Problems with 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser STRUCTURE

I was cleaning this vehicle and noticed that there are tears in the sheet metal of the body. after further investigation online, i found several people with the same issue. i am filing a complaint in the hopes that toyota takes responsibility for this issue. in a crash i do not know how well the defective body panels will hold up and protect the people in the car. *tr

Both passenger and driver air bags did not deploy at the impact of a head on collision which totalled the car my son was driving,and he sustained head,back and neck injuries because of that.the car locked up after the crash,disabling him to exit the car and had to be pulled out from the passenger side of the car. *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

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

2007 toyota fj cruiser. consumer writes in regards to vehicle poor driving visibility and other multiple defects. *smd the consumer stated he had difficulty seeing oncoming traffic at intersections. it appeared the decision to go with a half door on the vehicle with a short frame was the root cause of the poor visibility. also, the inability to exit the vehicle from the back seat on the passenger side, was impossible without the front passenger opening the front passenger door first. the consumer also stated space left between the end of the roof and the beginning of the rear door drained so poorly that leaves and other natural debris would build up to the point that, when it rained, water would leak into the cargo area. also, despite the claimed gas mileage reported on the window sticker (20 mpg) the consumer never achieved more than 17.1 mpg, even though the bulk of his driving was done on the highway.

the left rear tire blew out, i didn't hit anything prior, and i tried to control the vehicle and bring it to a stop. i got it to be about 40 mph before i hit the cement railing on the bridge. please call [xxx] at [xxx] claim number pa[xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

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

Severe rusting on the frame. vehicle feels very loose while driving or hitting a bumb as rust progresses.

The driver's left foot rest came loose and went under the brake pedal. i was able to clear the pedal before braking. i think this could be a wide-spread issue after looking at several internet posts. *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.

The driver foot rest (dead pedal) on this car brakes loose easily and becomes a loose object under and around the driver foot pedals. i had mind come loose while driving and didn't realize it until i attemped to stop my car and was unable to depress the brake pedal because the broken foot rest had lodged it's self under the brake pedal after braking loose. i ended up having to swerve around the car in front of me on the highway to avoid an accident, before stopping with the e-brake on the side of the highway. extremely dangerous! *tr

The inner fender well apron crush zones are buckling, cracking and ripping under normal driving conditions - it appears the frame has too much flex and is causing the weak spot in the inner fender well to break. concerned that because this is a safety related area of the body that this issue might impact the structural integrity of the vehicle in an accident, or even under normal operating conditions. the vehicle has been taken to the toyota dealer, and a toyota field engineer examined the vehicle, including taking numerous pictures. no repairs were offered at that time, as they were unsure of the cause or remedy. *tr

Cracks appeared in inner fender on the front driver and passenger sides. the cracks were proceeded by a bulge in the sheet metal. *tr

The left foot rest fell off while driving and almost got stuck underneath the brake pedal. *tr

The inner fender wall liners are splitting on each side. the fj has on 69k miles. we only found out about this problem when we took the vehicle into the deal for noises we heard under the hood. toyota refuses repairing the problem completely. *tr

Informed via the internet about possible problem, with at this time unknown cause, december 2006. inner front fender ripping and bulging of fender support panels leading eventually to jamming of front doors while in the closed position when front fenders drop down to a lower position on frame blocking same. this appears to be occurring to approximately 20% of the older vehicles with build dates of 06', 07' & 08' with mileage from 10,000 to 75,000. information gathered from fj cruiser forum via the internet and web research. vehicle has been taken to dealer for inspection and am awaiting a response. damage was not discovered until 60600 miles when vehicle was being inspected after detailing, mileage of damage occurrence is unknown. dealer inspected vehicle and took pictures at their location. *tr

Left section of the hood of a 2007 toyota fj cruiser flew off while driving on the highway, causing cars to swerve. no wrecks. i took the car to a body shop and they said those panel fly off all the time because they are not affixed in place. no screws, glue, or nails. nothing. very dangerous. could have killed families traveling along the highway for summer vacations. *tr

2007 fj cruiser engine bay body rips, noticed at approximately 75k. no off roading since purchased used december 2007 with 32k already clocked. rips are symmetrical on both sides of the engine bay inner fender apron. *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.

