Land Cruiser shock leaking at 50k

[LCoverlander]

I have a 2021 Land Cruiser with about 50,000 miles on it, and both Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus dealerships have told me that all four shocks are leaking. I’ve also noticed that the ride quality has gotten noticeably worse.

Honestly, I was surprised to hear this at only 50k miles, especially on a Land Cruiser. When I asked the dealer about it, they said it’s a heavy vehicle and that this is fairly normal. The vehicle has never been off-road and has only been used as a daily driver.

What do you all think? Does it seem reasonable for all four shocks to be leaking at this mileage, or could there be an underlying issue causing premature wear? The dealer quoted me $3,500 to replace all four shocks.

 

[bloc]

Let’s see some pictures of that leaking.

Dealers often say shocks are totally blown when only minor weeping is present, which is pretty normal as shocks accrue significant mileage. Yes the cruiser is a heavy vehicle but our dampers are very robust.. especially if yours hasn’t seen much off-road.

For context.. when I got my cruiser with 105k miles on it one of the first things I did was install new genuine Toyota shocks. I couldn’t tell a difference in ride quality at all. I doubt the previous owner was doing much off-roading.. but shocks working remotely well with 100k+ on them is impressive.

All of that said, if you need new shocks they are pretty cheap from the discount Toyota parts sites, especially if you wait for one of the common sales.

 

[LCoverlander]

Thank you! Here are the screenshots I took from the video they sent.

 

[KLF]

That doesn't look like a problem to me. But the loss of ride quality is unsettling (see what I did there...). I know we all like to think the dealerships are the experts on maintenance and repairs, but often you can get excellent service from a small independent shop. Like @bloc says, the OEM shocks are not that expensive, although the labor can be significant. Maybe shop around.

 

[SidZer0]

Seems out of the norm but I honestly don't know the true life expectancy of our shocks.

But I replaced the fronts at around 60k when I lifted my 2020 HE and the installer didn't say anything about the fronts having any visible issues and they're in my garage atm and they look completely fine. With regards to the rears I'm still running the stockers but swapped my springs to OME 2720s and installed airbags for towing my 5k+ lb camper. Been running that setup 15k miles or so and no leaks in the rear per my 60k service/inspection and I have 64k miles as of today. As far as the quote your dealer gave you, I would go with the alternative of buying either Dobinsons or OME equivalents. You'll probably save a few dollars or be about even with that quote and eliminate the notorious and annoying nose dive when stopping.

Hope this helps.

 

[bloc]

Can you get some better pictures? Those are tough to determine how bad they truly are. Doesn't need to be on a rack or anything.. if the leaks are bad the oil will be visible all the way down the shock body.

I didn't mention the drop in ride quality. That is a possibility. Anyone else with one of these rigs you can ride in to compare with?

 

[MRego]

When I asked the dealer about it, they said it’s a heavy vehicle and that this is fairly normal

In a Land Cruiser with 50k miles? Regardless of the shocks condition, this dealer is either willfully incompetent or full-of-s*** levels of dishonesty. Just run somewhere else.

 

[LCoverlander]

The ride quality has definitely deteriorated, and my family has noticed it as well. We also have an RX350, but they always preferred riding in the Land Cruiser because of its smoother and more comfortable ride. Lately, though, they’ve been saying that it feels very bumpy. Land Cruisers are quite scarce in Maryland, so it’s difficult to find another one locally to compare against. I’ll try to take and share more pictures of the shocks

 

[cruisermatt]

Since you're in Maryland a trip over to OTRAMM for a good 2nd opinion would be well worth it.

 

[TeCKis300]

It would generally be out of character for a cruiser to need shocks at 50k miles, especially for easy on-road use. Is there any environmental concerns in Maryland? Like deep winter and salting of roads? Is there any significant corrosion in the vehicles underbody?

Yeah, those pictures are hard to read. What you're looking for is shock oil residue or tell tales drips or leaks along the shock body or onto lower suspension components.

OEM shocks are cheap. Probably no more than $400-600 for a set and can probably be found cheaper. They're reasonably easy to install in 4-8 hrs for a seasoned shop. Figure $150-250 / hr rates. Could be done for much less than $3500.

 

[LCoverlander]

Maryland winters are harsh but still better than many other states. It is always garaged in winters and rarely comes out. No rust at all.

