2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Imported from the car-friendly climate of Japan, ‘PY60 VBM’ is a Voodoo Blue Toyota FJ Cruiser that shows the equivalent of 62,000 miles on the odometer, or a little over 4,000 miles per year.

It arrived here is 2020 and its first UK owner, who kept it for five years, maintained meticulous records of its maintenance, which extended to using different grease for the propshaft’s universal and sliding joints, one of which had to be imported from the United States.

Which might be a weird thing to focus on so early in the description but we think details like this tell you all you need to know about how well a vehicle has been looked after; you’re going to sleep a bit easier knowing they went to the expense and trouble of importing grease from a different continent, aren’t you? 

Speaking of which, the boot window upgrade, which converts it to electric operation, came from the USA too; clearly neither distance nor money was a limiting factor in getting the vehicle exactly as he wanted it – and then keeping it there.

The Voodoo Blue coachwork (paint code 2JV) is as stunning up close as it is when viewed from a distance; our man crawled over it with a magnifying glass before retreating in a sulk because he couldn’t find much to moan about.

With ultra-straight panels that are almost completely free of dents, dinks, and scrapes – there is a small dimple in the driver’s door – we doubt it’s seen much in the way of off-road work.

Its ripple-free flanks suggest it hasn’t been carelessly parked either, while the unmarked four corners and door mirror cappings hint of a life lived outside the city.

The lamp lenses are, of course, bright and free of both sun- and impact-damage, and the glazing is almost flawless, including the tinted rear glass. 

The badges, including the Japan-market dealer sticker on the rear, are also beyond reproach and other nice details include a pair of very good sidesteps plus Perspex window trims. 

You want more proof of how well it’s been looked after? 

How about the fact that its last owner went to the trouble of sourcing new/old stock steel wheels from Toyota at the beginning of July 2024? Then powdercoated in black, they were fitted with a new set of 265/70R17 BF Goodrich Trail-Terrain tyres a fortnight later.

The final bill topped £1,500 but we think it was worth every penny because the tyre-and-wheel combo, which measure a whopping 32” if we’re using Arctic Trucks’ lingo, look terrific and the choice of tyre balances the competing demands of tarmac and mud better than most.

Plus, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

The white roof offers an eye-catching contrast to the main bodywork, while the silver headlamp surround echoes that used on the classic FJ range.

As for flaws, you might want to repaint or replace the wiper arms as the ones that are fitted have developed a bit of a patina. The headlamps also have a very slight haze but sorting that would be equally straightforward. 

Covers on the front wings disguise holes where additional mirrors were fitted. However, given the mirrors are in the boot the easiest solution would be to simply refit them for the full JDM-spec look, which if you embraced it would also avoid the need to change the rear numberplate plinth to a UK-spec one.

These jobs all fall very firmly into the nice-to-do category rather than anything more urgent. More urgent, but barely, are the tiny spots of rust on the upper part of the tailgate aperture. 

The interior, trim code FC11,  includes flashes of Voodoo Blue, neatly coordinating the interior and exterior.

And what an interior it is; no-one could accuse the team at Toyota of finishing the outside and sliding off for an early lunch because it’s clear that the same care and effort went into making the cabin as memorable and striking as the coachwork.

For example, take a look at the modestly-sized and rear-hinged doors that manage to give good access to the rear seat while prioritising the driver and passenger via the sort of lengthy front doors you normally find on three-door vehicles. (The rear doors also host the front seatbelts, which is just as clever.) 

There’s a proper handbrake too, with none of your prone-to-fail electric nonsense, an analogue attitude that extends to the way you adjust the front seats: It might wear a fancy suit, but the FJ Cruiser is literally a Land Cruiser at heart with all the durability that implies.

But no vehicle leaves the factory perfectly optioned for every owner, so it’s little surprise to see that the rear window has been upgraded with an electrically operated version imported from the USA by Chitown 4x4.

A Kenwood DMX8021 headunit has also been installed at great expense in but then it does everything you could possibly want from a stereo including mirroring your iPhone or Android mobile.

A switch for the ‘Zombie Lights’ has also been fitted because no vehicle is better capable of surviving the forthcoming apocalypse than a Land Cruiser. 

