2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

TEMPORARY BRAKE FAILURE WHEN DRIVING OVER GRAVEL COUNTY ROAD. BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESS AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE, CAUSING IT TO ROLL THROUGH A STOP SIGN AND OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS. ABS SYSTEM SEEMED TO BE ACTIVATED DURING THIS FAILURE, THE ABS PULSING WAS FELT IN THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE REAPPLIED THEY WORKED NORMALLY. THIS HAS OCCURRED ABOUT THREE TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 25 MPH AND TRAVELING OVER A BUMP OR POTHOLE, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD ACTIVATE BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR AT LEAST FIVE TIMES WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE CONTACT HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE BRAKES POTENTIALLY CAUSING A CRASH TO OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

MY 2007 FJ CRUISER'S BRAKES FAIL OCCASIONALLY WHILE BRAKING ON A BUMPY ROAD SURFACE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE FIRST INSTINCT IS TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDDLE HARDER TO THE FLOOR BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUES MOVING FORWARD AT THE SAME SPEED OF TRAVEL PRIOR TO THE APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE. I HAVE TRIED PUMPING THE BRAKE WHEN THIS HAPPENS BUT IF THE ROAD SURFACE CONTINUES TO BE UNEVEN THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. I HAVE HAD A FEW CLOSE CALLS BUT LUCKILY HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT YET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING IN SNOW OR ANY WET, SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD ENGAGE WITHOUT DRIVER INTENT. IMMEDIATELY, THERE WOULD BE A 3 SECOND LOSS OF BRAKING POWER AS IF HE RELEASED HIS FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND THE WOULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 79,000.

AFTER READING THAT THIS DEPARTMENT WAS "OPENING A FORMAL INVESTIGATION OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID MODEL YEAR 2010 TO LOOK INTO ALLEGATIONS OF MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY WHILE TRAVELING OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, POTHOLE OR BUMP", I REALIZED THAT THIS EXACTLY DESCRIBES MY EXPERIENCE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH MY 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. I DID NOT REPORT THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY FAULT FOR MY SPEED WHEN HITTING THE UNEVEN SURFACE. I DON'T KNOW REALLY WHY I DIDN'T ASK ABOUT THIS BUT THIS DEFINITELY HAPPENED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. *TR

THE FIRST INCIDENCE OCCURRED IN DECEMBER 2009. THERE WERE PATCHES OF ICY SNOW ALONG OUR STREET. I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN (THE SPEED LIMIT IS 25 MPH) AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. I APPLIED THE BRAKES SOONER THAN WHAT I WOULD HAVE NORMALLY DUE TO THE ROAD CONDITIONS. AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL MADE CONTACT WITH A PATCH OF ICY SNOW. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, IT WAS AS IF I HAD NOT APPLIED ANY BRAKES AT ALL, AND MY FJ CRUISER CONTINUED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WHICH ENTERED ONTO A MAIN THOROUGHFARE. THERE WAS NO BRAKING ACTION AND IT WAS AS IF I HAD NEVER PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I REALLY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GO THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND BE HIT BROADSIDE AND STARTED TO PREPARE FOR AN ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY, I RELEASED AND REAPPLIED BRAKE PRESSURE, AND MY FJ CRUISER CAME TO A STOP. SINCE THIS WAS THE FIRST BRAKING INCIDENT I PASSED IT OFF DUE TO THE SNOWY CONDITIONS OF THE ROAD. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN IN DECEMBER 2009. I WAS ON A STREET THAT WAS UNDER HEAVY CONSTRUCTION AND THERE WAS A LOT OF LOOSE GRAVEL ON THE ROAD. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 MPH. THIS TIME WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, I EXPERIENCED THE OPPOSITE EFFECT. THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND ACTUALLY SKIDDED TO A STOP AS IF I HAD APPLIED THE BRAKES IN A PANIC SITUATION (LIKE I WAS GOING TO REAR-END THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME). THE THIRD BRAKING INCIDENT HAPPENED IN JANUARY 2010. WHILE DRIVING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD (THE SPEED LIMIT IS 25 MPH), I APPROACHED THE STOP SIGN AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL CONTACTED A PATCH OF ICY SNOW. AGAIN, IT WAS AS IF I HAD NOT APPLIED THE BRAKES AT ALL, AND MY FJ CRUISER CONTINUED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AS IF I HAD NEVER PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NOT ANY TRAFFIC AS I SLID THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. I RELEASED AND REAPPLIED BRAKE PRESSURE AND MY FJ CRUISER CAME TO A STOP. *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