2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, AN UNKNOWN GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

AT MILD ACCELERATION AND ONLY WHEN BETWEEN 1,000-2,000 RPM THE VEHICLE STARTS TO SHAKE / RUMBLE FROM THE REAR SIMILAR TO DRIVING OVER RUMBLE STRIPS. THE RUMBLING STOPS AS SOON AS THE ACCELERATOR IS LET GO OF OR AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE'S RPM FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE 1,000-2,000 RANGE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS COMING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY. TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO PROVIDE A FIX EVEN THOUGH THIS IS CLEARLY AN ISSUE OF DEFECT IN DESIGN OR BUILD. OUR GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROTECT THE TAXPAYER ON THIS ONE AND FORCE TOYOTA TO ENACT A RECALL.

I TOOK MY FJ TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID DRAINED AND REFILLED. THEY DECIDED TO DO A COMPLETE REVIEW ALTHOUGH I SEE NO TOOL MAKES THEY TOLD ME I NEED TO REPLACE MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL, AND TOLD ME AS IF THEY JUST KNEW IT WAS AN ISSUE. THE COST WAS $2360. I WENT HOME AND DID SOME VERY BRIEF RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR 2009 AND LATER FJ CRUISERS. IN 2010 THEY CHANGED THE REAR AXLE. A HUGE NUMBER OF OWNERS ON THE FJ CRUISE FORUMS HAVE POINTED OUT THE ISSUE. THE COST AT THE DEALER WOULD BE TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SAME PARTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATES AND WOULD FAIL AGAIN. TOYOTA CLEARLY KNOWS THE ISSUE AND MORE THAN LIKELY KNEW WHEN PRODUCING THE ORIGINAL FJS. MY FJ HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD AND ONLY USED FOR NORMAL COMMUTING. I DON'T SPEED OR DRIVE POORLY, AND MY DRIVING RECORD IS COMPLETELY CLEAN. I FOUND A GOOD EXPLANATION ON AN AXLE WEB SITE. THE 2009 & OLDER FJ CRUISERS, 4RUNNERS, AND PRADO 120 UTILIZE THE 8' WHICH DATES BACK TO 1979, AND WAS ORIGINALLY USED IN 3000 LB MINI TRUCKS WITH 80 HORSEPOWER AND 27' TIRES. LATE MODEL MODIFIED TOYOTAS SUCH AS FJ CRUISER RUN AT DOUBLE THE WEIGHT, TRIPLE THE HORSEPOWER, AND MUCH LARGER TIRES TO TOP IT OFF. FOR THIS REASON THERE HAVE BEEN LOTS OF FAILURES, ENOUGH SO THAT TOYOTA UPGRADED THE REAR TO THE 8.2' ON THE 2010 & NEWER MODELS. IT MAY SEEM LIKE A SMALL UPGRADE BUT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS BEEFIER CASTING, LARGER BEARINGS, LARGER PINION DIAMETER, LARGER RING GEAR DIAMETER, MORE TOOTH CONTACT, AND A BEEFIER 12 BOLT DIFF CASE. THIS MAKES FOR AN EASY SWAP FOR YOUR VEHICLE AND WILL UTILIZE YOUR EXISTING AXLE SHAFTS, BRAKES, ABS SYSTEM ETC. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AS THIS COULD FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IN MY 2007 FJ CRUISER IS FAILING TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY. SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT TO THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE LIFETIME WARRANTY OF THE VEHICLE. INSTEAD, TOYOTA IS TELLING ME THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THESE PARTS REPLACED. IN DOING SOME RESEARCH I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT OTHERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE TO CORRECT THEIR ERROR IN CRAFTSMANSHIP.

WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE FAILED TO WORK FOR LONG PERIODS OR HAVE TO PLAY WITH SWITCH TO WORK RIGHT. TOOK CAR IN YEARS AGO WHILE UNDER WARRANTY TO FIX AND RESOLVED PROBLEM FOR A FEW YEARS BUT IS NOW REOCCURRING. ALSO DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WINDOW SWITCH INTERMITTENLY WORKS. I DONT KNOW IF THIS IS CONNECTED TO WIPER SWITCH BUT HAVE SEEN RECALLS ON OTHER TOYOTAS THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND HAD A RECALL BUT NONE FOR FJ. SPECIFICS TURN ON CAR, TURN ON SLECTOR SWITCH FOR WIPERS "SLOW THRU HIGH IT DONT MATTER". WIPERS DONT WORK.

RUST. UNUSUAL RUST EVERYWHERE IN MY 2007 FJ CRUISER. EVEN THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNTS ARE RUSTED. THE REAR BUMPER INSIDE, FRAME, REAR DIFFERENTIAL EVERYTHING IS EXTREMELY RUSTED. EVEN THE TRAILER LIGHT PLUGS ARE FALLING OFF DUE TO RUST. THIS IS A CITY CAR AND WE DON'T TAKE IT TO OFFROAD, AND BEING ONLY 74000 MILES, IT'S SCARY TO LOOK UNDER. IF GIVES THE FEELING THAT ONE DAY WHEELS MAY FALL OFF FROM THE FRAME. I HAVE SEARCHED IN THE INTERNET AND REALIZED THAT MOST FJ CRUISER OWNERS HAVE SAME ISSUE. WE PAID 30+ THOUSAND FOR A CAR WHICH IS FALLING APART WITH RUST IN 7 YEARS. HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE.

AFTER 76,000 MILES THE REAR AXLE STARTED MAKING A WHINING NOISE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE REAR AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $3700. IF THIS REAR AXLE WOULD HAVE BROKEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. TOYOTA KNEW THAT THE REAR RING AND PINION GEAR WERE DEFECTIVE DUE TO OVER TREATING AT THE FACTORY, BUT FAILED TO NOTIFY ANY OWNERS OF FJ CRUISERS AND TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE HAD NEVER DONE ANY OFF ROADING OF ANY SORT. TOYOTA HAS CAUSED A SITUATION FOR ANYONE THAT OWNS ONE OF THESE VEHICLES TO PUT THEMSELVES AND THEIR PASSENGERS AT GRAVE RISK OF CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF THE REAR AXLE GEARS SHOULD FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND OR IN THE PROCESS OF OFF ROADING, WHICH TOYOTA CLAIMS THIS VEHICLE IS DESIGNED TO DO.