WhistlinDiesel travels to Dubai for a Land Cruiser that Americans can’t buy then puts it through harsh desert test
Published on Feb 07, 2026 at 10:46 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Feb 04, 2026 at 9:24 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
WhistlinDiesel decided to head to Dubai to get his hands on a Land Cruiser that’s not available in the US, before heading to the desert to put the pickup through its paces.
The YouTuber headed to the UAE to pick up a Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series pickup truck, a retro-looking truck that was still sold new overseas.
Fresh off the lot, it looked like it rolled straight out of the 1980s, but it was packed with modern touches and serious off-road hardware.
Then the trip took a sharp turn as the truck started showing problems almost immediately.
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The Dubai Land Cruiser that Americans can’t buy
YouTuber WhistlinDiesel landed in Dubai and bought a Land Cruiser 70 Series pickup truck from a local dealer, calling it the kind of tough, simple vehicle he wished Toyota still offered in the US.
The vibe was old school, with a boxy body, tailgate latches, and proper springs that looked built for punishment.
Under the hood, the truck was pitched as a diesel V8 engine setup with turbocharging, and the whole thing was loaded with classic off-road gear like front and rear differentials locks and manually locking hubs.
It was also wildly expensive, with the price landing around $143,000.
On the road, the excitement faded fast, the AC did not work, which was rough in Dubai even in winter, and the steering developed a terrifying shake that they repeatedly called death wobble.
The truck felt quick and rowdy, but it also felt unpredictable at certain speeds, forcing them to drive around the problem rather than through it.
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How it survived in the desert
The real goal was a run into the Liwa dunes, where they deliberately pushed it into deep sand.
Early on, they got stuck, then recovered by airing down the tires and switching into low range with the differentials locked.
Once set up, the Land Cruiser shone in the dunes; it crawled up steep faces with ease, dropped into massive bowls, and generally behaved like a purpose-built sand machine.
But the trip got messy as they lost water during a hard run, blew a tire, and ended up having to camp in the desert.
By the next day, the reliability got even worse.
The rear differential lock stopped working, one front hub failed, and lots of things became problematic when they needed it most.
Back on pavement, the death wobble ramped up until filming more became a risk, and the YouTuber wrapped by returning the truck, disappointed that a supposedly bulletproof Land Cruiser struggled so badly under pressure.
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As a Content Writer since January 2025, Daisy’s focus is on writing stories on topics spanning the entirety of the website. As well as writing about EVs, the history of cars, tech, and celebrities, Daisy is always the first to pitch the seed of an idea to the audience editor team, who collab with her to transform it into a fully informative and engaging story.
