Problems with 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser STRUCTURE

While doing routine maintenance i noticed cracks in both inner fender wells of my 1 year old toyota fj cruiser. i then starting doing research and found many people with the same problem. i contacted my local dealer and scheduled an appointment and at the time they said that it would be covered under warranty when a fix or repair was available. several months went by without a response and during that time i had installed new tires and suspension. i then had some more service at another dealer several months later and i was told that the fenders would not be covered under warranty and any alterations from stock would void all warranty. this was noted well before any modifications and i don't see where different tires, bumpers, or suspension would have anything to do with fenders. the repair would require replacement of the inner fender wells. many other people are experiencing this issue as noted on http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/toyota-fj-cruiser-polls/37556-do-you-have-inner-fender-bulges-cracking.html and http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/problems-dealer-service/33440-engine-bay-body-rips.html this repair has been done on several fj cruisers that i am aware of and the cracks could be considered a safety issue as they are in the crumple zone area. *tr

Paint failure is immediate. vehicle is a toyota 2007 fj cruiser. car was parked under mesquite tree for shade. tree sap from tree caused paint to immediately bubble and crack and come off. literally everywhere drop hits body and bumper is damaged, approximately 50 spots or more. paint releases completely to primer. *tr

2007 toyota fj cruiser: the inner fender apron/liner under the hood is bulging. appears to be a manufacturer defect. there hundreds of others with the same vehicle, same problem. in many cases that i've seen the metal begins to tear. see www.fjcruiserforums.com for pictures, more info, etc.... *tr

Toyota fj cruiser 2007: inner fender rails / engine bay (structural vehicle body panel) bulges and cracks under regular operation condition. after an first replacement at ~ 5000mi, the new parts cracked again at ~ 11000mi. toyota refuses to repair that structural defect under warranty, which is a ~ $10000 repair. this concern has been reported under a significant number of fj cruiser owners (see fj cruiser forum engine bay rips). *tr

My 2007 fj cruiser is cracking and bulging in the inner fender frame / body. *tr

Inner fender apron cracking on drivers side. this is at a pint about 8" forward of the firewall. *tr

Paint is chipping all over car. car is 2007 fj. by toyota. i have never had this happen on another car. *tr

Inner fender aprons have cracked in under 20-k miles. this requires extensive repair dismantling the entire front end and removal of the dash. *tr i will be left with the equivalent of a vehicle that has suffered a serious front end collision, complete with accelerated rust in weld areas, specifically around the firewall. a complete buy-back should be the remedy for such a serious & significant design flaw that toyota should have been aware of since the same failures occurred on the australia sold "prado" (which uses the same platform as the american fj cruiser). *tr

Passenger side front fender apron beginning to bulge. *tr

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

My complaint has to do with the paint! i have repeatedly gone into toyota to have them deal with this chipping problem. they have fixed chips only on the uprights beside the window. the chipping is occurring on all parts of the vehicle, on flat surfaces such as the hood and right and left sides. to date i have over 200 chips with 60,000 km - i have over 300,000 km on a 1997 ford that has been driven in the same conditions that has 1/20 the chips. there is a problem with the maroon paint on this fj cruiser. it is not going away and it appears to be a problem with the bond between the paint and the primer as best i can tell. *tr

Complaining about the paint on my 2007 toyota fj cruiser the paint seems to very thin and brittle i have chips in no leading areas of the vehicle when i asked about it at the dealership they have excuses. *tr

My 2007 voodo blue fj cruiser paint is chipping and has about 4500 miles on it and has never been offroad.*cn

Inner fender (crumple zone) buldge and tear left side. *tr

I have two rips in the side wall of the engine bay. the tears are at the crush zones of the body side walls. *tr

My 2007 toyota fj cruiser has a design flaw in it's front fenders. the inner fenders bulge and tear which causes the fenders to bind on the doors, etc. the bulges and tears are in the "crumple' areas of the inner fenders designed to buckle during a crash. this defect weakens an area that should be intact . *tr

Vehicle like others is starting to experience buldging on the inner fender aprons. mine have not developed to cracks like so many others but appears to be in its infancy since it is buldging. i was made aware of the complaint after browsing this database. upon further research i found fjcruiserforums.com where 155+ other people have experienced the same problem! i have not taken the vehicle to the dealer as i have heard horror stories and the problem has not been remedied. i am very concerned about the structural integrity of the front in under normal driving conditions and especially concerned about the vehicles crash rating and how it has been affected. it appears to be buldging at two crumple zones on the uni body. no other apparent buldges, rips, or deformities anywhere else. the vehicle has never been in an impact situation greater than a shopping cart at the super market rolling into my vehicle. this appears to be a natural occurring problem which the toyota designers did not take into consideration when building the vehicle. the front end does not appear to be able to support its own weight. *tr

