Service Brakes Problems of Toyota FJ Cruiser - part 1

I am the owner of a Toyota Fj Cruiser (year:2007), VIN: [xxx] ]) equipped with the trd high-performance brake kit, which is under recall campaign c0r / NHTSA 12e046. I recently experienced a serious safety issue involving the front trd brake crossover tube. While driving, I suddenly noticed a soft brake pedal and significant loss of braking power. I was unable to stop the vehicle properly and nearly crashed into another car at an intersection. I had to swerve at the last moment, which could have caused a more serious accident. Upon inspection, I found that brake fluid was leaking from the crossover tube—exactly the defect described in the trd brake recall. This failure happened without warning, and my safety and the safety of others was clearly at risk. This is unacceptable for a safety recall. I am requesting immediate investigation, assistance, and a permanent solution. Toyota must ensure this part is properly redesigned and replaced, and that no vehicle is left on the road with this faulty setup. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser 🔎.

I recently purchased the used 2007 Toyota fj with 101,000 miles. During maintenance and inspection, it was found that the fuel tank straps are rusted out and need to be replaced. The rear brake lines are rusted out and need to be replaced. The frame is severely rusted out and failing at the factory welds. I was referred to submit a report and investigate filing a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer for negligence, as this is apparently a known issue. I am hoping that the will reach someone that is able to help all the owners with the same issues as this should be recalled and repaired to prevent unnecessary injury or death. This is a huge financial burden for those expecting a quality vehicle that will be safe. Failing brakes, loose gas tanks and weakened frames are recipe for disaster.

On the home my wife went to apply the brakes and she had no brake pressure. The pedal went all the way to the floor. Then several lights and a buzzer sound started, and she could not stop the car. She was able to pull up on the e-brake just before she drove completely into the intersection, where several cars were driving in both directions. The front end of car ended partially in the north bound lane of us MD-5. There was also a home at the end of the road that she could have also driven into. I researched on several forums where other owners have had the same issue and the dealership has been unable to diagnose the issue. No TSB or recall has been made, but the number of people that have had this issue, something should have been done. My 4-year-old daughter was in the car, and I could have lost both of them. People need to aware of this. I had no idea that a total brake failure was possible with these vehicles.

See all problems of the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser 🔎.

The brakes are constantly binding up due to rust and need replaced, recently abs brake lines rusted off causing me to miss a stop sign, very dangerous, upper rear control arm mount rusted and cracked completely off causing steering and braking problems and had to be replaced to even use this vehicle, , the front rack has been replaced due to excessive rust of lines and fittings, same with transmission cooler lines-rotted off. . . Brake backing plates rotted off. . Even though I have had this undercoated and rust treated, the frame is rusting inside-out. . . Frame braces, everything on the frame is rusted much more than one would expect, even in a salt state like ohio. . . . My safety was put at risk by faulty brakes, the frame is not safe under hard braking and may cause an accident, the dealer has seen this vehicle, a local independent says "get rid of it". . . No warning lamps, just wild things happen with brakes, pulls left, pulls right, front, then back and this past time . . . None!. . . Only 111,000 miles.

I purchased the vehicle with a clean carfax on 12/2/2021 flew from phoenix to dallas to pick it up. Drove the vehicle from dallas to phoenix. The brakes malfunctioned on the drive home. Fortunately it was late at night and not many vehicles on the road. Took car to mechanic on 12/4/2021. The frame, brakes, suspension, exhaust and engine mounts had been sprayed over to cover severe rust and rot of the the frame and undercarriage. The vehicle cost 14k the repairs to be done 20k the vehicle is not roadworthy and has not been driven since ai got back to phoenix. The dealership purposely didn’t disclose the frame or brake damage. The dealership sold this vehicle knowing it was for my daughter and 3 year old granddaughter.

Loss of brakes while driving. Brakes locking up. Complete frame rust.

