Steering Problems of Toyota FJ Cruiser - part 1

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Fj Cruiser. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased steering wheel rotation before the vehicle started to maneuver in either direction. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 197,000.

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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.

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

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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.

My vehicles frame/ suspension has deteriorated to the point the Toyota dealer wont pass it for safety inspection. The frame and suspension have disintegrated. This truck has been garage kept since new and is in otherwise perfect condition.

Severe suspension bracket rust on multiple rear and front components. I luckily was able to avoid an accident when braking but my entire car swayed when the rear lateral support bar bracket broke right off the mount that is welded to the rear due to rust. I then inspected and found multiple rust areas on frame and other suspension brackets. Making this vehicle unsafe to drive. I am aware of Toyota's ongoing dilemma with using this horrible untreated steel and hope the NHTSA addresses this issue. This is not normal corrosion this is an absolute neglect in safety by not having this steel treated on such critical components of a vehicles frame. Had this incident happen on the highway at speeds of 55 mph or greater. Serious injury and/or death can occur. If I am not the only consumer having this issue on Toyota fj crusier vehicles. I hope the NHTSA enforces a recal on these frames and/or critical suspension components. My vehicle is 16 years old, I purchased it from a dealer whom recieved it from the original owner with 57,000 miles on it. Now currently after 4 years of owning this Fj Cruiser I only have 71,000 miles on it. Had this bracket caught onto my brake lines which is located directly below this rear bracket I would have lost all ability to stop my vehicle.

Gas tank straps broke frame deteriated on fj crusier with only 72000 miles on it would have never known how unsafe frame is if straps gas tank hanging.

Frame and suspension components are very rusty to the point of a safety concern. I replaced the rear bumper with an aftermarket one to discover the rear bumper support was so rusted it wouldn't be of any help in the event of being rear ended by another car. Also, the rear bumper comes stock with 2 sensors so when backing up will let you know when you get close to something. Both sensors were non-transferable to the new bumper because they were so rusted on the inside when you tried to remove them they crumbled into bits, a combination of metal and plastic. The rust worked its way up the wires as well. Numerous brackets underneath the truck which hold what appears to be electrical components the vehicle would need to operate. If one of these components broke and needed to be replaced I would need to buy new brackets along with the new component - new screws would also be required along side a holy prayer that the old screws don't snap off while attempting to remove them. By the time I was done paying off my vehicle and having more free income to put towards other priorities I was consistently delayed with repaires the vehicle needed to keep functioning. I had to pay for new transmission lines because the ones on there were so rusted, in a lump sum I was not prepared for. Power steering lines were replaced once and the power steering still has an issue holding fluid. I am going to chose today's date as the date this occurred because now I am at my wit's end with the rust. I took my truck to have the a/c recharged to be told its going to be about $2000 to replace all the lines and the condenser that is rusted plus labor. While on the lift the mechanic told me to come take a look underneath my truck and he showed me how extensive the rust has become and that I might need to have some work done about the rust first before he can fix the a/c.

Had vehicle in shop, new tires and balance. All four tires had to be rebalance. Had brakes done,( rotors and pads and all four tires rebalance). One month later steering started acting up. Stiffing up. Now dealership saids no recall. Different sites saying steering shift needs a welt. Dealership wants to charge to fix it. (600. 00).

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2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser. There is widespread and significant rusting on the frame and drivetrain components. Well-maintained, and not located in a salty environment, nor an environment where the roads are ever salted. This vehicle is utilizes the same frame as another Toyota vehicle (4runner), and that vehicle was involved with the frame-rusting recall during the same time period this vehicle was manufactured.

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.

See all problems of the 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser 🔎.

Whenever the vehicle is in 4 wheel drive it is unsafe on slippery weather conditions. Difficult to control 3 times I've used this car on icy conditions going no more than 35 or 40 miles an hour and I have slipped the most recent time was easter and the car literally rolled out of control.

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Fj Cruiser. While driving between 50-60 mph, there was an abnormal vibration in the steering wheel. The contact stated that the vibration made the vehicle uncontrollable. The vehicle was taken to miller Toyota (located at 8566 sudley rd, manassas, va 20110, (703) 369-3040) where it was diagnosed that there was a bent wheel; however, replacing it would not remedy the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.

