2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER Complaints

THIS IS A TOYOTA ECM COMPUTER ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. I WAS WAITING IN MY 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER AT A TRAFFIC STOP FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE FROM RED TO GREEN. AT THIS TIME, I FELT A HARD "BUMP" AS IF ANOTHER CAR HAD REAR-ENDED MY FJ. THERE WAS THIS REAL HARD "THUMP." THE FJ HAD SHIFTED GEARS ON ITS OWN WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. EITHER THE TRANSFER CASE DIFFERENTIAL AND/OR THE ELECTRICAL REAR DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED UP. BOTH MY HANDS WERE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND MY RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AT THE TIME. THERE IS NO DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR MAT. THE FJ GOT A STRONG GRIP ON THE ROAD AND IT LURCHED FORWARD. THERE WAS A LOT OF EXTRA POWER AND A LOT MORE TRACTION THAN IN THE NORMAL "D" MODE FOR DRIVING ON DRY PAVEMENT. INSTINCTIVELY, I PRESSED DOWN HARDER ON THE BRAKE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE FJ FROM MOVING INTO THE INTERSECTION. TWO SECONDS LATER, THERE WAS ANOTHER "THUMP" AND THE FJ SHIFTED BACK INTO THE NORMAL ROAD GEAR "D." I BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT THE ECM COMPUTER SENT A MALFUNCTIONING SIGNAL AND LOCKED UP ONE OR BOTH OF THE DIFFERENTIALS. THIS HAPPENED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON DRY PAVEMENT AND STOP WHEN THERE WAS NO DRIVER COMMAND TO SHIFT GEARS. THE SENSATION I FELT IS SIMILAR TO USING MY FJ FOR OFF-ROAD DRIVING AND SHIFTING INTO 4WD "LOW," BUT THIS WAS MUCH MORE SEVERE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE ECM COMPUTER MIGHT MALFUNCTION HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 70 MPH. IT COULD SEND A SIMILAR COMMAND TO LOCK UP EITHER THE TRANSFER CASE DIFFERENTIAL OR ELECTRIC REAR DIFFERENTIAL. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE FJ BECOMES A 5,000 LB. FLYING MISSILE, BASICALLY OUT OF CONTROL. I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STEER THE FJ OR TO NAVIGATE TURNS PROPERLY. IT WOULD BECOME A DANGER NOT ONLY TO MYSELF, BUT TO ALL OTHER CARS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED. SOMETHING IS DANGEROUSLY WRONG WITH TOYOTA'S ECM COMPUTER SYSTEM IN THE FJ CRUISER. *TR

I HAVE DISCOVERED BULGING AND CRACKING ISSUES IN THE ENGINE BAY INNER FENDER APRONS AT THE LOCATION OF THE CRUMPLE SAFETY ZONES. TOYOTA DEALER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT WILL NOT ESCALATE MY COMPLAINT OR ALLOW ME TO SPEAK WITH A SUPERVISOR. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT THERE IS A HIGH AMOUNT OF OWNERS EXPERIENCING SOME BULGING AND CRACKING ISSUES WITH 2007 AND SOME EARLY 2008 MODELS. THE BULGES AND CRACKS IN THE INNER FENDERS SEEM TO BE ATTRIBUTED TO A TOYOTA DESIGN FLAW THROUGH CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS. SOME SPECULATION WAS MADE THAT AFTERMARKET STEEL BUMPERS HAD PUT EXTRA WEIGHT AND STRESS ON THE FENDERS, CAUSING THEM TO CRACK, BUT HUNDREDS OF FJ'S EQUIPPED WITH AFTERMARKET BUMPERS SUFFERED NO DAMAGE. IT IS RUMORED THAT TOYOTA ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM IN MOST 2008 MODELS BY BOXING THE INNER FENDER AND ADDING A THIRD LAYER OF METAL AND A NEW BOLT INSIDE THE FENDER. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AS IT NEGATES THE ABSORPTIVE PROPERTIES OF THE FRONTAL CRUMPLE ZONE, IN ADDITION TO THE OBVIOUS STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS. *TR

THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BEING REPORTED ON TOYOTA BASED FORUMS. WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES AND ONLY ONE SIDE (LEFT OR RIGHT) OF THE VEHICLE IS OVER SOME ROUGH TERRAIN, THE BRAKES RELEASE EVEN WITH THE BRAKE CONTINUALLY BEING PRESSED. IT LEAVES THE VEHICLE ROLLING INSTEAD OF STOPPING UNTIL YOU HIT THE BRAKES AGAIN. SOME PEOPLE HAVE CLAIMED IT WILL ENGAGE AGAIN IF KEEPING IT DEPRESSED, BUT ONLY AFTER MORE THAN A SECOND HAS PAST. I CAN RECREATE THIS ACTION TIME AND TIME AGAIN WITH THE SAME FAILURE HAPPENING EVERY TIME. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING IN THE FAR RIGHT HAND LANE, IN A WORK ZONE AT DESIGNATED SPEEDS AS CONTROLLED BY ROAD WORKERS. THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME APPLIED BRAKES CAUSING ME TO DUE THE SAME. MY BRAKES INITIALLY GRABBED MOMENTARILY AND THEN RELEASED UNEXPECTEDLY, WHILE I WAS STILL APPLYING THE BRAKES. I JAMMED ON THE BRAKES THE TIRES LOCKED UP AND NOSE DIVED VIOLENTLY.....BARELY AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT. OBVIOUS SIGNIFICANT BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. WHEN COMING TO STOP THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A POT HOLE AND WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP AND BEGAN TO LUNGE FORWARD. THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR AND THE CONTACT HAD TO RELEASE HER FOOT SO THAT THE PEDAL WILL RELEASE; OTHERWISE, SHE HAD TO PULL IT UP MANUALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FIVE ADDITIONAL TIMES AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES AS WELL. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE BRAKE PAD AND ROTORS WHICH DID NOT RESOLVE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING IN SNOWY WEATHER AND APPROACHING A TRAFFIC STOP. HE PROCEEDED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CAME THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS PUSHED SEVERAL FEET DOWN THE STREET AND INTO THE CURB. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HIS NECK AND SPINE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, BECAUSE THE SIDE STEP ON THE VEHICLE TOOK THE BRUNT OF THE COLLISION. UPDATED 01/31/11/ *BF UPDATED 03/24/11 STATUS UPDATE. UPDATED EVOQ 04/19/11

2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. I HAVE THIS SUV SINCE SEP., 2007. THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THIS SUV IS THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM, WHICH DOESN'T WORK RIGHT. WHEN COMING TO A STOP, IF THERE IS A METAL MANHOLE COVER OR A POT HOLE WHEN I APPLY BRAKE, THE ABS ACTIVATES AND STAYS ACTIVE (NO BRAKE AT ALL) LONG AFTER I HAVE CROSSED THE HOLE CAUSING THE SUV TO ROLL MUCH FURTHER THAN I WOULD HAVE WITHOUT ABS. I LOST BRAKE COMPLETELY DURING THIS PROCESS, AND I ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME ON THAT DAY. I HAD TO RELEASE AND RE-APPLY BRAKE TO GET THE BRAKE WORK AGAIN. BUT THIS ISN'T THE WAY HOW ABS WORKS. THERE ARE MANY OTHER FJ OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED AT THE DEALER FOR AN UNRELATED FAILURE WHEN THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRONT INTERIOR FENDERS WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 49,000.

CRACKS AND BULGES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE INNER FENDERS APPEARED OUT OF NO WHERE.. I NOTICED THEM DURING AN OIL CHANGE. I DON'T OFF ROAD, ITS ALMOST STRICTLY A COMMUTING VEHICLE. I'M WORRIED THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND WANT IT REMEDIED ASAP. *TR

BODY TEARS IN THE INSIDE FRONT FENDER WALL OF 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE TEARS WERE DISCOVERED AT 23K MILES AFTER READING ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH PRE-01/07 VEHICLES ONLINE. THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THAT THESE TEARS ONLY HAPPEN IF THE VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO A SEVERE IMPACT OF 9G OR ABOVE. I'VE DRIVEN EVERY MILE ON THIS VEHICLE, IT HAS NEVER HAD ANY SORT OF HARD IMPACT AT ALL. THE DEALER ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE ADD-ON FRONT BUMPER CAUSED THE DAMAGE. THE BUMPER, SOLD AND INSTALLED BY THE TOYOTA DEALER, IS AFTERMARKET, BUT 27% OF USERS REPORTING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE ARE 100% FACTORY. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE DAMAGE OCCURRED, BUT THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN HIT "JUMPED" OR OTHERWISE ROUGHLY TREATED. THE CRACKS ARE AT SOME BODY FILLER BETWEEN TWO PANELS, AND I SUSPECT ARE THE RESULT OF MATERIAL FATIGUE. MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THAT I MUST HAVE SOMEHOW DAMAGED THE VEHICLE AND THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. *TR