Due to rust on my 2007 Fj Cruiser, I've had many unexpected expenses. I first was losing brake pressure and my brake lines had to be replaced after breaking when in a mechanic's shop. I've also replaced all four calipers, all the rusted pulleys on the engine, lower control arms that were so rusted that they had to be cut out, and hub assemblies for both front wheels. The hub assembly lead to a failed vehicle inspection for safety concerns. The exhaust pipe literally broke apart near the rear frame crossmember and was sitting on it, so had to be replaced. The exhaust manifold rusted apart and separated from the engine block, leading to dangerous fumes in the engine bay and horrible gas mileage. The O2 sensors were rusted in place and giving poor readings and had to be replaced. Turning the steering wheel became difficult and that was due to being extremely rusty, so it had to be replaced. Shifter cable and prndl switch had to be replaced due to not shifting into drive or lower gears. The front differential drain plug was so rusted that the dealership would not attempt to remove it. Now there are holes rusted through the body mount brackets, as well as the passenger side floor. The cargo area's floor where the charcoal evap canister connects to the vehicle has completely rusted through, and one of the subframe brackets rusted so badly that it was taken off by hand. Both subframe brackets need to be replaced. The rear control arm mounts are very thin due to extreme rust. My mechanic is now replacing coolant lines because they have rusted through and started to leak, and gas tank straps which were on the verge of failing.

Upon hard braking, if vehicle hits a bump, pothole, uneven road surface, etc, the abs kicks in making it almost impossible to stop unless I completely release the brakes thus requiring me to slam on it hard to prevent rear ending another object.

2008 Toyota Fj Cruiser frame rotting from inside and out. All suspension components have been replaced due parts failing because of corrosion that bled over from the frame to include both front steering knuckles, two parts that only ever get replaced in the event of an accident. Several frame supports have corroded from the inside out and are flaking off. Brake components that run along the frame have corroded from the frame to the bracket that holds them to the lines themselves. Cause a slow brake leak over time that eventually resulted in a dangerous near accident situation that was caused by complete immediate lack of brake pressure. Evasive driving and a sound mind avoided a legitimate accident, had to tow the truck to a shop. Unsafe to drive. Frame will not hold up in an accident. 12 year old frame should not be anywhere near this condition. Due to oversights at the manufacturer this frame is now corroding from the inside out.

Sever rusting of frame, break and suspension components and brackets. This 2008 Toyota Fj Cruiser is quickly becoming a safety hazard on the roads. I have a 92 sabb and a 93 vw that don't have have the rust issues this Toyota has. Toyota should have recalled the Fj Cruisers for faulty frames and undercarriage long ago.

Excessive amount of rust for mileage of car 156k as of writing frame is flaking/scaling even after application of por-15 to try and salvage the frame to make it last a while longer. Replacement of tank straps at 120k due to failure from rust. Car will become unsafe to drive in a short period this seems to be a very common issue with this frame/year area as Toyota already has replaced the tacoma frames that were rusting/rotting the same way.

Frame, suspension, and brakes have extreme damage from rust. Rear brakes are non-functional because of rust.

Bought my fj new in 2007. When I did I asked if they had rusty jones or undercoating and was told with the new alloys I didnt need it. 3 weeks ago I was having my mechanic check the brakes and he called me down to show me a break in the frame connecting to the body. Thankfully he found it because I was supposed to go to boston the next day. The truck only has 139,000 miles on it and the frame is completely rusted out so its not safe to drive. I brought it to the dealer I purchased it from and 2 reps came down from nh to look at who basically told me I had a good ride with it and they would do nothing. I then called Toyota cec and was told the same. I brought to a welder who specializes in this type of work and was told 5000+ in labor alone and thats without seeing under the gas tank so he said it wouldnt be worth it as he banged of the rust in other spots and there was no metal to weld to left. Brake and fuel lines are swelled from the rusty metal tubing. I consider myself lucky as I often take my grandkids in the fj. So now im left with my other fj that I bought new in 2008 which is ok underneath. The issue is with all the 2007 fj frames like their tundras and tacomas. I have opened a case with Toyota but there are so many there should be a recall as these are unsafe to drive. The body is ready to collapse on the frame. I was told privately that Toyota chooses to ignore the issue as they no longer make the fjs but still sell tacomas and tundras. ## VIN passed ## 2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser ##.

