1998 Toyota Land Cruiser Transmission Problems

Your vehicle accelerated on its own while stopping at a traffic light, and the engine continued revving even when you put it in Park or Reverse—the car kept lurching forward regardless of gear selection. The only way to stop it was to turn off the ignition. This is the second time this happened over 2-3 weeks; the first incident was less severe. The issue appears to be an unintended acceleration problem in your powertrain system, likely involving the engine control or throttle components.

Your Land Cruiser's front differential has failed twice, with the ring gear breaking in both cases — and in one instance, the damage was severe enough to break through the differential case itself. You're now on your third front differential, suggesting this may be a recurring manufacturing defect that dealers have been unwilling to acknowledge. Fixing this will require replacing the front differential assembly and inspecting the driveshaft for related damage.

Your 1998 Land Cruiser's front differential has failed twice, with the ring gear breaking both times—once so severely it pierced through the housing itself. You've attempted to contact Toyota about the issue without success. This recurring failure suggests a potential design or manufacturing defect with the front differential assembly.