2005 Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0L Diesel · RN54 XCM

The 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser passed its most recent MOT on 12 September 2025 at 139,672 miles, but only after a failure on the same day for a major central exhaust gas leak. That retest pass confirms the exhaust was repaired, yet the record reveals a worsening trend in corrosion and wear-related advisories rather than a stable maintenance pattern. Both front brake pipes were flagged as corroded and contaminated with grease or material across the 2024 and 2025 tests. The nearside inner CV boot was severely deteriorated in September 2025, and both rear coil springs were noted as corroded in the same test. These are not isolated minor items. They point to an ageing vehicle where structural corrosion and deteriorating rubber components are accumulating faster than they are being addressed. The mileage progression tells a fairly consistent story. Between the May 2022 test at 124,640 miles and the May 2023 test at 128,643 miles, the vehicle covered roughly 4,000 miles in twelve months. From May 2023 to September 2024 it added approximately 9,477 miles, and by September 2025 it reached 139,672 miles, representing a jump of around 9,552 miles in just over a year. That is a noticeable increase in annual use compared with the earlier period, which places greater stress on consumable and structural components. The gap between the 2023 and 2024 tests is sixteen months rather than the usual twelve, suggesting either a missed test or a late retest, but the overall mileage rate remains broadly typical for a vehicle of this age. A buyer should treat the corrosion findings as the primary concern. Repeated advisories on both front brake pipes, coated in grease or other material, indicate long-standing surface corrosion that may have compromised wall integrity beneath the contamination. The corroded rear coil springs are a structural issue, not cosmetic, and on a 21-year-old chassis they raise legitimate questions about the condition of mounting points and underbody metalwork. The deteriorated CV boot on the nearside inner joint suggests the joint itself may already be contaminated and worn, which could lead to a costly drivetrain repair if ignored. Beyond the flagged items, the in-person inspection should focus on the exhaust system repair quality, the condition of all brake lines and hoses, suspension bushes, and the underside frame rails for advanced corrosion. The recurring rear brake binding and thin pad warnings across multiple years suggest the rear braking system has been a persistent weak point that warrants a thorough check of calipers, slides, and handbrake mechanisms. The perished offside front tyre noted in 2025 and the slightly noisy or loose front wheel bearings flagged in 2023 further reinforce that this vehicle has been run hard with deferred attention to basic wear items. A compression test and a careful inspection of the chassis outracks and sills are strongly advisable before purchase.