2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER Complaints

REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE. GEAR WHINE/ GRIND NOISE GETTING LOUDER ON REAR DIFFERENTIAL. GEAR BACKLASH INCREASE. APPARENTLY TOYOTA IS AWARE OF SUBSTANDARD RING AND PINION GEARS IN EARLY FJ CRUISERS AND CHANGED THE DESIGN IN LATER MODELS. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN SUBJECTED TO OFF ROAD CONDITIONS. FEAR GEAR IS GOING TO BREAK AND LEAVE ME STRANDED SOMEWHERE, SO NEED TO REPLACE ASSEMBLY. TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THESE EARLY DIFFERENTIALS AS THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON ALL THE FJ FORUM SITES.

2007 FJ CRUISER, AT 34066 MILES ON OCTOBER 22 2009 VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ALVIN,TX FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE COMPLAINT OF THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION MAKING A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAK. AT THAT TIME THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY, BUT AT THAT TIME THERE WASN'T A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED A BROKEN TRANSMISSION WITH ONE THAT WAS PRONE TO FAIL AGAIN. AS OF TODAY APRIL06 2015 THE VEHICLE IS SQUEAKING ONCE AGAIN FROM TRANSMISSION. TOYOTA KNOWS OF THE CONDITION. TSB 036510 IS A FIX FOR THE ISSUE BUT IS ONLY COVERED UNDER 60K MI. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, I HIT A RELATIVELY SMALL POTHOLE ON THE ROAD. IMMEDIATELY AS THE VEHICLE WENT DOWN ON ONE SIDE, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED, ABOUT 4 INCHES FROM THE MIDDLE BOTTOM UP. THERE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN ANY DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD AND NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD DURING THIS INCIDENT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ENTIRELY, FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT. AFTER BEING INSPECTED BY THE TOYOTA DEALER, THE WINDSHIELD HAS TO BE ENTIRELY REPLACED AT OWNERS COST. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD, NOR WAS THIS AN ACCIDENT OR A MAJOR INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. TOYOTA KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM THAT DUE TO THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED, THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR THE WINDSHIELD TO CRACK. I ALSO SENT A REPORT TO TOYOTA INFORMING THEM OF THIS PROBLEM.

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY AT 30 MILES PER HOUR, IN A RESIDENTIAL STREET, WHEN SUDDENLY I HEARD A NOISE AND NOTED THAT THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A FIVE INCH CRACK, STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM CENTER GOING UP. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE CRACK MOVED SIGNIFICANTLY, TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE WINDSHIELD MOVING TO COVER THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS NO PRIOR DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD, THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN TAKEN OFF ROAD. THE CRACK SEEMS TO HAVE DEVELOPED DUE TO PRESSURE STRESS- A DEFECT FROM MANUFACTURING. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER REPORTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE WITH SIMILAR REPORTS, OFTEN TIMES, EVEN AFTER HAVING THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND MANUFACTURING ERROR.

NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED OVER 3-4 WEEKS. EXTREME WHINE/HUM WITH WHEEL ROTATION WITH CORRESPONDING DECREASED GAS MILEAGE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE REAR BEARINGS WERE "SHOT" AND THE REAR DIFFERENTIALS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE COMPLETED ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE THE ENTIRE ALMOST 9 YEARS THAT I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES. ESTIMATED COST FOR DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR IS ~$2000. CAR HAS 115,000 MILES. WOULDN'T EXPECT AN EXPENSE OF THIS MAGNITUDE WHEN ALL MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY DEALERSHIP. *TR

VEHICLE HAS LOUD HUMMING OR WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. NOISE STARTS AROUND 25 MPH AND CONTINUES TO GET LOUDER THE FASTER THE VEHICLE GOES. PROBLEM DIDN'T BEGIN UNTIL AROUND 120500. NOTIFIED DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE OTHER THAN REPLACE THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND BEARINGS. *TR

