Recalls: Toyota 150-Series Landcruiser Prado
Overview
Manufacturers, or importers, issue recalls for defects or faults which have the potential to cause injury. Generally, manufacturers will inform the original buyers if their vehicle is subject to a recall and of the steps required to remedy the defect or fault. Please note that the recalls below (if any) are for Australian-delivered vehicles only. Furthermore, the number of recalls should not be taken as an indication of a model’s reliability or its safety more generally.
Recalls: Toyota 150-Series Landcruiser Prado
2009-10 Toyota 150-Series Landcruiser Prado Diesel: driver’s airbag may not operate
In April 2014, a recall was issued for Toyota 150-Series LandCruiser Prado vehicles that had 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engines and were manufactured from September 2009 to June 2010. In these vehicles, the spiral cable electrical connection for the driver’s airbag module may be damaged over time. If this occurred, the airbag warning light would illuminate to warn the driver since the driver’s airbag may not operate in the event of an accident (thereby increasing the risk of injury in the event of a collision). The recalled vehicles had VINs in the range JTE BH3FJ# 0K000126 to JTE BH3FJ# 0K028499 (PRA 2014/14079).
2019 Toyota 150-Series LandCruiser Prado: diesel fuel leak from common rail
In October 2019, recall campaign UGG45 was issued for Toyota 150-Series LandCruiser Prado vehicles that were supplied between 8 April 2019 and 27 September 2019. Due to a production fault, there may be a lower than specified tightening torque of the fuel inlet pipe that supplied the diesel injector common rail and this could allow fuel to leak. Leaking fuel could cause the engine to stall and increased the risk of a collision or injury to vehicle occupants and other road users. To fix, the fuel pipe was to be replaced. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2019/17844.
2013-15 Toyota 150-Series LandCruiser Prado: low-pressure fuel pump may stop working
In April 2020 and November 2020, recall campaigns VGG17 and VGG05 were issued for Toyota 150 LandCruiser Prado vehicles that were manufactured from September 2013 to March 2015. In these vehicles, the low-pressure fuel pump could stop operating – if this occurred, the engine may stall and the vehicle may not restart; alternatively, the engine may not run smoothly. Beyond this, warning lights and messages may be displayed on the instrument panel. To fix, the low-pressure fuel pump was to be replaced. For the VINs of the recalled vehicles, please see PRA 2020/18242.
Problems and faults: Toyota 150 Landcruiser Prado
Overview
This section identifies potential problems, causes and fixes based on the experiences of owners and repairers, online sources and technical service bulletins. This information is provided solely for reference purposes and AustralianCar.Reviews recommends that only properly qualified persons carry out repairs or modifications. Furthermore, the number of items below should not be taken as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur.
To report a problem or fault to the AustralianCar.Reviews team, please use the Contact Us form. Note that AustralianCar.Reviews does not offer advice on automotive problems or disputes; such enquiries will not receive a reply. For vehicles purchased from dealers after 1 January 2011, please see our Australian Consumer Law fact sheet.
2009-14 Toyota 150 LandCruiser Prado: 1KD-FTV cracked pistons
For 2009-14 Toyota 150-Series LandCruiser Prado (KDJ150/KDJ155) vehicles with 3.0-litre 1KD-FTV engines that comply with Euro IV emissions standards, the pistons are susceptible to cracking. While the size of the cracks varies, they can amount to a localised rupture. In affected vehicles, piston cracking is most common between 100,000 km and 150,000 km. Issued in September 2014 by Toyota, Technical Service Bulletin EG-008T-0112 acknowledged the problem of cracked pistons for the Euro IV 1KD-FTV engine.
Symptoms of a cracked piston include:
- A sudden, strong knocking noise from the engine;
- Black smoke from the exhaust;
- A loss of power;
- The engine ‘running rough’ (i.e. on 3 cylinders); and,
- Excessive crankcase pressure.
The pre-Euro IV 1KD-FTV engines did not experience this problem because the piston had a metal fibrous structure fused into the piston crown. The piston design, however, was changed for the Euro IV 1KD-FTV engine.
