2012 Toyota Fj Cruiser

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A WHEEL CHAIR LIFT INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE AND WHEN IT WAS BEING UTILIZED, THE REAR BUMPER WOULD SINK TWO INCHES. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WOULD RISE BY TWO INCHES. THE TOTAL WEIGHT FOR THE WHEEL CHAIR LIFT AND THE WHEEL CHAIR WAS 300 POUNDS. THE WEIGHT CAPACITY FOR THE VEHICLE WAS LABELED AS 500 POUNDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION HOWEVER NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,600.

A VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I APPLIED BRAKES TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. APPLICATION OF BRAKES LED TO RIGHT FRONT TIRE LOCK UP AND SKID, WITH STRONG VEER TO LEFT. NO ANTILOCK BRAKE ACTIVITY OCCURRED. WITHIN A WEEK OF THE PANIC STOP ABOVE, THE BRAKES NOW ACTING ODDLY; SMALL BUMPS IN PAVEMENT (FREEWAY EXPANSION JOINTS) WILL CAUSE ABS TO ENGAGE. BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES NON-RESPONSIVE. I CALLED THE DEALER WHO SAID THIS WAS NORMAL BRAKE BEHAVIOR. I PLAN ON SCHEDULING A SERVICE CALL TO DOCUMENT THE ISSUE. I'VE OWNED MANY CARS AND SUV'S - ALL PURCHASED NEW WITH ANTILOCK BRAKES. THIS IS PLAIN SCARY BEHAVIOR; I NO LONGER TRUST THE VEHICLE'S BRAKES AND FULLY EXPECT BRAKE FAILURE AND CRASH IS IMMINENT. *TR

VEHICLE AFFECTED SINCE NEW. STEERING SHIMMY OCCURS AS VEHICLE APPROACHED 63 AND 68 MPH ON A VARIETY OF ROADWAYS. AT PEAK VIBRATION OR SHIMMY, THE STEERING WHEEL MOVES ROTATIONALLY ONE TO TWO INCHES. ATTEMPTS TO "HOLD" THE WHEEL STEADY ARE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE ENERGY INPUT TO THE STEERING SYSTEM IS BEYOND MY ABILITY TO HOLD. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALERS FOR SERVICE. TIRES HAVE BEEN BALANCED BY TOYOTA AND GOODYEAR. GOODYEAR STATES THE TIRES BALANCE OKAY, BUT BALANCE CHANGES WITH 1000 MILES USE. ALIGNMENT HAS BEEN CHECKED AND FOUND WITHIN SPECIFICATION. LAST ATTEMPT TO REPAIR TOYOTA WROTE "VEHICLE VIBRATION CAN'T BE IMPROVED, OTHER FJ CRUISER'S ON THE LOT USED FOR COMPARISON EXHIBIT MORE SHIMMY AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED." SINCE TOYOTA HAS HAD RECALLS ON THE FJ CRUISER FOR TIRE MOUNTING ISSUES, IT SEEMS THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE EVALUATED. NEWS: RECALLS: TOYOTA FJ CRUISER WASHINGTON, D.C.-- JULY 29, 2006 ' TOYOTA WILL RECALL MORE THAN 9400 EARLY-MODEL 2007 FJ CRUISERS BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL TIRE DEFECTS. NHTSA ALSO REPORTED THAT THE INNER BEAD OF TIRES ON THE FJ CRUISER MAY BE DAMAGED. THE RECALL AFFECTS VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE OR DUNLOP TIRES. IF A BEAD IS DAMAGED, A BULGE MAY DEVELOP ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE, AND AIR MAY LEAK. NHTSA NOTED THAT THIS IS NOT A TIRE RECALL BUT A TOYOTA RECALL. CUSTOMERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THEIR TOYOTA DEALER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED SPORADICALLY. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THE DEFECT. A FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10.

I HAVE PURCHASED AN FJ CRUISER FROM CITY TOYOTA IN DALY CITY, CA ON 7/12/2012. DURING MY 15,000 MI MAINTENANCE CHECK UP, THE SERVICE MANAGER DISCOVERED THAT THE LUG NUT STUDS ON THE WHEELS BROKE WHEN HE WAS TORQUING. HE ADMITTED THAT THEY WERE MADE IN CHINA AND THAT HE HAS FORWARDED THIS ISSUE TO TOYOTA CORP BECAUSE HE SAID IT'S FACTORY-RELATED AND HAVE ENCOUNTERED SIMILAR ISSUES. I AM VERY CONCERNED WHETHER THE NEW REPLACEMENT STUDS THEY WILL PUT IN MY TRUCK WOULD BE SAFE OR AS DANGEROUS AS THE PREVIOUS. I HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS FACTORY STUDS THAT ARE DEFECTIVE. THEY I DON'T HAVE THE VEHICLE NOW AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING A RENTAL CAR THEY PAID FOR. I CANT GO TO WORK OUT OF STATE SINCE THEY RESTRICTED ME FROM USING THE RENTAL CAR OUTSIDE CA. *TR

DURING SPEEDS OF 55-65 THE STEERING WHEEL STARTS TO SHIMMY. WE TOOK VEHICLE INTO OUR LOCAL SERVICE DEALER (NOT TOYOTA) AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A REAR CONTROL ARM BUSHING. WE THEN TRAVELED 2 HOURS TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (THE ONE WHERE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE) AND WERE TOLD IT NEEDED A ROAD FORCE BALANCING AND IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT STOCK TIRES. AFTER EXPLAINING TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS WAS A WELL NOTED PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT PERFORM THE ROAD FORCE BALANCING AT ALL BECAUSE OF THE STYLE OF TIRES WE HAD AND THAT IT WOULD NOT DO ANY GOOD ANYWAYS (NOTE - THE TIRES ARE THE SAME SIZE AS THE STOCK TIRES). *TR