2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser Powertrain & Transmission Problems

recently purchased used from dealership. Excessive rust on lower frame and other components (transmission and power steering lines) as well as suspension. This is not a flood vehicle. Initially took it to Toyota for repairs of the lines and trans. The quote was too high, so I took it to local shops for repair. The local shops were surprised by the amount of rust. Trans was fixed but the shops refused to fix other components that attached to the frame because they fear they will cause more damage. Visited several FJ Cruiser forums and frame rust issues are incredibly common with the FJ, to the point where there are class action lawsuits. Toyota needs to step up and fix this issue for FJ owners!

REAR DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER IS BAD. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO TOYOTA; BAD GEARS IN 2007 MODELS. THEY CORRECTED IT IN 2010 WITH UPGRADED GEARS. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY TOYOTA SINCE THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.MY FJ HAS ONLY 80,000 MILES AND NO REAR END SHOULD GO OUT AT THIS LOW MILEAGE.THE REPAIRS FOR THIS AT TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER IS $4,000.00. *TR

WHEN I CRUISE ON A HIGHWAY AROUND 70MPH, MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER. I WAS VERY SCARED BUT TRIED TO MOVE THE CAR TO CURB, THEN THE CAR DIED. ONE MINUTE LATER I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR BUT FAILED. I CALLED THE ROAD ASSISTANCE SERVICE. WHEN THEY CAME AND POURED IN ONE GALLON GAS IN THE CAR, THEN THE CAR WAS STARTED. THE PROBLEM IS THAT BEFORE THE CAR DIED, THE FUEL INDICATOR POINTER POINTED AT THE A QUARTER POSITION. THE FUEL EMPTY WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ON.

TAKATA RECALL- REAR DIFFERENTIAL WENT BAD, NO HARD DRIVING, AND CHANGING FLUID FREQUENTLY.

WENT TO GAS STATION TODAY TO FILL UP MY FJ WITH GAS AND THE FUEL TANK STRAPS BROKE IN 2 PLACES. THE BOLTED AND PINNED CONNECTIONS ARE STILL THERE BUT THE ACTUAL STRAPS HAVE DETERIORATED AND SNAPPED RIGHT IN HALF. THE FUEL TANK IS NOW HANGING DOWN COMPLETELY IN THE REAR. FIRST THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT WHICH THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR AT ALL, NOW THE FRONT SEAT BELT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL AND NOW THE FUEL TANK IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF ON THE ROAD. WHAT A HAZARD.

VEHICLE WILL NOT CHANGED GEAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE

WHEN STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS NOT DOWN SHIFTED TO FIRST GEAR. SO WHILE STOPPED, THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY LUNG FORWARD AS IF HIT FROM BEHIND. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THERE IS A VERY REAL POTENTIAL FOR THE CAR TO HIT A PERSON WHEN IT LUNGES FORWARD. SINCE REALIZING THIS PROBLEM, I INTENTIONALLY HOLD DOWN THE BRAKE HARDER THAN I SHOULD HAVE TOO. THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION BUT I THOUGH THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE IS VERY DANGEROUS. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROX 70,000 MILES AND ALTHOUGH THIS PROBLEM WAS HAPPENING FROM TIME TO TIME, IT IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT TO WHERE I HAVE TO ASSUME IT EVERY TIME I COME TO A STOP.

READ DIFFERENTIAL HAS FAILED. YEARS AFFECTED ARE 2007-2009. IN 2010 TOYOTA ISSUED AN UPDATED STRONGER VERSION OF THE DIFFERENTIAL. WHEN DIFFERENTIAL FAILS IT CAN LOCK UP BOTH WHEELS AT HIGH SPEEDS THUS LOSING CONTROL. THERE ARE OVER 2000 COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND OVER 10000 COMPLAINTS WITH TOYOTA ALONE. IT IS NOT ONLY COSTLY IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. MINE BROKE AT 40 MPH AND I ENDED UP IN A DITCH. WHAT IF I HAD BEEN DOING 60 OR 70

AT MILD ACCELERATION AND ONLY WHEN BETWEEN 1,000-2,000 RPM THE VEHICLE STARTS TO SHAKE / RUMBLE FROM THE REAR SIMILAR TO DRIVING OVER RUMBLE STRIPS. THE RUMBLING STOPS AS SOON AS THE ACCELERATOR IS LET GO OF OR AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE'S RPM FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE 1,000-2,000 RANGE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS COMING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY. TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO PROVIDE A FIX EVEN THOUGH THIS IS CLEARLY AN ISSUE OF DEFECT IN DESIGN OR BUILD. OUR GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROTECT THE TAXPAYER ON THIS ONE AND FORCE TOYOTA TO ENACT A RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, AN UNKNOWN GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