To reduce the risk of cracked pistons in a Euro IV 1KD-FTV engine, it is recommended that:
- The engine not be subjected to chip tuning;
- The vehicle not be driven for under load for extended periods; and,
- That the fuel injectors are serviced every 100,000 kilometres.
While these measures will reduce the likelihood of failure, they do not rectify the design fault of the pistons.
According to the technical bulletin, two production changes – ‘improved injectors to prevent wrong combustion’ and more robust pistons – were implemented in 2014. Despite these changes, however, cracked pistons have been reported in revised vehicles (although the failure rate is lower). For the 150-Series LandCruiser Prado (KDJ150/KDJ155), these production changes were implemented in January 2014 from engine no. 2361817.
Toyota 150 Prado with 1KD-FTV engine: injector failure
It is not uncommon for the injectors in the 1KD-FTV engine to fail around 120,000 to 140,000 kilometres, though they may fail as early as 75,000 kilometres or last 250,000 kilometres. Symptoms of a failing injector include:
- A loud ‘knock’ noise that is audible when the windows are down, particularly when the engine is cold;
- Poor fuel economy;
- An erratic or rough idle; and,
- Rough running, particularly under load at low engine speeds
The shorter lifespan of these injectors is attributable to the high fuel pressure (from 30 to 160 MPa), multiple injections per combustion stroke, small tolerances and fuel quality. As a preventative measure, it is recommended that the injectors be replaced every 100,000 kilometres. At each service, it is recommended that a diagnostic test be conducted to measure feedback volumes or total volumes for the injectors to see if they are working properly.
Toyota 150 Prado: CV joints and boots
The front axles have four ‘constant velocity’ or CV joints: two inboard and two outboard. The CV joints are encased by rubber boots that maintain the CV joints’ supply of grease on the inside and protect against dirt and water ingress. Over time, however, the boot may develop cracks or splits which allow foreign material to enter and damage the CV joint. Symptoms of cracked or split CV boots include:
- A greasy or oily substance on the surface below the vehicle or around the front wheels; or,
- Abnormal clicking noises while driving.
While the driveshaft and CV joint normally have to be removed to replace a boot, the Toyota split boot kit can be fitted without removing the driveshaft.
2015-17 Toyota LandCruiser Prado: clogged diesel particulate filter (DPF) and ECU re-program (GGG38)
In June 2017, Toyota initiated service campaign GGG38 to re-program the Engine Control Unit (ECU) for Toyota LandCruiser Prado vehicles that had 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV diesel engines. To reduce NOx emissions, the 1GD-FTV engine had a diesel particulate filter (DPF). Over time, soot would accumulate on the DPF and a ‘regeneration’ process would be required to burn it off. Specifically, the fuel injectors would inject diesel fuel into the cylinders after combustion to raise the temperature of the exhaust gases (sometimes referred to as a ‘DPF burn’).
Service campaign GGG38 re-programmed the ECU to further increase exhaust gas temperatures and the duration of the DPF regeneration process to reduce the likelihood of the DPF becoming clogged. If the DPF became clogged and the vehicle could not initiate the regeneration process, then the DPF would have to be replaced.
Toyota 150 LandCruiser Prado with 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV diesel engine: ‘limp home’ mode due to dust
In March 2017, Toyota Australia issued a service bulletin for Toyota 150-Series LandCruiser Prado vehicles with the 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV diesel engine because fine dust particles could pass through the air filter and electrostatically attach to the mass air-flow (MAF) sensor. The MAF sensor would then provide invalid measurements to the engine control unit (ECU), which would cause the ECU to put the engine into ‘limp home’ mode – this reduced engine power and disabled the electronic stability control and traction control systems. Depending on the model, a message in the instrument panel may instruct the driver to visit a Toyota dealer or consult the owner’s manual.
According to the service bulletin, the air filter should be cleaned more frequently than prescribed in the service schedule if the vehicle as to be driven in dusty conditions. The bulletin also described a two-minute procedure to spray compressed air past the MAF sensor to clean it.