My vehicle is prematurely getting eaten by a rapid and uncontrollably growing rust issue. This is very unsafe as the gas tank almost fell off while driving due to the straps being corroded and the frame is getting weaker to the point I can feel the body flexing in situations it does not need to be flexing.

Frame completely rusted away from body of car. Engine and exterior body are in perfect condition due to the rusted out frame Toyota claims the car is unsafe to drive and they will not touch it. See attached . The frame looks like a pastry would as it flakes away in layers until there is nothing left.

When approaching an intersection to turn or stop, with brakes applied, and vehicle encounters a pot hole or broken pavement, brake pedal goes to the floor and vehicle loses brakes. This has happened to me on multiple occasions. Other drivers of the same model vehicle have encountered same issue across multiple year models.

See all problems of the 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser 🔎.

The vehicle was parked in my drive way. Squirrels chewed the wiring harness causing loss of abs braking, stability control and loss of windshield wipers (during a rain). I understand Toyota uses food based insulation in the 2010 Fj Cruiser. A nice source of squirrel food. From the bare wires and squirrel nesting, it is a wonder my engine compartment didn't catch fire. I believe the squirrel nest building was due to the close food source.

The seat belt retractor in my 2007 Fj Cruiser has failed to function. 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, bayridge Toyota is telling me that I will have to pay to have these parts replaced. I'm horrified that Toyota has not issued a recall for this issue to correct, Toyota should assume responsibility for fixing an important safety feature. Emergency brakes wouldn't go on.

It seems to me that my anti-lock breaks are engaging when they shouldn't be. When I try to stop, it jerks so hard that it seems as though I've been hit from behind. It will try to stop while I'm driving and starts jerking. This has happened multiple times when I'm driving on the highway. My son is 20 years old and has this vehicle now and I am letting you know, that I will hold Toyota and NHTSA personally responsible should anything happen to him. I have read so about so many issues regarding the 2007 Toyota fj breaking system that it's unbelievable that a recall hasn't been issued. You are playing with peoples lives.

I was driving my vehicle when the plastic foot rest I had my foot on broke off. I was adjusting my body in the seat and when it broke off it went under my brake pedal and I could not compress my brakes. I took it to the dealership and told them and even when it had 30k miles on it, they told me it wasn't covered under warranty and wasn't a concern. I could have been killed or worse, killed someone else by not being able to stop my vehicle.

See all problems of the 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser 🔎.

June 19, 2016 my wife stopped the vehicle at the top of our driveway, which has a slight decline to the front of our house. She left it running, put it in park, put the emergency brake on. She got out of the vehicle, walked back down to the house and back up, the vehicle took off down the driveway, running into the house. The vehicle bounced back from the house about 10-12 feet. It was still running, with the emergency brake still on, but the gear shift was now in reverse. My wife then turned the engine off, where the vehicle sat for about 5 days. The front end of the vehicle had to be replaced, and the wall into the house had to be rebuilt. $10,000 repair to the vehicle, $16,000 to the house. Toyota sent an engineer to review the damage and pull edr readings. He stated that the emergency brake was working properly, the gear shift was working properly, and that he could not duplicate the issue (even though the engine could not run at that time). He also stated that he could not pull any readings from the edr. Toyota was not easy to work with, and their communication with me left a lot to be desired.

See all problems of the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser 🔎.

Recently, my Fj Cruiser loses brakes and it has almost made me get into a couple accidents. The brake peddle will go all the way to the floor and I have had to use my e-brake to stop. Pumping the brake use to work but now the brakes wont come back for a while. This happens at any mph and the brake have even gone out when I'm stationary.