I TOOK MY FJ TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID DRAINED AND REFILLED. THEY DECIDED TO DO A COMPLETE REVIEW ALTHOUGH I SEE NO TOOL MAKES THEY TOLD ME I NEED TO REPLACE MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL, AND TOLD ME AS IF THEY JUST KNEW IT WAS AN ISSUE. THE COST WAS $2360. I WENT HOME AND DID SOME VERY BRIEF RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR 2009 AND LATER FJ CRUISERS. IN 2010 THEY CHANGED THE REAR AXLE. A HUGE NUMBER OF OWNERS ON THE FJ CRUISE FORUMS HAVE POINTED OUT THE ISSUE. THE COST AT THE DEALER WOULD BE TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SAME PARTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATES AND WOULD FAIL AGAIN. TOYOTA CLEARLY KNOWS THE ISSUE AND MORE THAN LIKELY KNEW WHEN PRODUCING THE ORIGINAL FJS. MY FJ HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD AND ONLY USED FOR NORMAL COMMUTING. I DON'T SPEED OR DRIVE POORLY, AND MY DRIVING RECORD IS COMPLETELY CLEAN. I FOUND A GOOD EXPLANATION ON AN AXLE WEB SITE. THE 2009 & OLDER FJ CRUISERS, 4RUNNERS, AND PRADO 120 UTILIZE THE 8' WHICH DATES BACK TO 1979, AND WAS ORIGINALLY USED IN 3000 LB MINI TRUCKS WITH 80 HORSEPOWER AND 27' TIRES. LATE MODEL MODIFIED TOYOTAS SUCH AS FJ CRUISER RUN AT DOUBLE THE WEIGHT, TRIPLE THE HORSEPOWER, AND MUCH LARGER TIRES TO TOP IT OFF. FOR THIS REASON THERE HAVE BEEN LOTS OF FAILURES, ENOUGH SO THAT TOYOTA UPGRADED THE REAR TO THE 8.2' ON THE 2010 & NEWER MODELS. IT MAY SEEM LIKE A SMALL UPGRADE BUT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS BEEFIER CASTING, LARGER BEARINGS, LARGER PINION DIAMETER, LARGER RING GEAR DIAMETER, MORE TOOTH CONTACT, AND A BEEFIER 12 BOLT DIFF CASE. THIS MAKES FOR AN EASY SWAP FOR YOUR VEHICLE AND WILL UTILIZE YOUR EXISTING AXLE SHAFTS, BRAKES, ABS SYSTEM ETC. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AS THIS COULD FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

REAR DIFF HAS GONE OUT AND IS MAKING A LOUD NOISE AT HIGH SPEEDS. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY KILL EVERYONE IN MY FJ IF ON THE INTERSTATE AND IS A PROBLEM TOYOTA IS AWARE OF. THIS SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.

AFTER 76,000 MILES THE REAR AXLE STARTED MAKING A WHINING NOISE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE REAR AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $3700. IF THIS REAR AXLE WOULD HAVE BROKEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. TOYOTA KNEW THAT THE REAR RING AND PINION GEAR WERE DEFECTIVE DUE TO OVER TREATING AT THE FACTORY, BUT FAILED TO NOTIFY ANY OWNERS OF FJ CRUISERS AND TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE HAD NEVER DONE ANY OFF ROADING OF ANY SORT. TOYOTA HAS CAUSED A SITUATION FOR ANYONE THAT OWNS ONE OF THESE VEHICLES TO PUT THEMSELVES AND THEIR PASSENGERS AT GRAVE RISK OF CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF THE REAR AXLE GEARS SHOULD FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND OR IN THE PROCESS OF OFF ROADING, WHICH TOYOTA CLAIMS THIS VEHICLE IS DESIGNED TO DO.

REPLACED REAR DIFFERENTIAL $2,500, WAS ADVISED WHEN PICKING UP THE CAR THE FRAME HAS ROTTED OUT. MECHANIC ADVISES LIFE OF VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS. WE WOULD HAVE NEVER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE HAD WE KNOWN. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THIS IS A KNOWN TOYOTA PROBLEM.

MY 2007 FJ CRUISER HAS ABOUT 125,000 MILES ON IT. LAST WEEK I NOTICED THAT WHEN I DRIVE 45-50 MPH THE TRUCK MAKES A NOISE AND SHAKING IN THE REAR END AND BOUNCES SLIGHTLY. THE TRUCK IS AUTOMATIC BUT WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT FEELS AS IF I'M DRIVING AN AUTOMATIC VEHICLE AND AM IN THE WRONG GEAR. (LOOSE FEELING POWER TRAIN) THEY CHECKED THE UNIVERSALS AND THEY WERE FINE AND CHANGED THE FLUID IN THE REAR PUMPKIN BUT STILL NO FIX. NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME TRY REPLACING THE FLUIDS AND FILTERS IN THE TRANSMISSION. (ANOTHER $180.00 REPAIR BILL) THIS SOUND ONLY HAPPENS WHEN I'M COASTING WITH ACCELERATOR AT 45-50 MPH AND NOT GOING UP ANY HILLS OR HEAVY ACCELERATION. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO DO THE TRANSMISSION SERVICE AND I HOPE IT FIXES THE PROBLEM.

REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE. GEAR WHINE/ GRIND NOISE GETTING LOUDER ON REAR DIFFERENTIAL. GEAR BACKLASH INCREASE. APPARENTLY TOYOTA IS AWARE OF SUBSTANDARD RING AND PINION GEARS IN EARLY FJ CRUISERS AND CHANGED THE DESIGN IN LATER MODELS. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN SUBJECTED TO OFF ROAD CONDITIONS. FEAR GEAR IS GOING TO BREAK AND LEAVE ME STRANDED SOMEWHERE, SO NEED TO REPLACE ASSEMBLY. TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THESE EARLY DIFFERENTIALS AS THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON ALL THE FJ FORUM SITES.

2007 FJ CRUISER, AT 34066 MILES ON OCTOBER 22 2009 VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ALVIN,TX FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE COMPLAINT OF THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION MAKING A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAK. AT THAT TIME THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY, BUT AT THAT TIME THERE WASN'T A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED A BROKEN TRANSMISSION WITH ONE THAT WAS PRONE TO FAIL AGAIN. AS OF TODAY APRIL06 2015 THE VEHICLE IS SQUEAKING ONCE AGAIN FROM TRANSMISSION. TOYOTA KNOWS OF THE CONDITION. TSB 036510 IS A FIX FOR THE ISSUE BUT IS ONLY COVERED UNDER 60K MI. *TR

NOISE FROM REAR OF VEHICLE PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED OVER 3-4 WEEKS. EXTREME WHINE/HUM WITH WHEEL ROTATION WITH CORRESPONDING DECREASED GAS MILEAGE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE REAR BEARINGS WERE "SHOT" AND THE REAR DIFFERENTIALS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE COMPLETED ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE THE ENTIRE ALMOST 9 YEARS THAT I'VE OWNED THE VEHICLE AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES. ESTIMATED COST FOR DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR IS ~$2000. CAR HAS 115,000 MILES. WOULDN'T EXPECT AN EXPENSE OF THIS MAGNITUDE WHEN ALL MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY DEALERSHIP. *TR

VEHICLE HAS LOUD HUMMING OR WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. NOISE STARTS AROUND 25 MPH AND CONTINUES TO GET LOUDER THE FASTER THE VEHICLE GOES. PROBLEM DIDN'T BEGIN UNTIL AROUND 120500. NOTIFIED DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE OTHER THAN REPLACE THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND BEARINGS. *TR

THIS IS A COMPLAINT UPON TOYOTA AND AS THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF MANUFACTURED DEFECT IN THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL GEARS AND BEARINGS OF MOST IF NOT ALL 2007 FJ CRUISERS. ALL THAT ARE MADE IN 2006 FOR SALE IN 2007 HAVE OR WILL HAVE A DIFFERENTIAL GO OUT AS IT IS A "2000 DOLLAR TIME BOMB WAITING TO HAPPEN AS THE TOYOTA SERVICE MANAGER STATED" I ASKED THE MANAGER IF ANY ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ANY OF THESE REPAIRS AS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL 07'S AND HE SAID TOYOTA JUST ASSISTED ONE THEY DID A FEW MONTHS BACK AND IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. WITH THIS INFORMATION IT SEEMED IT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY SINCE TOYOTA IS VERY AWARE OF THE MANUFACTURED DEFECT OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. SO I LEFT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND MADE MY CALL RIGHT AWAY AS TO JUST BE FRUSTRATED AS THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT ASSIST IN ANYWAY OTHER THAN FILE A CLAIM. STILL THE CASE EVEN AFTER MENTIONING THAT TOYOTA ASSISTED IN PAYING FOR SOME OF THE COST OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART REPLACEMENT OF ANOTHER SAME YEAR NOT THAT LONG AGO AND STILL GOT A BIG NO WAY CAN WE HELP IN ANYWAY WITH COSTS AS IT IS NOT A SAFETY HAZARD, BUT TO ME IT COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD AS I HAVE HEARD THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL CAN GO OUT AND NO POWERTRAIN AT ALL AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT AND COULD IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION TURNING, UP A HILL, PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE, PULLING A TRAILER, ETC. MY DIFFERENTIAL COVER IS ALSO STARTING TO GET HOT AND SMELL FROM I IMAGINE FRICTION. ANYHOW SO MANY INCIDENTS OF THE SAME CASE WITH THE SAME YEAR AND SAME PROBLEM, ITS HARD TO SAY HOW MANY REALLY COMPLAINTS AND CLAIMS THEY HAVE GOTTEN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD MORE THAN A THOUSAND CASES. PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUS AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO OWN UP TO IT FOR ALLOWING A TIME BOMB WAITING TO HAPPEN AND SOME OF THOSE CUSTOMERS HAD IT HAPPEN AS SOON AS 65,000 MILES JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. MANY OTHERS EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM EVEN AT EARLIER MILEAGE JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR