ToyotaLand Cruiser1987Overview/toyota/land-cruiser/1987/base/

1987 Toyota Land Cruiser

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1987 Land Cruiser.

Transmission Manual 4-spd

The 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser pairs a 4-speed manual transmission with an engine carrying a 7.1-quart oil capacity specified for heavy viscosities such as 15W-40, 20W-40, and 20W-50, a combination that signals the duty-first engineering underpinning the platform. Fuel economy registers at 10 mpg city and 12 mpg highway — figures consistent with a vehicle prioritizing capability over efficiency. With only 4 total owner complaints on record and just 2 recalls, this model year sits firmly in the quieter tier of a complaint history spanning 1990 through 2025 and peaking at 29 complaints in recent years, indicating that the 1987 remains one of the more mechanically settled entries in the Land Cruiser lineage.

Model year202520242021202020192018201720161987

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 or All-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)
Every 15,000 miTransfer Case Assembly (inspect fluid level)
At 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
At 60,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 miFuel Evaporative Canister (inspect)
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 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser shows zero crash and fire complaints, with its only documented issues being two complaints regarding seat belts and the fuel/propulsion system, and two specifically about seat belts. Because the provided year-by-year dataset begins in 1990, a direct comparison to the years immediately before and after 1987 is impossible, and the data does not specify the root cause of these issues. Within the available record's arc starting in 1990, complaints generally trend upward from 5 to a peak of 29 in 2025, while early models (1990-1993) each carried one recall compared to zero recorded for 1987. Positioned before this escalating complaint trajectory, the 1987 model's minimal federal record implies a low volume of documented systemic issues relative to the later years. With zero recalls, crashes, or fires in the data, 1987 stands as a favorable year to purchase, assuming the seat belt and fuel/propulsion systems are thoroughly inspected prior to sale.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
18
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
4
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 4 complaints on record, top 2 components.

Seat Belts,Fuel/Propulsion System2
Seat Belts2

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 1987 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 1987 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.