---
title: "Toyota Land Cruiser Turns Into Downhill Missile After Off-Road Recovery Goes Very Wrong"
description: "Here's the thing about making mistakes off-road: many times, it's not the initial accident that causes the most damage. No, time and again we've seen evidence that a poorly-planned recovery operation can do far more harm than good, and this clip of a rolled Toyota Land Cruiser turning into a downhill missile after being flipped back onto its wheels on a trail in China is one of the best examples yet."
date: "2018-09-11"
modified: "2018-09-11"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/23507/toyota-land-cruiser-turns-into-downhill-missile-after-off-road-recovery-goes-very-wrong"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Toyota News"
  - "Trucks"
tags:
  - "Accident"
  - "China"
  - "Fail"
  - "Land Cruiser"
  - "Off-Road"
  - "Toyota"
---

# Toyota Land Cruiser Turns Into Downhill Missile After Off-Road Recovery Goes Very Wrong

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/09/toyota-land-cruiser-crash-final.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Here's the thing about making mistakes off-road: many times, it's not the initial accident that causes the most damage. No, time and again we've seen evidence that [a poorly-planned recovery operation](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/20013/this-video-of-a-disastrous-toyota-tacoma-off-road-recovery-is-just-so-painful>) can do [far more harm than good,](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/10154/watch-an-idiot-do-everything-wrong-off-road-almost-destroy-ford-f250>) and this clip of a rolled Toyota Land Cruiser turning into a downhill missile after being righted on a trail in China is one of the best examples yet.

The video first surfaced on the [Instagram account *shanghaijeepin*](<https://www.instagram.com/p/BnifF5WHBnF/?taken-by=shanghaijeepin>) on Monday and later spread to various schadenfreude-focused Facebook pages. It starts out showing a front loader pulling the already-smashed J100 [Toyota Land Cruiser](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/21920/2018-toyota-land-cruiser-group-review-the-eternal-flame-burns-brightest-off-road>) off its roof along the edge of a sloping ridge. An awkward flip sees the Cruiser successfully land back on four wheels, but panicked shouts arise off camera as the single tow strap connecting the truck to the tractor quickly unravels.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnifF5WHBnF

At that point, it becomes clear that no one thought to set the handbrake in the Land Cruiser as gravity takes over. A man who we presume to be the owner flaps his arms in dismay while the SUV starts its long, unguided journey down the slope, picking up an impressive amount of speed before hooking left and disappearing into a grove of trees. At least one tree disappears as well, indicating that somewhere down there now rests a pile of crumpled metal and splintered wood.

To be sure, the rollover had this Land Cruiser pretty well toasted already, but the way it flew down the hill indicates that at least the running gear was still in good shape prior to its rapid descent and sudden stop. We imagine it's probably a total loss at this point—but then again, salvage auctions [have proved us wrong before.](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/14932/toyota-land-cruiser-before-and-after-pictures-show-why-you-can-never-trust-a-salvage-auction>) Still, it's a healthy reminder that even the best intentions can have the worst outcomes when it comes to off-roading.

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)