NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
I PURCHASED THIS LOW MILEAGE TOYOTA FJ CRUISER IN MARCH OF 2020 FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP IN WASHINGTON STATE. THE BODY AND INTERIOR ARE IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION, HOWEVER UPON POST PURCHASE INSPECTION, THERE IS EXTENSIVE FRAME CORROSION INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WELDED JOINTS, FRAME CROSS MEMBERS, AND ATTACHMENT POINTS FOR THE FRONT DOUBLE WISHBONE SUSPENSION. THE CORROSION IS SO SEVERE, IT CAN BE PICKED OFF OF THE FRAME IN LARGE CHUNKS USING A FINGER. THIS LEVEL OF CORROSION IS ABNORMAL, LEADING ME TO BELIEVE IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. IN ADDITION, I BELIEVE THIS CORROSION COMPROMISES THE VEHICLE'S STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. *TR
HORRIBLE FRAME RUST. RUSTY CROSS MEMBERS THAT SUPPORT ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. RUSTY BODY AND SUSPENSION MOUNTS THAT ATTACH TO FRAME. ALL THE WELD BEADS ON THE FRAME ARE RUSTED INSIDE AND OUT.
THERE IS RUST ON THE VEHICLE FRAME THAT IS FAR WORSE THAN REASONABLE FOR A VEHICLE OF THIS AGE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES FROM THIS TIME AND IS KNOWN TO BE CAUSED BY COMPROMISES THAT TOYOTA MADE IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING INTO TRAFFIC, HE HEARD A BREAKING NOISE AS THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FRACTURED INTO SEVERAL PIECES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AFTER THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE SYMPTOMS OF THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SECOND DEALER. THE SECOND DEALER STATED THAT A COMPONENT HAD BEEN INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE BACKWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER WHO THEN REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT NO COST. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
1-CRUISE CONTROL OVER-SPEEDING. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM EXCEED THE SET VEHICLE SPEED IN THESE THREE CONDITIONS 1A.ONE THE CRUISE CONTROL RESUMES SPEED AFTER DECELERATION. 1B.WHILST THE VEHICLE NEGOTIATE UPHILL DRIVING CONDITION 1C. IF THERE IS A STRONG HEAD WIND. THIS WILL KEEP THE DRIVER DISTRACTED TO JUST MONITOR HIS/HER SPEED SO THAT HE/SHE WILL NOT GET FLASHED FOR SPEEDING ! 2-SPEEDOMETER READING DEVIATION COMPARE WITH GPS SPEED READING WHEN THE ODOMETER READING IS 87.5 MPH YOU ARE ACTUALLY DOING 81.88 MPH. 3-ABS ABNORMAL OPERATION WHEN BRAKE IS APPLIED ON UNPAVED PEBBLES LADEN ROAD. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT YOU LOSE BREAKING POWER OR THE CAR APPLIES THE BREAK SO STRONG IN A WAY IT PANIC THE DRIVER WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO A CRASH, THIS BEHAVIOR OF THE BREAKS IS IRRELEVANT TO THE DEPRESSING PRESSURE ON THE BREAK PEDAL BY THE DRIVER. 4-A/C AIRFLOW FOOT MODE AIR FLOWING AT WINDSHIELD DEFOGGER. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT IF THE (FOOT ONLY) MODE IS SELECTED THE AIR WILL GET OUT OF THE FOOT EXIST AS WELL AS THE UPPER WINDSHIELD DEFOGGER AND IF USED WITH THE A/C SWITCHED ON IT WILL LEAD TO CONDENSATION OF THE FOG ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD (AS COLD AIR WILL COOL DOWN THE WINDSHIELD) WHICH WILL BLOCK THE VISIBILITY! 5-REAR CAMERA MONITOR EXHIBITS DARK PATCH ON BOTH UPPER AND LOWER CORNERS OF THE SCREEN (IF FITTED) ! 6-REMOTE START FUNCTION EXHIBIT STARTER MOTOR OVER-RUN CONDITION AFTER ENGINE HAS STARTED (IF THE CAR HAS A REMOTE STARTUP-FACILITY) I HAVE TAKEN THE ISSUES WITH THE LOCAL AGENCY OF MY CAR IN MY COUNTRY AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE SIMILAR COMPLAINS ABOUT THE SAME WITH REGARDS TO THE US VERSION OF THE FJ CRUISER 2009. IT WILL BE GREAT IF YOU INVESTIGATE THESE COMPLAINS AS THE FACTORY IS DENYING THAT THERE IS ANY MANUFACTURER DEFECTS ! WHICH I TOTALLY DISAGREE AS I AM SURE THERE IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECTS WHICH THE FACTORY IS TRYING TO HIDE IN ORDER TO AVOID A RECALL. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION QUERY PLEASE CONTACT ME. *TR
THE TOYOTA FJ CRUISER'S SEAT BELT IS ENGINEERED HAZARD BASED ON IN SEAM DESIGN OF THE CHASIS. IN THE EVENT OF A SIDE IMPACT COLLISION OR THE SEVERANCE OF THE DOOR FROM THE BODY OR SHELL OF THE VEHICLE THE PASSENGER CAN BE EXTREMELY INJURED BY THE DESIGN OF SEAT BELT, OR CATAPULTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE INNER SEAM OR FLOOR WOULD BE A BETTER POSITION FOR THE HARNESSING OF THE SEAT BELT APPARATUS. IN ADDITION, THE POWER TRAIN TENDS TO BE A LITTLE STICKY POSSIBLY DUE TO THE OARING OF THE METAL, VISCOSITY ENHANCEMENT CAN BE MADE OR RESEARCH AND DESIGN FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE OF GEARING. *TR
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 29, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.