Toyota Land Cruiser Problems

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.

The towing rating is the main thing you need to get right, and your need to tow a horse float with two horses means you need a heavy four-wheel drive, like a Landcruiser or Patrol. Either one will be up to the towing task, and could be driven by a novice, but would be chore to drive around town.

Toyota's super-conservative service intervals — like its tow ratings — are a pain but the company is not money grabbing. They have just about the cheapest capped-price servicing plan in the business and in many cases will give you six services for less money than you'll spend for three with another manufacturer. They also have a better reputation for reliability than the Europeans and the parts are cheaper.

Toyota Australia spokesman Stephen Coughlan says a filter change is part of the 40,000km service. He also says the most likely cause of your problem is dirty fuel, which is common in remote areas, and agrees a spare filter is a good precaution for any vehicle tackling a long run in the Outback.

With modern stability control systems and on-demand all-wheel-drive you are far less likely to get caught out with understeer (where the nose of the car pushes wide) than you once were. Having said that, the Kluger — and the LandCruiser for that matter — aren't city-friendly vehicles. If you no longer need to tow but still like the safety net of all-wheel-drive, why not look at a Subaru Outback or Forester?

Jeep is overhauling its customer support systems in Australia and I'm much more confident in recommending the Grand Cherokee. It will also be fine for your towing and any off-road work.

A four-year-old Sahara will barely be run in. If you like all the fruit then have it.

I know people who run big Toyotas on gas but the maker has never recommended gas conversions on any of its vehicles. Does that help?

The MU-X is not as refined as a LandCruiser but is a lot cheaper and is a solid, sensible workhorse. It should be fine for towing and travelling.