ToyotaLand Cruiser1986Overview/toyota/land-cruiser/1986/base/

1986 Toyota Land Cruiser

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1986 Land Cruiser.

Transmission Manual 4-spd

The 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser comes with a manual four‑speed transmission and an engine that requires 7.1 qt of oil, with acceptable viscosities of 15W‑40, 20W‑40 or 20W‑50 API CF‑4, and delivers EPA fuel‑economy ratings of 10/12/11 mpg. Its reliability record for that year shows a single owner complaint — primarily in the fuel/propulsion system — coupled with two recalls. Compared with the broader Land Cruiser complaint history from 1990 to 2025, where the low point was just one complaint in 2021 and the high point reached 29 complaints in 2025, the 1986 model’s complaint total sits at the low end of the spectrum. This indicates that, at least according to the available data, the 1986 Land Cruiser exhibited the same minimal complaint level seen in the model’s most reliable recent year.

Model year202520242021202020192018201720161986

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity7.1 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type15W-40 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 API CF-4OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy10/12/11 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionManual 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length159.8 in
Overall width66.5 in
Overall height74.8 in
Wheelbase90.9 in

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined10 / 12 / 11 mpg
Drivetrain4-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Land Cruiser of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

14.2 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 14.20 sec — 1989 SUV
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1989SUV 4.0L I-614.20 sec19.40 sec155 hp4x4

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 7.1 qt of 15W-40 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 API CF-4 engine oil, GL-5 · 80W-90 in the differential.

Lubricants & capacities

Differential Gear OilGL-5 · 80W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity6.4 Pints
Engine OilAPI · 15W-40 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity7.1 qt
Engine OilAPI · 15W-40 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity7.1 qt
Engine OilABOVE 10 degrees F
Engine Oil Capacity7.4 qt

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
At 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
At 60,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 120,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser generated a single federal complaint, listed under Fuel/Propulsion System, with zero crash or fire complaints. In contrast, the early 1990s recorded 5–11 complaints and 0–1 recalls, while TSB counts climbed from 26 in 1990 to 34 by 1994. Complaint volume and recall activity continued to rise through the late 1990s and peaked in the 2000‑2025 period, where TSBs reached 89 in 1998 and 40 in 2025. The 1986 model therefore sits at the low end of this generational arc, preceding the escalation of federal actions. Accordingly, from a regulatory‑record perspective the 1986 Land Cruiser presents a relatively clean safety profile, making it a favorable year to buy if the vehicle’s mechanical condition is verified.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
18
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.

Fuel/Propulsion System1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

91V110000Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank AssemblyReported 26/06/1991

Remedy: REPLACE THE FUEL TANK WITH AN IMPROVED TANK.

89V155000Seat Belts:Rear/OtherReported 14/09/1989

REAR SEAT LAP BELT MAY NOT RETURN TO FULLY RETRACTED POSITION AFTER USE. Remedy: INSTALL BELT GUIDE, OR SHEATH, TO DECREASE RETRACTING RESISTANCE AND ALLOW FREE BELT MOVEMENT.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 18 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
TSB0032202023-08-17Air BagsTSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or…
Toyota PRO19-022022-01-12TiresPOL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all…
T-SB-0032-20 Rev2021-02-03EquipmentTSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or…
T-SB-0304-17 Obs2020-04-07EquipmentTSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see…
T-SB-0032-202020-04-06EquipmentTSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Land Cruiser. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1986 Land Cruiser take?

7.1 qt of ABOVE 50 degrees F 30 API CF-4 OR GREATER, ABOVE 10 degrees F: 15W-40, 20W-40 OR 20W-50 API SC-F OR GREATER, 10 degrees F TO 100 degrees F 10W-30 API CF-4 OR GREATER, BELOW 32 degrees F: 5W-30 API CF-4 OR GREATER, per the factory manual.

Does the 1986 Land Cruiser have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Land Cruiser get?

EPA figures are 10 city / 12 highway / 11 combined mpg.