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The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Fj Cruiser. While driving unknown speeds and making turns, the steering hesitated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (carbone Toyota of bennington, located at 751 n bennington rd bennington, vt 05201) where it was diagnosed that the steering shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 144,900.

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At 55,000 miles (6 years old) my front gravel shield had completely rusted off and was found in my driveway. I took my car to my Toyota service center and they notified me that both control arms and both front struts were very badly rusted and needed to be replaced. I called Toyota corporate and after much debate, I was told there was no recall for this matter and therefore they would only reimburse me 50% of all costs to replace said parts. I found Toyota has recalls for rust issues on other models and would like this matter looked into. Due to the limited production of this vehicle type it is possible it is being overlooked. I am terrified at the thought that I could've been driving and my control arms could've rusted off like my gravel shield did. A six year old vehicle with only 55,000 should not have this type of rust or parts falling off.

Vehicle shakes violently at speeds between 50-60 mph. Have had tires balanced, aligned and even had Toyota dealership do a high-speed balance. Has been happening for at least 3 years. Truck is difficult to control at times due to the shaking.

I was driving on a divided highway with dirt shoulders at the posted speed (65 mph) and as an 18 wheeler past me at a high rate of speed, it forced me off of the right hand shoulder. The drop of the asphalt to the shoulder caused the steering to shake violently and I found myself into the shoulder and forced into a 180 degree spin. The steering on the fj has been horrible since 95,000 to 100,000 miles and started at around 75,000. I have spoke to many fj and tacoma owners with the same problem and read in multiple forums and blogs regarding this issue. There are home brewed remedies for it but I believe it is an issue that Toyota should address.

When the car is driven over 55mile per hour the stiring wheel start to shake and to vibrate violently making the car very unstable and unsafe to drive. Took back to the Toyota dealer but they were unsuccesful of fixing it. After multiple attempts by the car deeler ,as of today the the stiring wheel fluttering and vibration hasn't been fixed.

I purchased a new Fj Cruiser & put 5,039 on it & then installed aftermarket wheels & tires. After 2 weeks the vehicle developed a shimmy in the steering at 48 to 65 m. P. H. . I had the tires balanced 4 times & the tire shop also replaced the wheels with no success at eliminating the shimmy. I reinstalled the factory wheels & tires but the shimmy is still present but not as pronounced. I searched the internet for information & found that Toyota has had this problem with their Fj Cruiser models for years. They have chosen not to fix the problem. How many of theses Fj Cruisers are on our highways?.

In the 60-70 mph range the steering wheel shimmied back and forth as much as 1-2 inches. The vehicle feels unstable in this range.

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My issue started around June, I get the wheel shake/ shimmy at speeds of 55-65. Toyota sees the shake is there and then balances the tires and says its fixed . Toyota inspected the truck saying nothing is broken bent or anything saying they don't think anything is wrong. You can still see the shake is there and they keep blaming that the road is causing the shake. Saying its a crowing. In the road. Ive went to a Toyota dealer to get it inspected they say nothing is wrong and then 2 more times I went there and then they admit it and try fixing it. I am very upset with Toyota and corporate . I feel scared to drive it above 50 because there is a bad shake. And feels unsafe its causing the car to be all over the road.

Vehicle has a shimmy or shaking as felt in the steering wheel at speeds of 45 mph or higher. This seems much more pronounced when driving on a curve than on a straight highway. Have had the front tires balanced by the Toyota dealer 3 times so far, and the balancing is spot on (I watched them balance them), but shaking in the steering wheel still continues. The tires did not take excessive weights either. I have stock trd wheels with bf goodrich 265-75/16 tires - which came with the 2013 team trails edition. I don't believe this is a tire balancing problem, but something loose in the steering or suspension.

While driving my certified pre-owned fj at 65mph, I experience significant steering wheel shimmy where the steering wheel oscillated left and right at least15 degrees in each direction. As soon as vehicle speed dropped to 64mph, the oscillation stopped. This is repeatable. The vehicle has stock wheels and tires.

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).

When you get above 55 the steering wheel begins to shake and also when braking.