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

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

05-14-2010 i have been very concerned about this fender bulge and /cracking problem on the fj's. well it was my turn, a bulge right there on the drivers side crumple zone. lets face it, if the crumple zone is already crumpled before you get in an accident, how is it going to help you if you get into an accident. i took it to the dealer, they contacted the fts, field technician specialist. the fts wanted to see if the fj to see if it was stock. i did have one modification. after reading everything i could get my hands from the forums members on this subject i decided to have a readylift leveling kit, installed in the front only to prevent the tires from hitting the inter fender wells. the lift only raised the front 2.25 inches and the drive remained the same. any modification problems that toyota may have a problem with can be handled with a copy of the magnuson ' moss warranty act of 1975. the field technician specialist checked out bulge on the driver's side crumple and they verified front inner fender was bulged and recommend the replacement of the right & left front inner fenders. 06-28-2010 i got the fj back from the body shop on thursday the 24th. both the apron sub-assemblies & reinforcement sub-assemblies were replaced. under the hood i couldn't even tell if it was worked on. after all that i have read and the folks i have talked to i'm glad toyota stepped up to the plate and fixed the problem. let's hope it stays fixed. *tr

I lease a toyota 2007 fj cruiser which caught on fire. fire was to steering column area. 911 was called /police and fire responded. the fire was visible from the blinker arm hole. fire was extinguished by myself. toyota til this day has not told me the cause. it has been in the dealership since. i don't want the car. toyota has been called numerous times. yet no one gives me an answer. i don't want this to happen to any toyota owner. a guy named troy offered me a $1000.00 dollars to be on my merry way. i don't want it. especially after their coverup. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. the contact was driving approximately 15 mph when he noticed a squeaking and metal popping noise. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the front frame rail near the right motor mount was broken. the dealer also advised him to take the vehicle to a body shop to be repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 61,000. the current mileage was 61,976. updated 11/05/10. *lj

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

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

Defective paint. excessive chipping of paint on the vehicle. especially around the front window and side panels. not due to rocks. looks like polka dots all over. *tr

I have a 2007 toyota fj cruiser and the front inner fender are bulging and tearing at the crumple zone. i've contacted riverside auto where i bought it brand new and they basically told me there's nothing they will do to fix the issue, toyota has redesigned the inner fender 3 times so they know there is a problem but refuse to acknowledge it. *tr

2007 fj cruiser has a crack on the inner fender, also referred to as an engine bay body rip. this vehicle has not been in an accident. the crack was noticed at around 39,500 miles, but may have been there earlier. no corrective parts have been installed. *tr

Another fender bulge issue. the bulge started at 30k miles. i'm at 90k miles now and the passenger side bulge has now become a tear. the drivers side has also become a tear. i believe this issue is very common on the fj cruisers built in 2007. this issue was attended to on the newer models. the crumple zones is where these tears appear and i am very concerned for the safety of myself and my passengers. my vehicle is not the first this has happened to and it will not be the last until toyota recognizes this as an epic failure on their part. i cannot understand how a vehicle that has 90k miles still has the stock battery and brake pads but has two major tears in the body! *tr

Driver side inner fender apron started bulging in the area of the crumple zone. the vehicle has not been in the accident or anything similar that would seem to lead to the failure. i am very concerned with the safety of the vehicle now since the crumple zone is affected. *tr

The paint has been dramatically chipping off of my 2007 fj cruiser. this was brought to the dealerships and toyota regional managers attention immediately and it has been over a year and a half of unreturned phone calls, missed appointments and being dismissed. *tr

The inner fender wall of my fj cruiser is bending and based on others with this issue it will soon crack, the inner fender wall will move and impede the movement of the doors. this is a design defect and toyota should issue a recall. *tr

I went on a trip with my toyota fj cruiser. prior to the trip, i noted that there was nothing wrong with my vehicle. during the trip, i looked in the engine compartment and observed the inner left fender had a slight bulge and crack. the vehicle was not involved in any collision, nor any other type of event. just normal road driving. *tr

The inner fender wells on my 2007 toyota fj cruiser are bulging on both the drivers side and passenger side. definitely seems to be a defect in design due to possible inability of vehicle to handle the flexing, etc. it is now affecting my doors and basic alignment of vehicle. gaps are forming where there shouldn't be gaps, etc. i just got my tires balanced and aligned and the tires are wearing funny just 2 months after having work done especially on the drivers side where the larger bulge is. the bulge is noticeably getting larger with time and will eventually crack. i have friends that have the same problem, started with bulges and now their inner fender wells are cracked. toyota will not admit to having knowledge of this problem and yet every year the vehicle has been put into production the inner fender wells have been improved and reinforced...but even those are now failing and bulging. toyota is aware of this and blaming it on offroad use or aftermarket parts....but its happening across the board on all or most fj's. work/warranty work is being denied. we are now left with a vehicle that will most likely fall apart or even worse...will affect us in an auto accident...since its related to the crumple zone and is showing weakness. please help us and do something about it for us. *tr

Bulges in inner fender-under hood, fender appears to be compressing or collapsing. *tr

Toyota fj cruiser fender flare problem..engine bay body rips...big problem seen it on 6 fj wow need a serious look at this problem before someone gets hurt or dies... *tr

