2006 TD Cruiser Issues

Buy an auto much easier to drive. I have a 2005

Almost identical apart from grill taillights and a few minor other bits.

The front diffs only give trouble if you do a retrieval in reverse.

Mine has 80k and goes really well with a chip and a 3" exhaust.

Had a a Pootrol before and the difference is remarkable.

Towing a 2.8 tonne van I get 6kpl at 100kph.

No other problems so far.

Had Yokohama H/T'S on it and didnt get much mileage out of them 2 of them only did 30,000 and have replaced them already other 2 only 2/3 worn.

For what its worth, I do know for fact that Landcruiser front diffs are their week point. And before everyone jumps down my throat, let me state that the weak point in the fronr diff is due to the fact that its mounted upside down and therefore the pinion gear is at the top and not the bottom as is the case with the rear diff. When I was working for Toyota in Perth we had a cruiser come in with a broken front diff. Apparantley he had gone to recover a stranded vehicle and had snatched several times in reverse. The end result was the front diff let go and there were lots of missing teeth and broekn bearings inside the diff housing. This wasnt the only time I had seen a cruiser with a broken front diff. If one must do a snatch strap recovery, then dont try doing it in reverse. Apart from that, they are solid vehicles and will give years of trouble free motoring provided they are properly maintained. Hope that helps.

Yeah the auto Turbo Diesel is the only way to go if your considering towing anything for an extended period. Model changes were made in May and September 2005 so your 2006 Cruiser is possibly exactly the same as my October 2005 model.
I dont believe there were any changes to the T/D Cruisers after September 2005 till they released the 200 series this year.
However i am not 100% sure on this and will stand corrected if wrong. Try to get a good low kilometre vehicle and you cant go wrong.
Goodluck.
Gary

Have a 2004 manual TD LC. Me personally I prefer the manual but the auto is pretty sweet if that's your thing. The engine is a ripper :-)

Standard suspension is sloppy - dives under brakes and a little too much body roll for me. Lower A Arm's subject to cracking on heavy suspension and rough tracks. There is a couple of fixes for it.

Front diffs have been known to break, but not only in reverse. On rocky inclines when excessive wheelspin is met with a sudden stop as the wheel slams to the ground.

Clutch subject to shudder, although not as much as the LC80 and really a non-issue.

Radiator fan subject to hitting radiator in deep water as it is too flexible, can be replaced with stronger item or mesh guard on radiator rear face.

Roof rack mounting holes have been known to leak if bolts inserted and removed. Easy fix with sealant.

This is what I am aware of and fortunately none of that has happened to me. Am about to throw some decent suspension under it to give it a lift and firm it up. Yep there are issues with them as with any car - I havent come across one without faults.

Depending on what you use yours for I would even consider keeping the 80 TD and overhauling it as they are a really good rig - last and best of the real 4WD's in my opinion (coils/rigid axles/powerful and economical engine/nil electronics/very reliable/strong chassis).

I have a 2006 TD auto. Great to drive - thoroughly recommend the 5-speed auto. Not sure on faults yet apart from those already listed.
The 80k service is a BIG one. Try to avoid buying, like I did, a vehicle nearly due for that service ...

Pretty happy with my 2005 100TD Auto.
It's had a hard life both outback touring and some fairly serious 4WD tracks. Had more issues than I would have expected but them's the breaks. Motor and gearbox are a sweet match.
The only other common problems to the front diff that I have seen reported is a weakness in the lower control arms and a problem with the Toyota winch bar. There was a recall on some.

Hi wowza,
I have a post sept 05 turbo/diesel/auto with almost 100000 on it. about 60k of that has been towing our three ton Phoenix over all sorts of roads and to date there have been no problems at all, the rig is great. I have always driven manual but will not go that way again, the auto is great in all conditions and with this box you can select what gear you want and lock it in, really good to drive.
Cheers, Nev.

As well as here, you can learn heaps in your research at http://www.lcool.org/forum/
Bought my manual GXL 05 with 40k on the clock - very happy overall - about to move from a camper to a van - auto would have been handy for that purpose but this one had so much'fruit' on it that I went with it anyway. As you will see at LCool, the manuals have a very ordinary clutch action - minor shudder is your constant friend when swapping cogs, but on the other hand, engine braking on a diesel manual is very attractive when towing heavy vans through steep country.