Used Toyota Landcruiser 100 Amazon review and buying guide (1998 to 2008): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Toyota Landcruiser 100 Amazon should you buy?

Buy a diesel Landcruiser 100 Amazon with a complete, dated service history that matches the mileage. A car with gaps in its paperwork has a high chance of having been clocked, and the 4.5 litre V8 petrol is the version to skip because it drinks fuel at a rate that's hard to live with.

Nothing separates the early cars from the later ones on reliability. The 2003 update brought changes, but there's no sign the later cars hold up any better, so judge each Landcruiser on its gearbox fluid, rear suspension and paperwork rather than on its plate.

Make sure it's the car you think it is. Plenty of oddly specified imports are about, and some have five seats rather than seven, so if you need the third row, count the seats before you talk money and check the spec against what the advert claims.

Which Landcruiser 100 Amazon engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The diesel's the one to have, because the 4.5 litre V8 petrol gets through fuel so fast that running one is hard to justify. That's about running costs rather than reliability, as there's little on record about either engine's mechanical health, so the diesel still needs a history that backs up its mileage.

The automatic gearbox carries the biggest risk. Towing loads heavier than the car's meant for can ruin the torque converter, and fluid that's turned black is the sign it's happened, so the gearbox's condition matters more than which engine sits in front of it.

From about 7 years old, the automatic's oil cooler, which sits inside the engine radiator, can crack and let coolant into the gearbox. Manuals aren't spotless either: 2006 model year cars with the six-speed gearbox were covered by a service bulletin that year to have their clutches replaced.

What should you check when viewing a used Landcruiser 100 Amazon?

Pull the gearbox dipstick before the test drive and look at the fluid's colour; black rules the car out unless you've budgeted for a new torque converter. Ask what it's towed and how heavy, and on a car 7 years old or more, ask for receipts showing the radiator has been replaced, as that's where the gearbox's oil cooler lives.

Test the rear active suspension. Carbon can build up inside its height sensors and stop current getting through, which makes the suspension misbehave, and some sensors have failed within 18 months. If the rear suspension shows any fault on the drive, get it diagnosed before you agree a price.

Look at the bulkhead vent well drains, which need clearing regularly. When they block, rainwater spills through the pollen filter onto electrical connections and can badly damage the wiring loom, so ask when they were last cleared and try every electrical item. Run the air conditioning for a while too: one owner found the pipework leaked and was costly to fix.

On a 2006 model year car with the six-speed manual, ask for proof the clutch was replaced under that year's service bulletin. Ask too whether the recall issued in 2003 to fit a modified fuel injection pulsation damper, because the original could leak and cause a fire, has been done on the car.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.