Paint chips on a 2007 blue toyota fj cruiser all over vehicle. *tr

Inner fender structure is bulging, started on passenger side about oct 15th & on drivers side about two weeks later. this is a well know problem among informed fj cruiser owners. also some of the ones toyota has repaired & upgraded are also failing. also poor quality windshield that was pitted & chipped within a few weeks of purchase. *tr

Rips in metal "crumple zones" inside engine compartment of 2007 toyota fj cruiser. vehicle has been slightly modified (suspension, tires), but never 'jumped' and all offroad use has been on smooth, non-technical trails (as advertised by toyota). *tr

Inside the engine compartment there is deformation of the bodywork (bulges). these are aligned with the dimples designed to control the crush of the front structure under impact. the bulges began to be noticeable when the vehicle was about 1 year old and had about 15,000 miles. this is a common problem with this vehicle, and usually leads to tears in the bodywork on the inside of the front fenders. *tr

The problem is the inner fender in my 2007 fj. it has bulges and will eventually crack. other owners have had it cracked, so i am waiting to see how long that takes to happen. i haven't taken it in to get fixed yet, but toyota is claiming that it's not a design issue. the only problem is a numerous other owners have the same issue. *tr

Paint chips off everywhere for no reason. *tr

Body panels inside engine bay are ripped about 8 inches forward of the firewall. i am in communication with toyota to get this fixed. *tr

2007 fj cruiser body panels inside engine bay are bulging and subsequently ripping apart for no apparent reason. toyota has not issued a public statement on this matter. fixes for my vehicle include pulling the engine to replace the panels. however, the underlying problem that causes the ripping has not been identified or addressed. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. the contact noticed a curvature in the inner fender apron of the vehicle. a mechanic stated that the inner fender apron crush zones were ripping and cracking under normal driving conditions and the frame contained an excess of flexibility. the dealer found no failures and no repairs were made. the current and failure mileages were 33,952.

Paint chipping within the first two months of vehicle ownership. chipping on the hood and fender around the headlight. *tr

Inner fender liner metal cracking at the crumple zone, severe cracks developing. *jb

The toyota fj has massive blind spots exacerbated by the design of the side mirrors and the rearview mirror and the tire which blocks the rear. *jb

The inner fenderwell 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 fenderwell 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 and district manager examined the vehicle, including taking numerous pictures. no repairs were offered at that time, as they were unsure of the cause or remedy. i am aware of at least 113 other similar vehicles with various stages of this identical problem, some which have also been inspected by various toyota personnel. information about this issue has been posted to an on-line forum to gather additional data - www.fjcruiserforums.com - where pictures and descriptions of the vehicles, equipment, and build date / mileage have been gathered. as of this date, i have been told that "toyota will take care of the problem", but have received no specific information on when or how. *jb

My toyota fj cruiser has developed cracks in the engine bay body metal. i use this vehicle as a trail rig and it has never been in an accident or jumped. i have very large ripping on both sides above the front tires. *tr

Numerous paint flaking; even on non leading surfaces windshield pitting and sparkling in sunlight. *jb

2007 toyota fj cruiser. inner fender bulges on both sides. *jb

Fatigue stress in the engine bay sheet metal located in safety crumple zone areas. events leading up to failure are anyone's guess. normal day to day and moderate off-road driving are the only conditions experience by the vehicle... no collision or accident incidents. toyota has agreed to cover the replacement of the part under warranty but has given no explanation as to how the failure is occurring to vehicles on a national level, how the failure will be handled after the warranty period and provided no recourse for what is bound to be a dramatic drop in resale value due to the fixing of the vehicle (more than likely the extent of the repair will be akin to fixing a wrecked vehicle. front end disassembly, welding, cutting, etc.) *tr

Inside fender panel ripping on either side of 2007 toyota fjc mine and others, can see discussion online at http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/problems-dealer-service/33440-engine-bay-body-rips.html seems that toota knows of the problem and is offering a fix not proven to work, and is only covering till the 30,000 mile warranty is up, after that it is your problem, even though it seems to be a problem many vehicles have.