December 17, 2014 I was enroute to work between 9:00-9:30 am. And as I am driving along hughey road approaching robinson street a cross road the light turned yellow, so I applied my brakes while going over the rail road tracks and I loss my brakes ending up in the intersection and my front end in the pedestrian walk way nearly running over two pedestirans, they were so close they could touch my truck. It was a three lane road and I was in the middle the two other cars were able to stop but I wasn't and kept going with my foot planted firmly on the brake. I could feel the grinding of my brake pedal like it was a computer thinking. I called the Toyota custer care center and they gave me a case #1412182728.

See all problems of the 2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser 🔎.

I would like to note that this was the third incident in over a two year period. The first two incidents I dismissed as driver error but now I am certain that this was not the case. This is certainly a vehicle defect, and a dangerous one at that. Here is what happened: I was at a full stop at a red light. On green, I accelerated very slowly as I was taking a 90 degree left turn. At the exit of the turn there was a metal plate (maybe a mahole cover or other utility type cover) which was part of the road. I passed over this object, like all other traffic does, about the same time as I started applying my brakes to slow down (I think I braked immediately after. . . Not sure). I had a sudden feeling that the abs brake system was on and the truck was not slowing nearly as fast as required. The brakes clearly felt as they failed. Another light lay right in front of me. Had there been traffic, I would have rear ended the person and been at fault. On the previous occasion, I felt the same experience. At that time I reacted by lifting my foot off the brake, and it restored braking power. Again, fortunately, no one was in front so I did not collide. However, both times my stopping distance increased dramatically and unsafely. Weather conditions at both of these times was daytime, clear, dry, and temperatures say in the 30-40s. There was absolutely no ice, rain, sand, or snow. Brake issue comes on, it seems, with a sudden wheel hop or loss of traction, almost in tandem. This is a very serious issue and I am extremely concerned, as I feel my life is literally at stake. I love my Fj Cruiser and it is maintained by Toyota and taken care of extremely well. It is clearly a vehicle defect. I have read of similar instances on user forums but I have seen no action taken. I need some guidance or advice please. Thank you, christopher fray.

The chassis is so corroded and full of rust it has got to a point of loosing the strength and integrity of the whole body. This is very worrisome specially if the car is involved in an accident where the front part chassis cannot resist the impact. This has to be recalled by Toyota or at least fixed in some way like they did with the tacoma and tundras.

Vehicle was brought into shop with very hard to apply brakes. Vehicle had blown fuse for a. B. S. And repeatedly kept blowing fuse when installed. This design of brake system uses an electric motor and accumulator for power assist and without this working it has no power assist. There is no way anyone could stop this vehicle quickly in an emergency situation. I believe this is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed. I am an a. S. E. Master certified technician.

Tl- the contact owns a 2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the instrument panel lighting and gauges began to fluctuate erratically as the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the abs system would have to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. In addition, the instrument panel lighting would not illuminate and gauges would not provide a reading. The contact was able to restart the vehicle but the brakes would not respond. After shutting the engine off the vehicle could not be restarted. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the battery was melted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the battery, wiring harness, alternator and the fuse box would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. Kmj.

Loss of brakes, tried to stop. Both feet applied to brakes and nothing. This was a t stop with a 20' drop on the other side of the road . This was on a road driven constantly in our neighborhood. Turned the car to the right went over the curb through a yard hit a fire hydrant took it across the street jumped the other curb and stopped in brush. There were no skid marks in the grass or road where the breaks had been applied. Drivers side air bag ripped or shredded at bottom did not inflate fully, passengers did inflate correctly. No one was hurt seriously or taken by ems.

Brakes in certain situations become unresponsive. Happened twice when my wife was driving. Once when the streets were wet, she put on the brakes and went sliding all the way through the intersection. Abs did not work. The next time coming out of the parking garage, she went over some loose gravel and applied the brakes and the vehicle did not stop. She rear ended the vehicle ahead of her. Luckily there was no damage and the other driver was not a jerk. She said both times the brakes were unresponsive. . Read more...

