2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER Complaints

MY VEHICLE HAS SUBSTANTIAL FRAME ROT IN THE REAR SECTION OF THE FRAME AND THE REAR BUMPER REINFORCEMENT. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CUT OUT ROTTEN SECTIONS OF THE FRAME AND WELDED IN STEEL PLATES TO KEEP THE FRAME FROM COLLAPSING. I HAVE ALSO BOUGHT A NEW SECTION OF FRAME FROM TOYOTA TO REPLACE THE BUMPER REINFORCEMENT. I WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO RECALLS ON FJ CRUISER FRAMES AND THAT THE FRAMES ARE NOT FAULTY. BUT THE AMOUNT OF FRAME ROT ON THIS 12 YEAR OLD VEHICLE SEEMS EXCESSIVE. I AM AFRAID THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD COLLAPSE IN THE EVENT OF A REAR END COLLISION. SO FAR, NO COMPONENTS HAVE FAILED OR FALLEN OFF DURING DRIVING.

TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND CHECK A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK. DEALER FOUND LARGE AMOUNTS OF RUST ON FRAME AND SUSPENSION AND NOTED, "NOT RECOMMENDED TO DRIVE."

2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER, 125K MILES. MID-ATLANTIC AREA OF THE US. FRAME HAS EXCESSIVE RUST AND DEGRADATION. A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DURING A NORMAL SERVICE VISIT AND 2 INDEPENDENT MECHANICS CONFIRM IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE OR TO ESPECIALLY TOW TRAILERS. BOTH INDEPENDENT MECHANICS ALSO ADDED THEY HAVE SEEN THIS ISSUE BEFORE ON TUNDRAS, FJ CRUISERS, AND 4RUNNERS FROM THE SAME ERA. WELDMENTS IN THE FRAME ARE CORRODED AND RIDDLED WITH CRACKS. LARGE SECTIONS OF FRAME MEMBERS ARE ALSO VERY CORRODED WITH THIN WALLS/HOLES. BIGGEST CONCERN IS LOSS OF STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO A MAJOR MECHANICAL FAILURE/ACCIDENT. LITTLE TO NO RUST ON THE BODY, HAVE DRIVEN OTHER TOYOTA AND FORD TRUCKS IN SAME ENVIRONMENT WITH NO RUST ISSUES AT 200K MILES. FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA.

THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO REPORTS OF EXCESSIVE FUEL TANK STRAP RUST FOR THE 2007 ' 2014 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THIS IS SAFETY PROBLEMS THAT WILL MOST LIKELY RESULT IN THE FUEL TANK FALLING FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING SERIOUS GASOLINE SPILLING LEADING TO A POTENTIAL EXPLOSIONS AND/OR ACCIDENT. CORROSION COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED AS EARLY AS 2008 AND SHOULD BE NOTED: NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10257254 INCIDENT DATE DECEMBER 17, 2008 MY FJ CRUISER IS STORED, COVERED, AND NOT DRIVEN IN THE WINTER AND EXHIBITS FUEL TANK STRAP RUST ABOVE AND BEYOND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. TOYOTA HAS LONG KNOWN OF SECURING STRAPS AND CABLES THAT WERE NOT TREATED PROPERLY AND YET THEY FAILED TO WARN NEW BUYERS OR OFFER SIGNIFICANT HELP TO FJ CRUISER OWNERS. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL RECALLS PERTAINING TO UNDERNEATH SPARE TIRE CARRIER HOLDERS DUE TO RUST IN MANY OTHER TOYOTA MODELS. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A MUCH GREATER SAFETY CONCERN.

THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO REPORTS OF FRAME RUST AND CORROSION PROBLEMS FOR THE 2007 ' 2014 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THIS IS THE SAME ONGOING SAFETY PROBLEM AS THE SEVERAL PAST RECALLS ON OTHER FULL FRAMED TOYOTA VEHICLES. CORROSION COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED AS EARLY AS 2008 AND SHOULD BE NOTED: NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10257254 INCIDENT DATE DECEMBER 17, 2008 THE EXCESSIVE RUST CORROSION ON THE TOYOTA FJ CRUISER COMPROMISES THE VEHICLES' SAFETY, STABILITY, AND CRASH-WORTHINESS BECAUSE IMPORTANT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, ENGINE MOUNTS, TRANSMISSION MOUNTS, AND BODY MOUNTS ANCHOR TO THE VEHICLES' FRAMES. IT HAS ALSO AFFECTED THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRAMES ARE PRONE TO EXCESSIVE, PREMATURE RUST CORROSION BECAUSE THE FRAMES WERE NOT PROPERLY PREPARED AND TREATED AGAINST RUST CORROSION WHEN THEY WERE MANUFACTURED. MY FJ CRUISER IS STORED, COVERED, AND NOT DRIVEN IN THE WINTER AND EXHIBITS FRAME RUST ABOVE AND BEYOND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. TOYOTA HAS LONG KNOWN THE FRAMES WERE NOT TREATED PROPERLY AND YET THEY FAILED TO WARN NEW BUYERS OR OFFER SIGNIFICANT HELP TO OWNERS. THIS IS THE SAME ONGOING SAFETY PROBLEM AS THE SEVERAL PAST RECALLS ON OTHER FULL FRAMED TOYOTA VEHICLES.

THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WE'RE COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT . I FOUND THIS OUT WHEN I NOTICED MY TANK WAS HANGING DOWN AFTER ARRIVING AT A DESTINATION . I DROVE HOME CAREFULLY AND JACKED THE VEHICLE UP CLIMBED UNDER TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE STRAPS WERE DISINTEGRATED. I NOTICED HOW RUSTY THE FRAME WAS LOOKING SO I POKED IT WITH MY FINGER AND MY FINGER WENT RIGHT THROUGH . I HAVE TAKEN EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD CARE OF THIS VEHICLE BUT NOTHING COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THE FRAME RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND IS MOST LIKELY A DESIGN FLAW IN ENGINEERING BY TOYOTA .

IN A SUDDEN STOP, TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT LINE MY FRONT SEAT PASSENGER FLEW FORWARD HITTING THE DASHBOARD. THERE WAS NO COLLISION AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT IS DEFECTIVE. IT WON'T RETRACT INTO THE PANEL OF THE REAR DOOR. ON THE INTERNET, I NOTE >200000 FJ'S WERE RECALLED FOR DEFECTIVE LOWER RETRACTORS FOR THE FRONT SEAT BELTS, BOTH SIDES. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS ADVISED MY FJ WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY.

THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO REPORTS OF EXCESSIVE FUEL TANK STRAP RUST FOR THE 2007 ' 2014 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THIS IS SAFETY PROBLEMS THAT WILL MOST LIKELY RESULT IN THE FUEL TANK FALLING FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING SERIOUS GASOLINE SPILLING LEADING TO A POTENTIAL EXPLOSIONS AND/OR ACCIDENT. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL RECALLS PERTAINING TO UNDERNEATH SPARE TIRE CARRIER HOLDERS DUE TO RUST IN MANY OTHER TOYOTA MODELS. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A MUCH GREATER SAFETY CONCERN. MY VEHICLE HAS RUST COVERING THE OUTSIDE AREA IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THE INSIDE AGAINST THE TANK IS NOT VISIBLE UNLESS REMOVED MAKING THIS EVEN MORE OF A DANGER DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO INSPECT THEM WITHOUT DISASSEMBLY. IN CONCLUSION WHAT APPEARED AS NORMAL SURFACE RUST CAN INDEED BE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY CONCERNS. THE FUEL TANK STRAPS CAN RUST INSIDE OUT CAUSING FAILURE AND NEED A PROPER PROFESSIONAL INSPECTION.

WHILE INSPECTING EXCESSIVE RUST FROM MY FRAME AND THE PARTS OF THE FRAME THAT HAVE FAILED (ALREADY REPORTED), WE NOTICED THE GAS STRAPS. THEY ARE COMPLETELY RUSTED AND OVER 3/4 BROKEN BECAUSE OF THE RUST.

EXCESSIVE RUST OF THE FRAME. HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE HOLES IN STRUCTURAL AREAS SUCH AS THE TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER WELDS MEETING THE FRAME. FAILURE OF THE FRAME COATING ALL OVER. FRAME ROT FROM THE INSIDE CAUSING HOLES FROM THE INSIDE OUT. ALSO RUSTING FROM AREAS SUCH AS CONTROL ARMS, REAR END LINKS, AND DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTS. WILL PROVIDE MORE PICTURES WHEN I HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO DO SO.