Since new my vehicle has had a shaking steering wheel when reaching speeds over 55mph. After trying several different sets of tires, wheels and balancing my dealer has not been able to correct the issue. Toyota will not help and the steering is shaking so bad it feels unsafe to drive on the highway.

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.

This vehicle can not maintain safe highway speeds of 55 mph due to severe wheel shimmy. I have ask day Toyota, and spitzer Toyota and I get the same results, nothing can be done. I have been told it is the tires. I have replace both wheel and tires and have the same result. I have done research on Toyota forums and the 2010 and new Toyota Fj Cruisers are having a problem, and Toyota will not do anything on this safety issue. My concern I losing control at highway speeds.

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.

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).

Vehicle exhibits steering shimmy between 55-65 mph, vehicle can not maintain stable performance at highway speeds. Toyota have replace both wheel and tires and have the same result. Fj cruisers are having a problem, and Toyota will not do anything on this saftey issue.

I have a dangerous steering issue. I tried to get my Toyota dealer to fix it, or adjust it but they said nothing was wrong. I feel they didn't want to even try. This issue has almost led to head-on collisions many times. I have replaced the tires, no help there. I had it aligned, (at dealer I purchased it from) with no improvements at all. What it does is, to stay in the center of the road I can not turn my head away from constantly adding steering input. This is an issue a big one, my car drifts left or right but rarely goes straight when steered straight, I must constantly make adjustments to its direction. Before I replace the tires again, (the car has only 53,000 miles on it) and align it again I feel this problem must be fixed or properly adjusted to work without constant steering input to stay in my lane. I replaced tires with better than it came with, costing around $750 these are now showing bad wear after less than 20,000 miles and purchase information said I should not need to replace them for 60,000 miles. Additional information is the last 300 feet to my house is a dirt road, but it's not that bumpy and shouldn't be the reason that I can't steer it straight on asphalt.

Vehicle exhibits steering shimmy between 40-60 mph. Dealer has replaced 4 sets of lt tires and 1 set or rims. After each new set of tires and a fresh road force balance the tires and a few hundred miles of driven the shimmy would come back. The vehicle's door place card for the tires says 33psi and 35psi in two different stickers. The tires would self destruct within a few thousand miles and the dealer was unable to balance them again. This is a result of underin-flation for "e" rated tires. Toyota has since changed the psi to 46 vs 35 via a recall. In many cases the ecu needs to be replaced in order for this recall to be performed. Toyota motor sales is refusing to perform this recall going back to 2008 on vehicles not running the oe tire. Even if it is "e" rated. This created a serious safety hazard. Running under-inflated tires will heat up and risk a blow out. Running the NHTSA psi of 46 will cause the current toms to fail and defeats the whole mandated tpms system.

Seat belt does not retract properly, it hangs up after a few inches. The frequency of this problem is 90% of the retracts. I told the dealer 4 times, they stated they couldn't find the problem. I scoff. Steering my car requires constant input to go straight, especially on the freeways. Before I know it I'm in the next lane. There is no neutral area in the center while going straight. I had an alignment and replaced all the tires, it still has this hazard. Brakes they pulse when slowing only at high speed. (65 mph) I do not ride the brakes, or run the car hard. This happened after normal driving. Seems like warped disks, but I do not stop fast, or drive like I'm racing. Note: headlights had to be readjusted because they did not point up the road enough, making huge blind spot at over 40 mph. I had dealer re-adjust, they pointed the down so far they made it worse. I adjusted them again, myself. The factory off road package it came with, I'm sure was the problem. They should have been adjusted by factory before sale. Speed control when going uphill and set at 60mph and driving at safe distance from car in front, it speeds up, getting danger close, and must be disabled before hitting car in front. Will you pay for these fixes?.

My truck speed was 60-65 mph and my steering wheel began wobbling. I took it to dealer and they said nothing was wrong. Last week I serviced my truck and rotated and balanced the tires. Still same steering wheel wobbling. In high speed my steering wheel feels very loose. I don't know if there is a power steering problem or just simple tire balance. Other problem is my brakes. When I was driving down the road, I lightly pressed the brake to stop and driver side wheel hit a pot hole deep around 2 inches, then my truck didn't stop where I waned it to stop. It happens only at certain times. If I hit a pot hole or bump pressing brake.