While coming to a stop, if my 2008 Toyota Fj Cruiser hits a bump the abs brake system activates kicking back on the brake pedal. Then, the brakes grab as if they are going to lock up and skid. The only way to stop the brake system from continuing to do this is to release the pedal completely then, reapply the brakes. Obviously this isn't what you want to do in order to stop. There are numerous cases like this documented on this website. How much more documentation does Toyota need before they take this seriously?.

I have a copied a post I found regarding 2007 fj's, as I had the same problem with my '07 fj, and after 6 months of repairs and no solutions, I traded it in for a 2010 fj, and now I'm having the same exact problems, as described below: I have a 2007 Toyota fj. The steering seems terribly weak and unpredictable. I've had the wheels aligned three times, but the problem continues. Toyota says the there is no issue but that the steering on this style vehicle is just sensitive. While I really enjoy the vehicle, I'm always on full alert when driving knowing that at any given time, the steering may suddenly take the vehicle left or right with no predictability. I have never experienced a newer vehicle that requires so much attention to the steering. It may go left or right when the roadway surface changes, when encountering uneven roadway surfaces, when transitioning from wet to dry or ice to clear pavement, or for seemingly no reason at all. Often I find myself actually counter steering (inputting opposite tension on the wheel) to keep the vehicle from going leaving the lane I'm traveling in. It is very unpredictable while changing lanes. As I begin a slow move to an adjacent lane, the steering may suddenly just pull me over to which I then have to counter steer to keep from going too far. I took my 2010 fj to a Toyota dealer where I bought it here in abq, and they said they couldn't find anything wrong, of course. They said they would file a complaint with Toyota headquarters and sent me on my way. With my '07 fj I had the front brakes done, all new lug nuts, new tires, new shocks and struts, 7 alignments, and 3 rotation and balances (on the new tires), all within only six months using 5 different shops, and it still wasn't fixed. I am very unhappy and do not feel safe on the road in my 2010 fj. Please help.

While slowing for a red light, I slid on a small patch of ice. The brake pedal went to the floor and the abs system released my brakes. I lifted my foot off the brake pedal and the abs disengaged. I reapplied the brakes and stopped the vehicle.

Firmly applying brakes to slow for traffic, abs stopped vehicle very quickly, then acted as if abs was working but with minimal braking power. Incident happened on smooth, dry pavement. Vehicle moving in a straight line.

While approaching a stoplight with light braking, for approximately a half block, the abs started to pulsate the front brakes thus causing them to lose effectiveness. I tried to push harder but had no effect on the condition. I then let clear off the brake pedal in order for the brakes to "reset" if you will, then I was able stop prior to running through the red light. Had there been a vehicle or pedestrian in front of me the outcome would have not been a good one. I believe Toyota has a problem with this issue.

I own a 2007 Toyota fj, in various occasions when aplying medium hard pressure to the brakes, I have two different break reactions: 1. The tires will lock and screech for a short period of time, momentarily loosing control, I automaticaly let go of the brake pedal, push again to regain control and then the car just keeps rolling like no brakes were applied. Or, 2. If I have to press on the brakes and the road the car happens to be on is a bit rough, with gravel, ridges or potholes or maybe just a poorly patched asphalt, the car will suddenly just roll, like no brake has been applied, even though I am pressing on the brake pedal, like loosing most of or all braking power. Last event happened a couple of days ago where a car cut me off by a toll pay area, I pressed on the brakes hard just as the car was going over a rough section of the road and it kept rolling as with no brakes, and literally just by fractions of an inch did not hit the other car. I have gone to the dealer with the complain, they want me to pay for checking the problem, but I am going to have a tough time reproducing the problem, even though it is pretty consistent, its really not safe to try to reproduce. As I said previously the stated event was not the first one but certainly the most scary, and has happened at least 4 to 5 times in the years I've owned the car.