2008 Toyota Fj Cruiser

I PURCHASED NEW A 2008 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER 2 WHEEL DRIVE WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. SINCE OWNERSHIP FROM MARCH 2009 TO DATE, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A LURCHING FORWARD OF THE VEHICLE WHILE THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND AT A FULL STOP. THIS LURCHING FORWARD OCCURS WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON AND AT THE TIME THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER CLUTCH ENGAGES. MOST OF THE TIME, WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER CLUTCH ENGAGES, THE ENGINE RPM ONLY INCREASES ABOUT 100 RPM, BUT FREQUENTLY, WHEN THE A/C CLUTCH ENGAGES THE ENGINE RPM INCREASES 300 TO 400 RPM WITH NORMAL BRAKE PRESSURE WHILE STOPPED, 100 RPM ENGINE INCREASES CAUSE NO PROBLEM, BUT WITH 300 TO 400 RPM ENGINE INCREASES, NORMAL BRAKE PRESSURES WHILE STOPPED ARE NOT ADEQUATE AND THE VEHICLE LURCHES FORWARD. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE BILL PENNY TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT (HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA) ON 02/23/2010 AND THE SERVICE REPORT STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE MY OWNERSHIP BEGAN. *TR

MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY WHILE TRAVELING OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, POTHOLE OR BUMP. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. COMPLAINED TO DEALER LAST SEPTEMBER. THEY LOOKED AT VEHICLE AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. I CAN DUPLICATE THE ISSUE ON OUR ROAD WHICH IS UNEVEN AND HAS BUMPS. HAPPENED THIS MORNING AS I CAME TO WORK. SUV SPEEDS UP WHILE PRESSING BRAKE OVER BUMPS THEN BRAKES CATCH AND IT IF WERE NOT FOR A SEAT BELT I WOULD GO THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD! *TR

WHEN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 30MPH, WENT TO APPLY BRAKES, ABS KICKED IN AND LOST MOST IF NOT ALL BRAKING ABILITY RESULTING IN ROLLING THE STOP AND ENDING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY 4 LANE DIVIDED ROAD. THE SECTION OF THE STREET APPROACHING THE STOP SIGN HAS QUITE A FEW FILLED POT HOLES AND IS BUMPY. THIS IS PROBABLY THE 4TH OR 5TH TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED AT THE SAME INTERSECTION OR IN SIMILAR ROAD/DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR

2008 TOYOTA FJ HAVE EXPERIENCE MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY WHILE TRAVELING OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, POTHOLE OR BUMP SIMILAR AS TO WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH PRIUS. VEHICLE CONTINUES FORWARD WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN EVEN THOUGH BRAKES ARE DEPRESSED AFTER HITTING A POTHOLE. RELEASE AND REAPPLICATION OF BRAKES OFTEN RESULTS IN EMERGENCY HARD BRAKING. NO ACCIDENT OCCURED BUT VEHICLE TRAVELED WELL INTO INTERCHANGE.

ANTILOCK BRAKES ACTIVATED AFTER HITTING RIPPLE IN EXIT RAMP SURFACE. VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP DESPITE PRESSING DOWN HARDER ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. REQUIRED RELEASING BRAKE PEDAL COMPLETELY AND THEN REAPPLYING BRAKES TO CAUSE VEHICLE TO STOP. CAME VERY CLOSE TO SHOOTING OUT INTO FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION. HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES (VERY MINOR BUMP ON ROAD CAUSES ANTILOCKS TO ACTIVE UPON BREAKING THOUGH THIS DOESN'T ACTUALLY STOP THE VEHICLE).

THIS IS A SPORADIC OCCURRENCE AND CANNOT BE REPRODUCED DELIBERATELY: WHEN BRAKING SUDDENLY AT 40 MPH AND BELOW, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT SLOW DOWN NOTICEABLY. IT APPEARS ONLY MINIMAL BRAKING FORCE IS EXERTED AT THESE OCCURRENCES, DESPITE MAXIMUM BRAKE FORCE ON THE PEDAL. THIS HAPPENS ALSO ON DRY PAVEMENT, RULING OUT SKIDDING AS CAUSE OF FAILED DECELERATION. THE MASSIVELY PROLONGED BRAKING DISTANCE CAUSED TWO NEAR-MISSES. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW, WITH THE BRAKE DEFECT FIRST NOTICED DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION (FIRST 15,000 MILES). THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, DETAILS EXPLAINED, AND AN INSPECTION OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS REQUESTED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CONCERN BECAUSE OF THE ONLY SPORADIC OCCURRENCE OF BRAKE FAILURE. NO ACTION WAS TAKEN. *TR

BRAKES DO NOT WORK PROPERLY WHEN THE CAR HITS ANY KIND OF ROUGH PATCH IN THE ROAD WHILE BRAKES ARE BEING APPLIED. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION BECAUSE IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP THE CAR WHEN THIS OCCURS. OCCURS REPEATEDLY AND NOT LIMITED TO AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND DEALER WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ISSUE INSTEAD CLAIMING THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WORK. THIS IS AN ABSURD EXCUSE. *TR