My vehicle has bulges in the engine bay above the wheel well. this vehicle is my daily driver and has been only used on easy trails and logging roads. no serious 4 wheeling or jumping. mileage when damage spotted was 9,500 miles. *tr

I own a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. it is a multi-purpose 4x4 vehicle. i use it off-road occasionally. there are rips associated with metal fatigue in the inner fender aprons at approximately 18,000 miles. i have some slight movement is the fenders and wide seams of the hood. i have taken it to a dealership, however they will not repair it because there in no know fix for the problem. *tr

Sheet metal cracking on both sides of the inner fenders within the engine compartment. *tr

Excessive paint chipping. *tr

To whom it may concern, i am the owner of a toyota fj cruiser 2007. after ~3500 miles, i discovered cracks in the body frame (front inner fender rails - engine bay). i did address this issue to toyota, who voided the warranty on the vehicle due to "signs of impact, namely scratches on the under body". i do not concur with this statement, since scratches can not be related to impact strength. i use this vehicle for off road, which does yield to scratches in the body. i have never experienced any impact. internet research on fj cruiser forums shows that this becomes a very common phenomenon and appears to be a design flaw in the front end of the fj cruiser. i am concerned that due to the cracks in the body (crash zone), the safety of the vehicle is negatively affected. i would be able to provide you a very detailed report on the findings, as well as with the links to a number of fj cruiser owners facing the same problem. i'm looking forward to your response and appreciate your support in this matter! *jb

Within 6 months after purchasing my voodoo blue 2007 fj cruiser, i began noticing random paint chipping on the body of my vehicle. i have never put my car through a car wash, nor has it ever been off-roaded. i brought this to the attention of my sales rep at the toyota dealership where i purchased it and he proceeded to ask me if i had ever driven through any construction sites, which i had not. he then referred me to a toyota paint specialist who then proceeded to tell me that this is very common because lead is no longer an ingredient in the paint, which is causing it to become very brittle. since i am leasing the car i was concerned that i would be charged at lease termination for this but was assured by the specialist that this was considered "normal wear and tear" on the car. he suggested that i purchase touch-up paint and apply as needed. however, it has now been well over a year and the paint not only continues to chip further, but i've begun to notice a few small areas where there is also corrosion developing. at this point i plan to bring the truck back in to get something in writing concerning this problem and liability. i do not want to get screwed at the end of my lease term. i have never heard of paint chipping in this way, especially not on a new vehicle. i even purchased a 2007 prius recently and have had no issues whatsoever with the paint on that vehicle and it is driven under the same conditions as the fj - city and highway only. *tr

Chipping paint all over toyota fj cruiser and windshield looks pitted. talked to service department and was told that their wasn't a problem with the paint. *tr

I have an 07 toyota fj cruiser & i checked out my inner fender and saw 2 cracks after reading an online forum complaint board about this issue. my good friend who also has an 07 fj cruiser has the same exact problem as well. there are cracks on both sides of my inner fender. my passenger side has a bulge around the crack as well. my wife drives our small children (infants) around and i am very concerned. i read many places this is a design flaw by toyota. please help as this is a major safety issue and should never crack as it has. *tr

Rips and bulges appeared on the inside of the engine bay. they are appeareing in a designated "crumple zone" .. which makes me fear for my safety.. it has been documented by hundreds of other toyota fj cruiser owners as well..... there were no events leading to this. toyota has not aknowledged the problem in any way.

Beginning at about 2 months the paint on my vehicle started coming off. my friend has the same vehicle but 2 weeks older & has the same problem. the paint has gotten progressively worse and now my car is rusting. my friend also has rust spots on his car. *tr

I purchase my blue toyota fj cruiser in september of 2006. a month after my purchase i noticed the paint chipping in odd places that i haven't seen on any of the other cars i had owned. i started talking to other blue toyota fj cruiser owners and they had the same complaint. i have been to the toyota dealership and they have pushed me under the rug. i have called the toyota hotline and they haven't even consented to look at it. so here i am. *tr

The inner fenderwell apron crush zones are buckling under normal driving conditions - it appears the frame has too much flex and is causing the weak spot in the inner fenderwell to break. the buckling on the passenger side has also shifted the fender backward causing a pinch at the hood corner and the front edge of the door. i am no longer able to open the door. i am 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 will be taken to my local dealer this week. i am aware of at least 150 other similar vehicles with various stages of this identical problem, some which have also been inspected by various toyota personnel. information about this issue has been posted to an on-line forum to gather additional data - www.fjcruiserforums.com - where pictures and descriptions of the vehicles, equipment, and build date / mileage have been gathered. *tr

Left and right side inner metal fenders are tearing and bulging. *tr

I have bulging and cracking on my inner fender aprons on my truck, they have been progressively getting worse. when they started i had zero modifications and had only driven on mild dirt roads. and some sand. toyota has since denied me repair because of some modifications i have installed. toyota also is on the 3rd fender design so they obviously know there is a problem but they want to blame the owners for it. *tr