2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

FRAME RUST - FRAME IS RUSTED SO BAD MECHANIC AND LOCAL DEAL SAID VEHICLE IS NOT ROAD WORTHY. IF I HAD NOT TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC BEFORE SERVICE AND GENERAL MAINTENANCE REPAIRS, I WOULD HAVE DRIVEN ON A 2400 MILE VACATION ACROSS COUNTRY WITHOUT KNOWING THE DANGER OF A FAILING FRAME. MY INITIAL COMPLAINT IS I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY FRAME ISSUES WITH TOYOTA TRUCKS, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GENERAL RECALL/INSPECTION OF ALL TOYOTA FRAME VEHICLES FOR SAFETY INSPECTIONS. SECOND COMPLAINT IS THERE IS NO RESOLUTION AT THIS TIME, MECHANIC SAID IT COULD TAKE MONTHS TO GET AN ANSWER FROM TOYOTA AND EVEN THEN NOT SURE THEY WILL FIX IT. NOW I AM WITHOUT A VEHICLE.

A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS WORKING ON MY VEHICLE AND I HAD TO REMOVE THE REAR BUMPER THEN I FOUND THE CHASSIS DAMAGED BY SO MUCH DEEP RUST, THAT FOR A MOMENT I JUST THOUGHT TO BRUSH AND PUT AN ANTI CORROSIVE BUT THE DAMAGE IS NOT FIXED WITH BRUSHING AND PAINTING. I CALL TOYOTA FOR A FRAME RECALL AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY YET. MY VEHICLE IT'S NOT SAFE TO PULL ANYTHING. I ALSO FEEL THAT ONE OF THESE DAYS THE BODY CAN BE DETACHED FROM THE CHASSIS.

I CURRENTLY OWN A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER THAT HAS VERY BAD RUST PROBLEMS. I HAVE INCLUDED PHOTOS. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTOS THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF INSIDE AND OUT. I OWN A 2014 HIGHLANDER, AND HAVE OWNED A SCION AND AVALON AND NONE HAVE HAD ANY RUST ISSUES. I HAD INTENDED TO TOW A BOAT WITH THIS BUT AFTER A TOYOTA OF KINGSPORT DEALER RUST INSPECTION HE SAID, 'THERE IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF RUST UNDER THE TRUCK, IT IS NOT SAFE TO TOW WITH BECAUSE OF RUST DAMAGE. THERE APPEARS TO BE OTHER RUST DAMAGE TO CRITICAL AREAS OF THE FRAME'. I HAVE HAD OTHER MECHANICS LOOK AT IT AND THEY ALL AGREE THAT THE FRAME NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AND ANYTHING TOUCHING IT THAT IS RUSTED. ONE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE VENT FOR THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS RUSTED OVER PREVENTING IT FROM VENTING PROPERLY. WE REPLACED THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL FLUID BUT HE SAID IT MAY BE IN POOR SHAPE ALSO. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF RUST AND IS DUE TO MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION PROBLEM OR POOR RUST COATING FROM THE FACTORY. I THINK THAT TOYOTA MIGHT WANT TO INVESTIGATE THIS VEHICLE AND DETERMINE WHY IT RUSTED SO BADLY. IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OR INFORMATION JUST LET ME KNOW. I REALIZE SOME OF THIS IS SURFACE RUST.

RECENTLY I NOTICED MY FJ CRUISER HAS INNER FENDER CRACKS UNDER THE HOOD INSIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, BIGGER THAN 5 INCHES LONG, ON THE BOTH SIDES OF SHEET METAL OF THE FENDER, AND THE HOOD HAS BULGES ALSO AT BOTH SIDES. I CALL TOYOTA AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND THEY JUST TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE HAS A CHASSIS AND THIS SHOULD NOT BOTHER ME. ALSO THEY TELL ME THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, SO THEY CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I DO A SEARCH OVER THE INTERNET FOR INNER FENDER CRACKS, AND FOUND THIS TO BE A RECURRENT PROBLEM IN THE SAME PLACE THAT CRACKS OCCUR ON THE FJ CRUISER, SOME VEHICLES CRACKS ARE BIGGER AND SOME ARE SMALLER, BUT IT IS JUST MATTER OF TIME TO HAPPENS. I AM NOT A CAR TECHNICIAN, BUT I AM REALLY WORRIED ABOUT MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY, SO I OPT TO NOT DRIVE WITH MY FAMILY MEMBERS, I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF THOSE CRACKS CAN MAKE THE VEHICLE COLLAPSE AT THE FRONT. I REALLY NEED SOME PROFESSIONAL HELP.

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, I HIT A RELATIVELY SMALL POTHOLE ON THE ROAD. IMMEDIATELY AS THE VEHICLE WENT DOWN ON ONE SIDE, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED, ABOUT 4 INCHES FROM THE MIDDLE BOTTOM UP. THERE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN ANY DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD AND NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD DURING THIS INCIDENT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ENTIRELY, FROM THE LEFT TO THE RIGHT. AFTER BEING INSPECTED BY THE TOYOTA DEALER, THE WINDSHIELD HAS TO BE ENTIRELY REPLACED AT OWNERS COST. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD, NOR WAS THIS AN ACCIDENT OR A MAJOR INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. TOYOTA KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM THAT DUE TO THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED, THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR THE WINDSHIELD TO CRACK. I ALSO SENT A REPORT TO TOYOTA INFORMING THEM OF THIS PROBLEM.

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY AT 30 MILES PER HOUR, IN A RESIDENTIAL STREET, WHEN SUDDENLY I HEARD A NOISE AND NOTED THAT THE WINDSHIELD DEVELOPED A FIVE INCH CRACK, STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM CENTER GOING UP. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE CRACK MOVED SIGNIFICANTLY, TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE WINDSHIELD MOVING TO COVER THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS NO PRIOR DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD, THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN TAKEN OFF ROAD. THE CRACK SEEMS TO HAVE DEVELOPED DUE TO PRESSURE STRESS- A DEFECT FROM MANUFACTURING. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER REPORTS FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE WITH SIMILAR REPORTS, OFTEN TIMES, EVEN AFTER HAVING THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND MANUFACTURING ERROR.