A Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Series Says a Factory Alignment Error Destroyed His Tires in Just 30,000 Miles, “It Was Pigeon-Toed From Day One”, and Claims Toyota Only Spot-Checks 1 Out of 100 Vehicles Off the Assembly Line

Tire wear usually sneaks up on owners slowly, measured in millimeters and shrugged off as the cost of driving a heavy, capable SUV. In this case, it arrived with a sharper edge. 

One Toyota Land Cruiser 250 owner says a factory alignment error quietly chewed through his tires in just 30,000 miles, and he believes the problem existed from the moment the vehicle left the assembly line.

The owner noticed the issue only after living with it far longer than he realized. His Land Cruiser was running factory FE 18-inch wheels wrapped in Nitto Ridge Grapplers, a combination chosen for durability and long life. Yet by 30,000 miles, the tires looked far more worn than expected, especially along the outer edges. At first, he assumed the obvious. It was simply time for new rubber.

“Factory alignment: if you have a brand new Land Cruiser, do yourself a favor and go get an alignment at a tire retailer. It will be cheaper than going to Toyota. I ran the FE 18” wheels with Nitto Ridge Grapplers, and noticed after 30,000 miles that my tires seemed to be wearing quicker than anticipated. 

Without checking the whole tire, I just figured I needed new tires, so I ended up going bigger and getting Method 703’s 285/75/17 +35. But I had them do alignment at the place where I got my wheels done. Turns out my alignment was pigeon-toed, making my old tires wear prematurely on the outsides. 

Toyota checks maybe one out of every 100 vehicles that roll off the line. So I guess it makes sense to double-check. 

I guess service departments notice cars are out of alignment based on tire wear, so unless they have reason to check it, they’re not going to check it until it’s too late. It’s hard to see from this picture, but the difference is noticeable. 

The bright side is I got awesome new wheels and tires.”

Instead of replacing like for like, he stepped up to a new setup with Method 703 wheels and larger 285/75/17 tires. As part of the install, the shop performed a full alignment. That is when the real culprit revealed itself. The truck had been pigeon-toed, with excessive toe-in that had been scrubbing the tires from day one. The wear pattern suddenly made sense.

Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Series: A Reputation That Lasts

• The Toyota Land Cruiser is known globally for durability and long service life, with many examples commonly exceeding hundreds of thousands of miles in harsh environments.
• It uses a body-on-frame design, which is shared with trucks, making it better suited for off-road use and towing than most unibody SUVs.
• Four-wheel drive is standard, and the Land Cruiser is engineered to handle sand, rock, snow, and steep terrain without aftermarket modifications.
• Fuel economy is relatively low compared with modern crossovers, reflecting its weight, drivetrain, and focus on reliability rather than efficiency.

What stung most was not just the premature tire wear, but the realization that nothing had corrected it earlier. The owner says the truck had been serviced and rotated as recommended, yet no one flagged the alignment. In his view, this was not a dealer oversight so much as a systemic blind spot. He claims Toyota spot-checks only a small fraction of vehicles for alignment as they leave the factory, estimating roughly one out of every hundred.

That claim sparked immediate debate among Land Cruiser owners. Some owners questioned how a misalignment could go unnoticed for 30,000 miles, especially given how quickly toe issues can show themselves. Others pointed out that many Toyota dealers now use drive-through alignment cameras that scan vehicles as they enter the service lane, displaying green or red indicators on overhead monitors. In theory, that should catch problems early.

The owner pushed back on that assumption. He noted that he had been to the dealer multiple times for oil changes and tire rotations and that those quick scans never raised a red flag. He also questioned the accuracy of those systems, arguing that they are coarse screening tools, not substitutes for a proper alignment on a rack. By the time uneven wear becomes obvious enough to trigger attention, the damage is already done.

The discussion also veered into rear alignment, with one commenter asking how the rear wheels could be involved at all on a vehicle with a solid rear axle. That led to a reminder that while rear toe is not adjustable on a stock live axle, issues like axle shift, panhard geometry, or suspension tolerances can still influence how the vehicle tracks and how tires scrub, especially once larger tires and different wheels enter the picture.

What makes this story resonate is not the dollar cost alone, though prematurely replacing a set of all-terrain tires is not cheap. It is the mismatch between expectation and reality. The Land Cruiser name carries a reputation for durability and factory correctness, the idea that it should arrive sorted, aligned, and ready to rack up miles without quietly eating its own components.

The owner is not claiming catastrophic failure or negligence. He even frames the outcome with a silver lining. The new wheels and tires look great, and the truck now drives properly aligned. But the lesson, in his view, is clear. A new vehicle is not immune to basic setup errors, even one with a badge built on reliability.

For Land Cruiser 250 owners, the takeaway is simple and slightly uncomfortable. Do not assume the factory got it perfect. A full alignment at a reputable tire shop soon after purchase may cost a little upfront, but it can save thousands of miles of tire life. Alignment is invisible until it is not, and by the time the wear shows itself clearly, the opportunity to prevent it has already passed.

Whether Toyota truly spot-checks one in a hundred vehicles or far more frequently is difficult to verify. What is easier to verify is tire wear. And in this case, the rubber told a story the owner wishes he had read much earlier.

Image Sources: Toyota Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.