I have a 2007 trd fj cruiser with the 100,000 mile warranty on it. at 12,000 miles i noticed a fender bulge on the passenger side of the inner fender under the hood. i have never taken the car offroading and already, at 12,000 miles have a fender bulge. this design flaw can greatly affect the cars integrity and life span. the latest quote on a fix from a toyota dealer was $4,700. many people are experiencing this type of bulge or crack in their inner fenders and it can be a huge problem if you get into a car accident and the crunch zone already has a crack in it. this is a widespread problem that needs to be addressed before someone gets hurt. *tr

There is a problem with the inner fender of the toyota fj cruiser. my truck has 34k miles and i have noticed a large bulge in the drivers side inner fender, in the crumple zone. the passenger side is also slightly bulged. i have seen in other fj cruisers how these bulges will slowly crack and cause the fender to tear. as this problem develops in a designed crumple zone, i am concerned that toyota does not seem to have a solution, or even acknowledge that there is a problem. *tr

Metal tears of the inner fender aprons on both sides at the crumple zones. *tr

Engine bay or fender apron rips in toyota fj cruiser. *tr

Fender apron tears and bulges in the engine bay of my fj cruiser. *tr

My inner fenderwells have cracked all the way through at the crumple zones. i have mentioned this to toyota, and they say it is because of my aftermarket bumper even though hundreds of documented cases have been found on stock fj cruisers of same year as mine. i feel this issue negates the strength of the fenders and would not react favorably in a crash. *tr

2007 fj cruiser was serviced by big island toyota multiple times in 2008. february 11, 2008 - 31649 miles ' 30,000 mile service, includes under vehicles inspection. april 16, 2008 - 33007 miles ' safety check inspection, spark plug replacement, cabin filter replacement august 20, 2008 - 34418 miles ' stereo inspection for warranty issue august 27, 2008 ' 34582 miles - warranty replacement of broken stereo the february 11 service states the following parts under vehicle were marked "checked and okay": shock absorbers / suspension steering gear box / linkage and boots / ball joints / dust covers muffler / exhaust pipes / mountings engine oil and fluid leaks brake lines / hoses / parking brake cable drive shaft boots / constant velocity boots / u-joints / transmission linkage transmission / differential / transfer case fuel lines and connections / fuel tank band / fuel tank vapor vent system hoses inspect nuts and bolts on body chassis the april 16 service marked all components as app'd, including multiple components that would have required the technician to be under the vehicle. we chose big island toyota to perform our service as we were under the impression that we were getting the best service for our toyota vehicle. the corrosion discovered in december was so complete that there was no way it wasn't present during previous services and toyota did not point it out when they were under the vehicle. neglecting to call attention to the problem during previous paid services prevented us from being able to address the corrosion issue before parts began to fall off and perforate the frame. at this point big island toyota has declared that the vehicle has no value whatsoever and they will no longer provide service to us at the dealership. *tr

I am concerned about cracks developing in my toyota fj cruiser which could affect the safety of myself and others in vehicle. *tr

I have a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. i have the truck lifted with a dealership approved lift kit, and dealership approved tires. i have about 50k miles on it, and i just noticed the inner fender inside the engine compartment on the drivers side began to bulge out towards the engine. i took it into toyota and they one sales rep says i must of had an accident to cause this, i have not! another rep says he has heard of this issue but has never seen it before. they are going to have an engineer come and take a look at it. i have done my own research and have found that toyota has since redesigned this section now 3 times but are still claiming it to be user fault. i have 127 other people that have now claimed this issue many of which have stock vehicles and have never been off road or had the suspension or tires max out. this bulge leads to cracks right in the crumple zone of the engine compartment. which could seriously affect how the vehicle reacts to an accident and cause further harm to its occupants. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. the inner fender liner metal fractured at the crumple zone. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and a technician stated that he would have to pay for the repairs. the manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 102,000.

My 2007 toyota fj cruiser with an expedition one front bumper and 6" rough country lift has gotten inner fender bulges. it has never been jumped or involved in an accident. the drivers side inner fender has begun to bulge up in the crumple zone. i have taken it to yokem toyota, and they are waiting to hear from the national toyota office before fixing it under warranty. they have been helpful, but since toyota has not issued a service bulletin, they don't know how to handle it. *tr

My 2007 toyota fj cruiser developed two, under the hood, wheel well/inner fender cracks, at the crumple dimples. the vehicle exhibited the body cracks at 18,000 miles. each crack, one on the left and right, directly above each upper wheel well, where attached to the inner fender, are about 4" long and 1/16"-1/8" wide. i took the truck to toyota where, without batting an eye, sent the truck to a body shop and replaced both the left and right inner fender assembly. this was a very major repair, costing toyota about $8k in materials and labor. i am very concerned that this problem will reappear, after my warranty expires at 36,000 miles. i do not sport off-road this truck. *tr

2007 toyota fj cruiser fender bulges and cracking on my vehicle without modification on the vehicle. fender cracking/bulges was not also due to excessive or even off-roading, jumping or other vehicle activities. *tr