2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER, 125K MILES. MID-ATLANTIC AREA OF THE US. FRAME HAS EXCESSIVE RUST AND DEGRADATION. A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DURING A NORMAL SERVICE VISIT AND 2 INDEPENDENT MECHANICS CONFIRM IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE OR TO ESPECIALLY TOW TRAILERS. BOTH INDEPENDENT MECHANICS ALSO ADDED THEY HAVE SEEN THIS ISSUE BEFORE ON TUNDRAS, FJ CRUISERS, AND 4RUNNERS FROM THE SAME ERA. WELDMENTS IN THE FRAME ARE CORRODED AND RIDDLED WITH CRACKS. LARGE SECTIONS OF FRAME MEMBERS ARE ALSO VERY CORRODED WITH THIN WALLS/HOLES. BIGGEST CONCERN IS LOSS OF STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY WHICH COULD LEAD TO A MAJOR MECHANICAL FAILURE/ACCIDENT. LITTLE TO NO RUST ON THE BODY, HAVE DRIVEN OTHER TOYOTA AND FORD TRUCKS IN SAME ENVIRONMENT WITH NO RUST ISSUES AT 200K MILES. FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA.

EXCESSIVE RUST OF THE FRAME. HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE HOLES IN STRUCTURAL AREAS SUCH AS THE TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER WELDS MEETING THE FRAME. FAILURE OF THE FRAME COATING ALL OVER. FRAME ROT FROM THE INSIDE CAUSING HOLES FROM THE INSIDE OUT. ALSO RUSTING FROM AREAS SUCH AS CONTROL ARMS, REAR END LINKS, AND DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTS. WILL PROVIDE MORE PICTURES WHEN I HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO DO SO.

THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO REPORTS OF FRAME RUST AND CORROSION PROBLEMS FOR THE 2007 ' 2014 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THIS IS THE SAME ONGOING SAFETY PROBLEM AS THE SEVERAL PAST RECALLS ON OTHER FULL FRAMED TOYOTA VEHICLES. EXCESSIVE FRAME CORROSION 'ROT' STARTING IN JOINTED METALS WITHIN THE FRAME STRUCTURES IS RUSTING FROM THE OUTSIDE AND THE INSIDE OUT. IN RECENT OBSERVATIONS NON-JOINTED RUST METAL IS ALSO SUFFERING RUST THROUGH IN OTHER PARTS OF THESE FRAMES. MY PERSONAL VEHICLE EXHIBITS ALL THE SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE RUSTING INCLUDING ONE RUST THROUGH HOLE AT THE REAR CROSS MEMBER LOCATION UNDERNEATH THE REAR BUMPER. THIS LOCATION IS NEITHER ACCESSIBLE NOR VISIBLE WITHOUT THE BUMPER REMOVED. THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CROSS MEMBER EXHIBITS LARGE SEVER FLAKING RUST PRESENT BOTH OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE FRAME. THE MAIN FRAME, LOCATION BEHIND THE FRONT WHEEL, EXHIBITS SEVERS LARGE FLAKING RUST INSIDE THE FRAME. THE OUTSIDE WITHIN THIS AREA ALSO CONTAINS A HALF SIZE DOLLAR RUST AREA THROUGH THE FIRST FRAME LAYER THAT INITIALLY APPEARED AS SURFACE RUST. IN CONCLUSION WHAT APPEARED AS NORMAL SURFACE RUST CAN INDEED BE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY CONCERNS. THE FRAME IS RUSTING INSIDE OUT AT AN ALARMING FAST RATE, MUCH FASTER THAN THE 60'S FJ40 FRAMES I HAVE RESTORATION EXPERIENCE WITH. I WAS INFORMED PER MY DEALERSHIP THE RUST WOULD BE DOCUMENTED BUT NOT CONSIDERED ABNORMAL AND NO RECALL WAS IN PLACE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MUFFLER AND ENTIRE FRAME WERE CORRODED AND DETERIORATED WHEN TOUCHED. THE CONTACT CALLED DCH FREEHOLD TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 4268 US 9 S, FREEHOLD, NJ 07728, (732) 810-1048) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1905240531. THE MANUFACTURER REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.

WHILE DRIVING, MY EXHAUST BROKE FROM HITTING A POTHOLE. WHEN I TOOK TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIR, WE NOTICED SO MUCH RUST ON THE FRAME. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT INSPECTED, WE FOUND THAT THE FRAME IS EXTREMELY RUSTED WITH HOLES IN THE BACK PIECE BY THE BUMPER. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP OPENED A CASE. THEY ALSO SAID FOR ME TO CONTACT CORPORATE TOYOTA AND OPEN A CASE. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP SAID THEY TAKE THIS EXTREMELY SERIOUS BECAUSE OF THE TACOMA RUSTED FRAME RECALL. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY CAN NOT MAKE A DECISION AND THAT IT MUST BE MADE BY CORPORATE. THE DEALERSHIP SUPPLIED THE PICTURES SO CORPORATE COULD SEE THE FRAME ROTTING. I STAYED IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH A DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE THE ENTIRE TIME. EVERY CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH TOYOTA CORPORATE ENDS WITH THEM SAYING 'SORRY, THERE IS NOT A RECALL RIGHT NOW'. THE DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE BECAME FRUSTRATED AND EVEN SAID SHE WOULD NOT PUT HER KIDS IN THE FJ CRUISER BECAUSE ITS UNSAFE. EVERYONE AGREES THAT A 2007 FJ CRUISER FRAME SHOULD NOT BE RUSTING OUT LIKE THIS. FINALLY, THE DEALERSHIP WAS WHO TOLD ME I SHOULD CONTACT NHTSA AND START THIS PROCESS. I HAVE BEEN READING ON FJ CRIUISER SPECIFIC FORUMS RECENTLY ABOUT OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. IT SEEMS REALLY WIDE SPREAD.

THE FRAME ON MY 2007 FJ CRUISER IS SO BADLY RUSTED THAT THE BRACKETS CONNECTING THE REAR CONTROL ARMS TO THE FRAME DETERIORATED AND THEY ARE NO LONGER ATTACHED. THIS WAS NOTICED WHEN THE STRAPS FROM THE GAS TANK ALSO RUSTED AWAY AND THE GAS TANK DROPPED. THE FRAME DAMAGE IS SO SEVERE THAT NO BODY SHOP WANTS TO TOUCH IT FOR LIABILITY REASONS.