 

[JohnJB]

With the current SET parts sale, 20% off, you can grab all the needed dampers for about $400. The front pair runs about $300 and the rear is $100.

We are seeing more and more dealers taking photos of dampers at full droop while on a rack and suggesting any sign of moisture warrants replacement, which is a bit of stretch in many cases. That said, if you believe ride quality has deteriorated, they might warrant replacement. I’d also note that tire age can have a negative effect on ride quality. Either way, I’m confident if you can find another installer, you can cut significant cost off the dealership’s estimate.

 

[stonepa]

175k miles, a lot of corrugated gravel and mud roads, original OEM shocks on my 2015. Still no leaks. Seem to be fine including ride quality (as it is on load range E KO2s).

 

[TeCKis300]

175k miles, a lot of corrugated gravel and mud roads, original OEM shocks on my 2015. Still no leaks. Seem to be fine including ride quality (as it is on load range E KO2s).

I'd say probably worthwhile considering changing at that mileage. External leaks aren't the only way shocks fail as that only points to failed external seals. Even factory twin tube shocks are charged with some pressure and at that mileage it would definitely have leaked down to some significant degree.

I agree with your point that 50,000 mi is practically broken in.

 

[stonepa]

I'd say probably worthwhile considering changing at that mileage. External leaks aren't the only way shocks fail as that only points to failed external seals. Even factory twin tube shocks are charged with some pressure and at that mileage it would definitely have leaked down to some significant degree.

I agree with your point that 50,000 mi is practically broken in.

Yeah - on my other Land Cruisers I have tended to replace around 200k. On the 60 I noticed a difference but the 100 (i’ve now replaced twice) I did not notice a difference. The OEM units seem to be extremely robust and long lived, and really benefit owners in not needing regular rebuilds like some brands.

 

[Sandroad]

I have a 2021 Land Cruiser with about 50,000 miles on it, and both Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus dealerships have told me that all four shocks are leaking. I’ve also noticed that the ride quality has gotten noticeably worse.

Honestly, I was surprised to hear this at only 50k miles, especially on a Land Cruiser. When I asked the dealer about it, they said it’s a heavy vehicle and that this is fairly normal. The vehicle has never been off-road and has only been used as a daily driver.

What do you all think? Does it seem reasonable for all four shocks to be leaking at this mileage, or could there be an underlying issue causing premature wear? The dealer quoted me $3,500 to replace all four shocks.

The $3500 makes me very suspicious the dealer is just finding something to do for a huge profit. Definitely get a non-dealer opinion before proceeding. Did you notice a ride quality decline before you were told shocks are leaking or after? Did you take it to the 2 dealers because of the ride quality, or was the shock thing found in a typical overall service inspection? All in all, it would extremely rare (impossible really) for all 4 shocks to be bad at that age and miles.

 

[gaijin]

The ride quality has definitely deteriorated, and my family has noticed it as well. We also have an RX350, but they always preferred riding in the Land Cruiser because of its smoother and more comfortable ride. Lately, though, they’ve been saying that it feels very bumpy. Land Cruisers are quite scarce in Maryland, so it’s difficult to find another one locally to compare against. I’ll try to take and share more pictures of the shocks

Just to be sure we are covering all the bases...

What tires (brand and size) are you running, and at what tire pressure (check pressures when tires are cold)? Dealers have been known to overinflate tires during a regular service - overinflation would definitely result in a harsher ride.

HTH

 

[LCoverlander]

The $3500 makes me very suspicious the dealer is just finding something to do for a huge profit. Definitely get a non-dealer opinion before proceeding. Did you notice a ride quality decline before you were told shocks are leaking or after? Did you take it to the 2 dealers because of the ride quality, or was the shock thing found in a typical overall service inspection? All in all, it would extremely rare (impossible really) for all 4 shocks to be bad at that age and miles.

Shock issue was find during regular service. I have noticed change in ride quality for the past few months. I am going to another shop this weekend to see what they say.

 

[LCoverlander]

Just to be sure we are covering all the bases...

What tires (brand and size) are you running, and at what tire pressure (check pressures when tires are cold)? Dealers have been known to overinflate tires during a regular service - overinflation would definitely result in a harsher ride.

HTH

Still running original tires that came with it originally and those are still in decent condition . Tire pressure is 28psi