general problems of the 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Speeds above 55 mph cause the steering wheel to constantly shake. It seems to be a consistent issue regardless of the types of tires and balancing that is used.

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).

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.

Vehicle shimmy between 60mph and 70mph. Tire balance and alignment were performed but this did not correct the problem. Vehicle has been doing this since new (4 miles).