THIS IS A COMPLAINT UPON TOYOTA AND AS THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF MANUFACTURED DEFECT IN THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL GEARS AND BEARINGS OF MOST IF NOT ALL 2007 FJ CRUISERS. ALL THAT ARE MADE IN 2006 FOR SALE IN 2007 HAVE OR WILL HAVE A DIFFERENTIAL GO OUT AS IT IS A "2000 DOLLAR TIME BOMB WAITING TO HAPPEN AS THE TOYOTA SERVICE MANAGER STATED" I ASKED THE MANAGER IF ANY ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ANY OF THESE REPAIRS AS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL 07'S AND HE SAID TOYOTA JUST ASSISTED ONE THEY DID A FEW MONTHS BACK AND IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. WITH THIS INFORMATION IT SEEMED IT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY SINCE TOYOTA IS VERY AWARE OF THE MANUFACTURED DEFECT OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. SO I LEFT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND MADE MY CALL RIGHT AWAY AS TO JUST BE FRUSTRATED AS THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT ASSIST IN ANYWAY OTHER THAN FILE A CLAIM. STILL THE CASE EVEN AFTER MENTIONING THAT TOYOTA ASSISTED IN PAYING FOR SOME OF THE COST OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART REPLACEMENT OF ANOTHER SAME YEAR NOT THAT LONG AGO AND STILL GOT A BIG NO WAY CAN WE HELP IN ANYWAY WITH COSTS AS IT IS NOT A SAFETY HAZARD, BUT TO ME IT COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD AS I HAVE HEARD THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL CAN GO OUT AND NO POWERTRAIN AT ALL AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT AND COULD IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION TURNING, UP A HILL, PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE, PULLING A TRAILER, ETC. MY DIFFERENTIAL COVER IS ALSO STARTING TO GET HOT AND SMELL FROM I IMAGINE FRICTION. ANYHOW SO MANY INCIDENTS OF THE SAME CASE WITH THE SAME YEAR AND SAME PROBLEM, ITS HARD TO SAY HOW MANY REALLY COMPLAINTS AND CLAIMS THEY HAVE GOTTEN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD MORE THAN A THOUSAND CASES. PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUS AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO OWN UP TO IT FOR ALLOWING A TIME BOMB WAITING TO HAPPEN AND SOME OF THOSE CUSTOMERS HAD IT HAPPEN AS SOON AS 65,000 MILES JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. MANY OTHERS EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM EVEN AT EARLIER MILEAGE JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND BOTH REAR BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

BAD VIBRATION WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. END RESULT WAS THE ROTORS,BRAKE PADS, AND BOTH CALIPERS HAD TO BE REPLACED!! AN $800.00 BILL! DEALER STATED IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO ROAD SALT ERROSION!! THESE VEHICLES ARE PROMOTED AS OFF-ROAD/4WD GO ANYWHERE VEHICLES! I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE CALIPERS ON ANY VEHICLE I'VE EVER OWNED. I FEEL IT HAS TO DO WITH THE QUALITY OF STEEL THEY USE IN THESE VEHICLES AS I'VE HAD TO ALSO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION COOLERS LINES DUE TO RUST ERROSION/LEAKING OF THE METAL LINES! THE FRAME,SKID PLATES AND UNDER FRAME METAL ARE ALL FLAKING WITH RUST ERROSION. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A DIVIDED HIGHWAY WITH DIRT SHOULDERS AT THE POSTED SPEED (65 MPH) AND AS AN 18 WHEELER PAST ME AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, IT FORCED ME OFF OF THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER. THE DROP OF THE ASPHALT TO THE SHOULDER CAUSED THE STEERING TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND I FOUND MYSELF INTO THE SHOULDER AND FORCED INTO A 180 DEGREE SPIN. THE STEERING ON THE FJ HAS BEEN HORRIBLE SINCE 95,000 TO 100,000 MILES AND STARTED AT AROUND 75,000. I HAVE SPOKE TO MANY FJ AND TACOMA OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND READ IN MULTIPLE FORUMS AND BLOGS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE HOME BREWED REMEDIES FOR IT BUT I BELIEVE IT IS AN ISSUE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD ADDRESS. *TR