2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKET (OEM WELDED TO THE FRAME) BROKE OFF DUE TO EXCESSIVE ROTTING (PHOTOS ATTACHED). THIS BROKE OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT 30-35MPH. THE VEHICLE SHIFTED TO THE SIDE AND MADE IT UNSTABLE AND UNCONTROLLABLE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS WHILE I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I HAD BOTH OF MY CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME AND I AM CERTAIN THAT IF I WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED IT WOULD HAVE CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BE OUT OF CONTROL EVEN WORSE AND MORE SO IF I WAS IN A TURN. I HAVE COME TO DISCOVER THAT MANY FJ CRUISERS ARE SUFFERING FROM THE SAME ROTTING ISSUE AND THAT TOYOTA HAS A HISTORY OF FRAME ROT ISSUES ON OTHER MODELS THAT HAVE SINCE BEEN RECALLED FOR REPLACEMENT. IN MY OPINION BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, IF THIS HAPPENED TO MY FJ THEN IT WILL HAPPENED TO MANY OTHERS AND SOMEONE WILL GET SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED.

I HAVE HAD TWO BRAKE LINES BURST IN THE PAST YEAR DUE TO RUST. BOTH TIMES I WAS LUCKY TO NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE AND WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW SPEED. BOTH HAVE BEEN THE BACK BRAKE LINES. THIS RUST SITUATION WITH THE FJ'S IS UNACCEPTABLE AND DANGEROUS! TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND THE SITUATION NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE A PERSON IS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED.

A MAJOR HAZARDOUS ISSUE WAS THE FUEL TANK STRAP BROKE DUE TO RUST AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. FORTUNATELY FOR ME A MECHANIC SPOTTED THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM BEFORE A POTENTIAL DISASTER HAPPENED OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ENTIRE FRAME OF THIS VEHICLE IS RUSTING AT OUTSTANDING SPEED AND PRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD. TOYOTA HAS PRESENTED A RECORD OF USING INFERIOR FRAMES IN THE PAST AND UNFORTUNATELY THE FJ VEHICLES WERE GIVEN THOSE INFERIOR, UNSAFE FRAMES AS WELL.

ON DEC 30, 2019 I TOOK MY 2007 FJ CRUISER IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND SHORTLY AFTER I DROPPED IT OFF, I WAS CONTACTED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND ASKED TO COME BACK. THEY WANTED TO SHOW ME THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THAT THE FRAME OF MY FJ WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH WITH MULTIPLE HOLES IN RIGHT SIDE OF THE FRAME - SOME HOLES MEASURING OVER 5 INCHES IN LENGTH. IT CRUMBLED WHEN TOUCHED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE REST OF THE VEHICLE WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION BUT IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF THE FRAME. I HAVE FOUND OUT SINCE, THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2007 FJ CRUISER MODELS BUT TOYOTA HAS YET TO RECALL THE FRAMES. I'VE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAVE RECALLED OTHER MODELS DUE TO PREMATURELY RUSTED OUT FRAMES, BUT THE FJ'S HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THOSE RECALLS. I WAS STUCK IN TORONTO UNABLE TO DRIVE BACK TO NY, SO MY FAMILY INCURRED MASSIVE UNEXPECTED COSTS TO GET HOME, AND WORK & SCHOOL WERE MISSED BECAUSE OF THIS SITUATION. I'VE BEEN TOLD IT WILL COST ME APPROX $15 - 20K TO GET MY TRUCK REPAIRED, BUT I BELIEVE THAT COST IS TOYOTA'S RESPONSIBILITY. IN THE MEANTIME IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE SO I'M WITHOUT A VEHICLE MAKING MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF MY FAMILY MORE DIFFICULT SEEING AS IT'S OUR ONLY VEHICLE... AND IT'S STUCK ACROSS THE BORDER IN TORONTO, CANADA. I HOPE TOYOTA RECALLS THE 2007 FJ CRUISER MODEL FRAMES ASAP - I'VE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER FJ OWNERS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA WHO ARE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE AND ARE VERY UNHAPPY WITH HOW TOYOTA IS DEALING WITH IT (OR I SHOULD SAY SEEMINGLY NOT DEALING WITH IT). I DON'T FEEL MY OTHERWISE PERFECT VEHICLE SHOULD BECOME AN OVERSIZED PAPER WEIGHT WHEN TOYOTA HAS DEALT WITH SIMILAR ISSUES IN OTHER MODELS - THE SOLUTION IS PRETTY CLEAR.

I AM REPORTING THE ISSUE OF FRAME RUST AND CORROSION OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS. THE AMOUNT OF CORROSION AND FRAME FLAKING IS ALARMING AND POSES A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE FOR MY FAMILY, OTHER DRIVERS AND MYSELF. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAINTAIN AND FIX THIS ISSUE INCLUDING COMPLAINING TO TOYOTA THEMSELVES WITH LITTLE TO NO SUCCESS. THE AMOUNT OF RUST COMPARED TO MY OTHER VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY OUT OF PROPORTION. BODY MOUNTS ARE FLAKING AND CRUMBLING AND THE FRAME IS CORRODED AND FALLING APART FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST FOR MILEAGE OF CAR 156K AS OF WRITING FRAME IS FLAKING/SCALING EVEN AFTER APPLICATION OF POR-15 TO TRY AND SALVAGE THE FRAME TO MAKE IT LAST A WHILE LONGER. REPLACEMENT OF TANK STRAPS AT 120K DUE TO FAILURE FROM RUST. CAR WILL BECOME UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN A SHORT PERIOD THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS FRAME/YEAR AREA AS TOYOTA ALREADY HAS REPLACED THE TACOMA FRAMES THAT WERE RUSTING/ROTTING THE SAME WAY.