Land Cruiser Prado 150 years to avoid, and the best years to buy
Every Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 150 model year: which ones owners and specialists recommend, which have documented problems, which carry recalls, and what they sell for now.
Unsealed 4X4's summary: 2009–2012 are cheaper but have the early issues, 2013–2015 are a sweet spot for many buyers, 2015–2019 get the 2.8 but in the early DPF era, and 2020-on are the most desirable, with 150 kW and CarPlay. It also flags 2009 and 2017 for electrical gremlins.
At a glance
Land Cruiser Prado 150 year by year
| YEAR | VERDICT | WHAT CHANGED |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | — | J150 launches in Japan on 14 September and in Australia on 16 November. Debut of KDSS with an electric accumulator, Crawl Control, Multi-Terrain Select and the Multi-Terrain Monitor |
| 2009 | Beware | Unsealed 4X4 flags launch-year trucks for airbag recalls and electrical gremlins |
| 2010 | — | April: left-hand-drive Prados included in Toyota's VSC software recall after the Lexus GX 460 'Don't Buy' episode |
| 2012 | — | Australian Altitude grade added between GXL and VX |
| 2013 | Sweet spot | First facelift (Japan 10 Sept, Australia October): new grille, bumpers and lamps, LED low beams, retuned suspension, five-mode MTS. Three-door dropped in Australia. Unsealed 4X4 calls 2013–15 a sweet spot for many buyers: past the early faults and before the DPF |
| 2015 | — | June: 1GD-FTV 2.8 diesel (130 kW / 450 Nm) replaces the 1KD-FTV 3.0. AC60F six-speed auto. DPF arrives. V6 dropped in Japan |
| 2015–2020 | Beware | Diesels sold October 2015 to April 2020 covered by the Australian DPF class action |
| 2017 | Beware | Second facelift on 12 September. V6 dropped in Australia. Unsealed 4X4 flags 2017 trucks for head-unit, ESC-light and shift glitches and says not to buy one without paperwork showing they've been fixed |
| 2018 | — | June: manual DPF regeneration switch standard |
| 2020 | Sweet spot | August update: 150 kW / 500 Nm, 3,000 kg braked towing, auto only, 9-inch screen with CarPlay and Android Auto. Unsealed 4X4 calls 2020–on trucks the most desirable, and 4X4 Australia says this update finally resolved the DPF problem |
| 2023 | — | Production ends in October; replaced by the J250 |
“Sweet spot” means owners and specialists recommend those years; “Beware” means documented problems; “Recall” means check the recall was done rather than walk away.
Best years are buyer consensus from owners, specialists and forums, not spec sheets. See all Land Cruiser years to avoid across every generation.