2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER Complaints

UNRESPONSIVE BRAKES WHEN GOING OVER POTHOLES . OVERLY SENSITIVE BRAKES AT LOW SPEED . *TR

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT YESTERDAY, THURSDAY, 18FEB10, AT AROUND 3:40 P.M. ON THE INTERSECTION OF WESTHEIMER AND BELTWAY 8. I DRIVE A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THERE ARE 2 LIGHTS BEFORE I HAVE TO TURN LEFT ON THE BELTWAY TO HEAD TOWARDS I-10. I STOPPED AT THE FIRST LIGHT ON THE RED LIGHT BEHIND SEVERAL CARS AS THERE WAS SOME TRAFFIC. THEN THE LIGHT AHEAD TO TURN LEFT ON THE BELTWAY TURNED GREEN SO ALL OF THE VEHICLES TRAVELED TO THE NEXT LIGHT AND STARTED GOING THRU THE GREEN LIGHT UNTIL IT TURNED YELLOW. THE 1ST CAR AT THE LIGHT STOPPED AND EACH VEHICLE STOPPED BEHIND THEM INCLUDING ME. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT INSTEAD OF MY CAR STOPPING WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES IT FELT LIKE THE BREAKS TRIED TO GRAB BUT THEY DIDN'T GRAB AND MY FJ CRUISER KEPT ON GLIDING UNTIL I HIT THE CAMRY IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAMRY HIT THE LEXUS IN FRONT OF HER AND THE LEXUS HIT A BUICK IN FRONT OF HER. IT WAS VERY SCARY AS I EXPECTED MY BRAKES TO BRAKE WHEN I HIT THEM BUT INSTEAD IT FELT LIKE MY BRAKES TRIED TO BRAKE BUT THEY COULDN'T. THE COPS CAME AND GAVE ME A TICKET FOR "FAILURE TO CONTROL SPEED" EVEN THOUGH I WAS ONLY GOING VERY SLOW SINCE THERE WAS SO MUCH TRAFFIC BUT IT WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE I HIT THE CAR FROM BEHIND. THE FJ, THE LEXUS AND THE BUICK WERE MINIMALLY DAMAGED BUT THE CAMRY IN FRONT OF ME HAD THE BACK-END SMASHED IN. THE POLICE CAME AND TOOK OUR INFORMATION AND THEY CHECKED OUT THE OWNER OF THE CAMRY BECAUSE HER NECK HURT. I REPORTED THE ACCIDENT TO MY ALLSTATE INSURANCE AND TOLD THEM ABOUT MY BRAKE PROBLEM. I TOLD THEM THAT IN THE PAST THE ONLY THING I HAD NOTICED WAS MY CAR HAD PROBLEMS IN 2 INSTANCES WHEN I WAS GOING OVER BUMPS. IT FELT LIKE THE BRAKES HAD TROUBLE GRABBING. *TR I TOOK MY CAR INTO A ALLSTATE AUTHORIZED DEALER CLOSE BY "DON MCGILL TOYOTA" TO HAVE MY CAR FIXED BUT MOST OF ALL TO HAVE MY BREAKS CHECKED. I WON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING MY FJ CRUISER ANY MORE UNTIL THE DEALER CAN SURE ME THAT THE BREAK PROBLEM IS FIXED! I AM SO SCARED!

THIS JUST HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN TODAY, I HAVE AN 07 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER BOUGHT IN MID 06, I WAS DRIVING IN PA (WHERE YELLOW LIGHTS ARE SHORTER THAN MY NORMAL NJ ONES), THE LIGHT TURNED YELLOW RIGHT BEFORE I GOT TO AN INTERSECTION SO I GAVE A LITTLE EXTRA BRAKING, JUST AS I HIT A SERIES OF SMALL POTHOLES, ABS KICKED IN, THE NORMAL ABS FEELING HAPPENED IN THE PEDAL, BUT THEN EVEN AFTER THE POTHOLES WHERE THE ROAD WAS FINE, THE ABS SHOULD HAVE "DISENGAGED", THERE WAS NO LONGER THE NORMAL ABS "PULSING", INSTEAD I HAD A NEAR DEAD PEDAL. I HAD TO PUSH DOWN WITH ALL MY MIGHT TO SLOOOOOOOWLY BRING THE TRUCK TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION (FROM 5MPH TO 0 IN ABOUT 20 FEET). INSTINCT SAYS BRAKE HARDER WHEN YOU ARE NOT SLOWING DOWN, BUT I DON'T THINK I COULD HAVE PUSHED ANY HARDER. I AM REALLY GLAD THIS WAS JUST TO AVOID A YELLOW LIGHT AND NOT TO AVOID A CAR CROSSING MY PATH, I SURELY WOULD HAVE NAILED IT AS THE TRUCK SLOWLY ROLLED TO A STOP WITH MAYBE 10% BRAKING DESPITE ME STANDING ON THE BRAKES. I HAVE FOUND FROM EXPERIENCE THE ONLY WAY TO RECOVER FROM THE DEAD PEDAL IS TO LET OFF IT COMPLETELY, AND THEN YOU HAVE A NORMAL PEDAL AGAIN. THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED TO ME MAYBE 6-7 TIMES IN MY 50,000 MILES ON THE FJ, BUT SO FAR I HAVE BEEN LUCKY AND MOST OF THE TIME IT IS SIMPLY STOPPING AT A YELLOW AND NOT BECAUSE I NEED A REAL EMERGENCY STOP. I WAS 100% STOCK FOR THE FIRST 5-6 TIMES, AND THIS LAST TIME I HAVE SLIGHTLY BIGGER TIRES AND A LIFT. THEY WILL PROBABLY JUST BLAME IT ON THE MY LIFT AND TIRES, BUT ITS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE 100% STOCK. ONE DAY I AM GOING TO KILL SOMEONE, OR MYSELF. THE POLICE WILL JUST WRITE IT UP AS "FAILURE TO STOP, DRIVERS FAULT", BUT SOME OF YOU WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS WILL KNOW OTHERWISE. *TR

