Toyota Land Cruiser Prado weak points: what to check when buying used

Which Prado you are looking at

The used Prados on the market are mostly the 120 series (2002–2009) and the 150 series (2009–2023); the 250 series followed in 2024. Both older ones are body-on-frame SUVs with permanent four-wheel drive. The engines depend on the market: a 2.7 petrol (2TR-FE), a 4.0 V6 petrol (1GR-FE), a 3.0 diesel (1KD-FTV) and, from 2015, a 2.8 diesel (1GD-FTV). The registration document or a VIN decode tells you which one this car has.

Engine: what to check

• 3.0 diesel (1KD-FTV): injector wear at high mileage shows as a rough idle, a rattle, black smoke and a hard start. This engine has a timing belt: ask when it was replaced, because a broken belt damages the engine.
• 2.8 diesel (1GD-FTV): the particulate filter clogs on cars used for short trips, with warning lights and white smoke during regeneration; Toyota updated the system on affected cars in some markets. A rising oil level on the dipstick means diesel in the oil from failed regenerations. Ask how the car was used and whether the update was done.
• 4.0 V6 (1GR-FE): look for coolant leaks at the water pump and for signs of head gasket trouble at high mileage: coolant loss, overheating, bubbles in the coolant tank.
• 2.7 petrol (2TR-FE): a simple engine with a good record; check the oil, the coolant and that it does not overheat in traffic.
• Water pump: an ageing pump can leak on any engine; check the coolant level cold and look for crust around the pump.

Suspension, brakes and four-wheel drive

• KDSS (higher trims): this hydraulic system connects the anti-roll bars. Look for fluid leaks at the cylinders, the lines and the accumulator, and check that the car stands level. Repairs are expensive.
• Rear air suspension (some trims): the car should rise to its height after starting and stay level overnight; a sagging corner or a warning means a leak.
• Brakes on early 150s: a hissing pedal, a pedal that is too hard or spongy and a warning light are known brake booster faults on early cars. Ask the dealer by VIN about campaigns.
• Four-wheel drive: check that the centre differential lock and the low range engage and disengage, with the warning lights going on and off, and listen for clunks from the driveline.

Frame, underbody and signs of hard use

• Off-road and sand: bent skid plates, scraped sills, sand in the crevices and in the air filter housing, and a dusty radiator point to hard use.
• Towing: a worn tow bar, a sagging rear and worn rear suspension bushes.
• Rust: in countries with winter road salt, check the frame, the rear crossmember and the brake lines.
• Water: Prados get driven through water and floods; see How to tell if a car has been in a flood.
• Accidents and rollovers: a repainted roof or pillars and uneven gaps; see How to check a car’s paint and accident damage.

Before you pay

Ask a Toyota dealer by VIN about open recalls and service campaigns, and get the service history. Do the whole inspection from How to check a used car before you buy it, the cold start from Cold start: what to listen for and look at and the drive from the used car test drive checklist. On a car this expensive, a workshop that knows the model can check it on a lift. For the bigger Land Cruiser 200, see Nissan Patrol Y62 and Toyota Land Cruiser 200: weak points.