2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER Complaints

THE INNER FENDER OF MY 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER HAS DEVELOPED A NOTICEABLE TEAR, BETWEEN THE DESIGNED SAFETY CRUMPLE ZONES. THIS AREA IS OBVIOUSLY NOT STURDY ENOUGH TO SUPPORT NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS OVER TIME. ONCE THIS WEAK POINT IN THE INNER FENDER TORE, IT DISTORTED THE OUTSIDE FENDER DISTANCE (GAPS) BETWEEN THE FENDER AND THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. I FIND THIS TEAR TO BE AN ALARMING ALTERATION IN MY FJ CRUISER AND I WORRY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND MY FAMILY. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS COMMON AND IF A FIX HAS BEEN DISCOVERED! *TR

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER WITH 95K MILES ON IT. ALL WAS FINE FOR ABOUT A MONTH UNTIL I STARTED EXPERIENCING UNEXPLAINED ACCELERATING AND RPM SURGING WHEN DRIVING BELOW 30 MPH AND REGULARLY WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. IT'S NOT A HUGE REV, BUT RATHER THE ENGINE WILL SUDDENLY RISE FROM NORMAL IDLE RPM TO ABOUT 1300 RPM, THEN BACK DOWN AGAIN. I CAN FEEL THE TRANSMISSION GRABBING AND I HAVE TO KEEP THE BRAKE DEPRESSED TO KEEP FROM TAKING OFF. THE SURGE GENERALLY LASTS FOR LESS THAN 10 SECONDS AND THEN GOES AWAY FOR A SHORT TIME. I CAN GET IT TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM (AT A STOP, IN GEAR) ALMOST ANYTIME. IF YOU ARE NOT PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION AND HAPPEN TO LIFT YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE WILL LURCH FORWARD START TO ACCELERATE UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS. I FEAR THAT THIS WILL CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT SOMEDAY, AND SOMEONE COULD GET HURT OR KILLED. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAYS THAT HE CAN'T QUITE FIGURE IT OUT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS AN ISOLATED EVENT CAUSED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT FAILS TO RETRACT. TOYOTA SAYS THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT AND RETRACTOR NEEDS REPLACING DUE TO RUSTING OF SPRINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RETRACTOR. THE TRUCK HAS LOW MILES, IS 7 YEARS OLD AND STORED/DRIVEN IN A WARM, DRY AND INLAND CLIMATE. THERE IS NO REASON FOR RUSTING PARTS. A QUICK SEARCH REVEALS OTHER FJ CRUISERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE CONCERNING THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS FAILING TO RETRACT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE WAS A LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND THE ENGINE JUST STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I COULDN'T START IT BACK UP. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGN WHATSOEVER AND I DIDN'T THINK IT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE FUEL BECAUSE IT STILL READ THAT I HAD A LITTLE UNDER 1/4 OF GAS. UPON PUTTING FUEL, THE CAR STARTED BACK UP. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A FAULTY FUEL FLOAT OR SENSOR AND IS FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM BASED ON THE THREAD FROM WWW.FJCRUISERFORUMS.COM. I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD PUT OUT A TSB ON THIS OR DO A RECALL ON THIS SPECIFIC PART. IT'S A VERY HIGH SAFETY CONCERN WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOUR VEHICLE DIES. THIS CAN DEFINITELY CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT HAD THIS HAPPENED AT A BUSIER ROAD. *TR

CRACKS HAVE APPEARED ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES ON THE INSIDE OF FRONT FENDERS. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS ON THE INTERNET INCLUDING FORUMS AND EVEN FACEBOOK PAGES. IN SOME CASES THE FENDERS HAVE BULGED OUT. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY CLAIM THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY COULD NOT TELL ME IF THIS COMPROMISES THE STRUCTURAL SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE IN THE 2007 AND EARLY 2008 MODELS. I LOOKED AT A FRIEND'S 2007 FJ CRUISER AND HE ALSO HAS THESE CRACKS. IT IS INTERESTING THAT TOYOTA HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ISSUE BUT SEEMS TO HAVE REMEDIED IT IN NEWER MODELS. THE FOLLOWING IS TOYOTA'S RESPONSE (IN PART) TO MY COMPLAINT: "WE ARE UNABLE TO WEIGH THE LEGITIMACY OF THE INFORMATION FOUND DURING YOUR ONLINE RESEARCH, AS THE DETAILS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNS ARE NOT KNOWN TO US. FOR THAT REASON WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTACT OUR OFFICES REGARDING YOUR TOYOTA VEHICLE, SALES, OR SERVICE EXPERIENCE SO THAT IT CAN BE FULLY ADDRESSED, AND ANY TRENDS IDENTIFIED. THE WARRANTY FOR THE FENDERS IS THE WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE FRONT INSIDE FENDERS IS 3 YEARS OR 36,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST FROM THE VEHICLE'S DATE OF FIRST USE. OUR RECORDS INDICATE THAT DATE IS SEPTEMBER 2, 2007. ONCE THE VEHICLE IS BEYOND THESE WARRANTY PARAMETERS, THE COST OF REPAIRS BECOMES THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY. PLEASE BE AWARE THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE PROVIDED IS USED IN COMBINATION WITH WARRANTY CLAIMS AND OTHER CUSTOMER CONTACTS TO TRACK TRENDS WITH OUR VEHICLES. IF IN THE FUTURE A SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN (SSC)/RECALL OR WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT IS ISSUED THAT WOULD COVER YOUR SPECIFIC ISSUE, AND YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE, TOYOTA WOULD REVIEW YOUR REPAIRS FOR REIMBURSEMENT AT THAT TIME. " *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

THE CHASSIS IS SO CORRODED AND FULL OF RUST IT HAS GOT TO A POINT OF LOOSING THE STRENGTH AND INTEGRITY OF THE WHOLE BODY. THIS IS VERY WORRISOME SPECIALLY IF THE CAR IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE FRONT PART CHASSIS CANNOT RESIST THE IMPACT. THIS HAS TO BE RECALLED BY TOYOTA OR AT LEAST FIXED IN SOME WAY LIKE THEY DID WITH THE TACOMA AND TUNDRAS. *TR

WHEN TRYING TO PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE I COULD NOT MOVE THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER. IT WAS FROZEN. THE ABS, ALL THE TRAC ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS STAYED ON. I HAD TO BYPASS THE GEAR SHIFT TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR. I WENT ON LINE TO LOOK UP POSSIBLE CAUSES AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT SOME OF THE AUTO PARTS COMPANIES LIKE AUTO ZONE ETC. AND HAVE THEM HOOK UP THEIR COMPUTER TESTER TO TROUBLESHOOT THIS PROBLEM. I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE IT BY YET. *TR

HEAD A SLIGHT GRINDING SOUND SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR(2007 FJ CRUISER WITH 56K MILES) TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT INSPECTED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. BEARINGS IN THE REAR DIFF NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE JOB WOULD COST ESTIMATED 1700 DOLLARS TO FIX. REALLY BUMMED TO HEAR THAT AS I DONT DRIVE AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS CAR OR DRIVE IT OFF ROAD AT ALL. KEEP READING OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS CAR YEAR AND TOYOTA HAS NOT DONE A RECALL? I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE TO BUY TOYOTAS BECAUSE THEY ARE RELIABLE, NOT A HAPPY CAMPER AT ALL. THE COMPANY NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND RECALL SOMETHING KNOWN TO BE BAD!