide with tools, part numbers and where to buy the parts.
Land Cruiser FJ40 recalls and service bulletins
- Fuel tank separator welds can crack ↗ 1980–1990 (NHTSA listing) · NHTSA 91V110000High temperature and load can pressurize the tank and crack its welds, leaking fuel, which can cause a fire near an ignition source; the remedy was an improved tank. NHTSA files it under 1980–90 Land Cruisers (38,500 vehicles), and Corsetti describes it as a 60 Series campaign, so confirm it applies to your truck.
- Steering tie rod can fracture on rough roads at speed ↗ 1981 · NHTSA 81V117000NHTSA lists this campaign (855 vehicles) for 1981 Land Cruisers without naming the body style, and Corsetti Cruisers describes it as an FJ60 recall: driven continuously above 50 mph on extremely rough roads, the tie rod can resonate, bend and eventually fracture. The remedy was a new tie rod and relay rod. Check with Toyota whether a 1981 FJ40 was included.
- Electrical wiring campaign ↗ 1968–1969 · NHTSA 69V027000NHTSA lists a 1968–69 Land Cruiser electrical-wiring campaign covering 263 vehicles, but its online record carries no defect summary or remedy text and doesn't name the body style.
Check any VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls ↗, or see the recall tracker.
Take the printable Land Cruiser FJ40 inspection checklist: every check on this page plus the model-specific ones, on one sheet. Get the checklist →
Sourced from owners, specialists and factory documents; full sources are on the Land Cruiser FJ40 guide. Verify torque figures and procedures against the factory service manual (disclaimer).