THE TOYOTA FJ CRUISER DEVELOPS BULGES IN THE ENGINE BAY OVER TIME WITH NORMAL DRIVING. THESE ARE IN THE CRUMPLE ZONES AND EVENTUALLY RIP. TOYOTA FAILS TO FIX THIS TO SPITE HAVING HUNDREDS OF DOCUMENTED CASES. MINE IS ONE OF THEM. HTTP://WWW.FJCRUISERFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/TOYOTA-FJ-CRUISER-POLLS/37556-DO-YOU-HAVE-INNER-FENDER-BULGES-CRACKING.HTML. *TR

I TOOK MY 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER INTO THE DEALER AROUND THE END OF 2007, IT HAD 12,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. I TOLD THEM THAT MY GAS PEDAL HAD STUCK AND I HAD TO HOLD THE BRAKES DOWN AND TURN OFF THE KEY TO GET IT TO STOP. I THEN HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND REACH DOWN TO RELEASE IT. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT MUST HAVE STUCK ON THE FLOOR MAT AND TO JUST WATCH IT. IT THEN STUCK AGAIN ABOUT A YEAR LATER AND I WAS ABLE TO RELEASE IT THIS TIME BY KICKING AT IT. I DIDN'T THINK ANYMORE OF IT UNTIL ALL THE RECALLS STARTED COMING OUT ON TOYOTA GAS PEDALS AND I THOUGHT THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT HAPPENED ON A MODEL THAT IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST AND THAT THE PROBLEM CAME UP OVER TWO YEARS AGO. THIS INCIDENT IS DOCUMENTED AT THOMPSON TOYOTA IN PLACERVILLE, CA. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AT FOLSOM TOYOTA 2/2007. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THIS YET BUT THE SERVICE DIRECTOR AT THOPSON TOYOTA WAS VERY CONCERNED THIS TIME AND SAID THAT SOMEONE WAS COMING UP FROM THE BAY AREA TO LOOK AT IT SOON. *TR

TOYOTA FJ CRUISER WINDSHIELD CRACKS AND CHIPS EASILY. WE'VE HAD OUR FJ FOR TWO YEARS AND ARE ON OUR 4TH WINDSHIELD. THE SMALLEST BIT OF DEBRIS CREATES A CHIP AND SOMETIMES IT SEEMS TO BEGIN TO CRACK AT THE DRIVERS SIDE FOR NO REASON. DEALER OFFERS NO SOLUTION EXCEPT TO CHARGE $500 A POP TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AS IT IS MENTIONED ON NUMEROUS WEB BLOGS AND FORUMS. INCIDENT DATE BELOW IS ARBITRARY AS WE'VE BEEN DRIVING WITH A CRACKED WINDSHIELD FOR QUITE A WHILE B/C WE SIMPLY CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE YET ANOTHER WINDSHIELD AT THIS TIME.*TR

THERE IS A SMALL POT HOLE ON THE OFF RAMP THAT I USE TO COME HOME FROM WORK. EVERY TIME I HIT IT, MY BRAKES FREAK OUT AND I HAVE TO PUMP THEM TO RECOVER AND GET MY BRAKES BACK. I DRIVE A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. (THIS IS MY SECOND FJ CRUISER. MY FIRST ONE DID THE SAME THING ON THIS POT HOLE.) IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I HIT IT. DIDN'T THINK MUCH ABOUT IT UNTIL I SAW THE RECALL INVESTIGATION ON THE PRIUS BAKES. SOUNDS JUST LIKE WHAT MY FJ DOES. *TR

MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY WHILE TRAVELING OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, POTHOLE OR BUMP. I ALMOST REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME YESTERDAY IN THE RAIN. *TR

SPEED CONTROL SPEEDS UP VEHICLE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES TO DISENGAGE SPEED CONTROL AND SLOW VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DISENGAGE THE SPEED CONTROL BY USING THE BRAKE PEDAL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY MODEL YEAR 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER TO WORK ON THE MORNING OF 2/9/2010 AT 0730. WHILE BRAKING FOR A RED LIGHT THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE WENT OVER A WET STORM SEWER DRAIN GRATE. THE SLICK SURFACE OF THE DRAIN GRATE CAUSED THE TIRE TO SKID. THE ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND THE BRAKES RELEASED, ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO PROCEED UNIMPEDED TOWARD THE INTERSECTION. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL HARDER. THE VEHICLE STOPPED JUST INTO THE INTERSECTION. THERE WAS NO COLLISION. I DO NOT KNOW IF PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL HARDER HAD ANY EFFECT OR IF THE SYSTEM MANAGED TO APPLY THE BRAKES ITSELF AFTER THE TIRES WERE ON PAVEMENT AGAIN. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SITUATION. THE CONSEQUENCE WAS THAT THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED ABOUT 10 FEET INTO THE INTERSECTION, E.G. BEYOND THE "STOP" LINE. IF THE BRAKES HAD NOT RELEASED THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE STOPPED BEHIND THE WHITE "STOP" LINE. ACCORDING TO THE TOYOTA DEALER THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *TR