The speedometer has also been upgraded to MPH.

Other practical touches include massive grab handles dotted around the cabin for those moments when the driver gets ambitious in the rough, myriad bottle and cupholders, drop-down armrests front and rear, huge door speakers, air-conditioning, and rubberised trim throughout, including on the floor. 

Oh, and the windscreen has an aftermarket doodad to help you see high-mounted traffic lights better. 

The boot is a very good size and, being lined with rubber and featuring a multitude of tiedown points, very practical. This one’s in good shape too, with no obvious damage and little sign it’s been used for anything more heavy-duty than the weekly shop.

As for work to do you will definitely want to clean the headlining, offside rear trim panel, and the outside of the nearside front seat. 

The handwritten notes in the FJ’s history file show the following servicing work by the vehicle’s first owner. A fastidious man who happened to be a trained mechanic with a penchant for Japanese motorcycles, we understand he refused to let anyone else work his on beloved FJ Cruiser. 

(He’s also got great handwriting, which has got to count for something.)

• 07.07.2020 and 81,000 kms – oil service plus an air filter and the electric rear window kit
• 26.02.2021 and 81,540 kms – full service including fresh oil in the front and rear differentials, and main and transfer gearboxes. Also new sparkplugs, a gearbox filter, and even genuine Hardy Spicer grease for the propshaft, which had to be imprinted from the USA
• 17.06.2021 and 83,856 kms – oil service and the air filter was changed to an OE Toyota item. Care was also taken to drive it in four-wheel-drive to keep everything lubricated
• 07.03.2022 and 86,177 kms – oil service plus a reset of the gearbox settings
• 27.02.2023 and 89,322 kms – oil service plus time spent with the four-wheel-drive system in operation to keep things lubricated
• 17.04.2024 and 92,567 kms – oil service plus fresh oil in the rear differential and a new battery
• 27.05.2025 and 94,954 kms – service including fresh oil in the rear differential

Given the above, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that it starts, idles, and revs beautifully – and it does it all with a petrol-snarl rather than a diesel-clatter. 

The engine bay is as clean as you’d expect and small details like the engine oil capacity written on the filler cap go to the heart of how fastidiously the FJ Cruiser has been maintained.

You could, if you were the sort of person who enjoys detailing their cars, freshen up the engine bay but that’s very much something for the valeting enthusiasts among you as we suspect most folk would be very happy to leave it as it is. 

The Japanese  generally don’t bother undersealing their cars; with no road salt used in the winter, there’s little need. It’s a different case here in the UK, so you’ll be pleased to hear that the seller tells us the previous owner undersealed it. 

The Toyota’s MoT is valid until July 2026, and the only advisory was for rear brake discs and pads. The front ones came up as an advisory the year before, but it has otherwise been a clear run since it arrived here from Japan in 2020.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported vehicle, and the FJ comes with three keys, some invoices and expired MoT certificates, the handbook for the radio, and the handwritten notes that detail the work it’s had done since it arrived here.

(The Japanese are sticklers for GDPR, so the car’s paperwork from its time there would almost certainly have been confiscated when it was exported.) 

The FJ Cruiser’s somewhat unusual looks might lead you to think it’s a classic case of a 4x4 that’s all-show-and-no-go. However, nothing could be further from the truth because one of our team spent a fortnight travelling across Morocco and the Sahara Desert in one, where it had no trouble keeping up with a pair of well-driven Jeep Wrangler Rubicons.

And the FJ Cruiser demolished Spain at the sort of speeds you don’t advertise with the air-con pumping and sufficient load capacity to carry a fridge-freezer, which meant the team didn’t have to slum it in the desert with warm G&Ts.

This example also comes from Japan, a country that’s elevated car curation to almost fetishistic levels – and then when it arrived here, the attention it received was cranked up a notch with no fewer than seven services in five years.

The seller claims it’s one of the best in the country, and while we’d normally nod along while thinking to ourselves “well, you would say that, wouldn’t you?” in this case he may well be right. 

And yet, despite this extensive list of positives, we suspect the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £17,000 and £22,000, which is peanuts for a vehicle that masters so many different roles – and will probably outlast us all.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.