2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser Steering Problems

TL* 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.

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.

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. I'VE 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. *TR

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. *TR

STEERING COLUMN SHAKES BETWEEN SPEEDS 55-65 MPH, HAVE HAD THE WHEELS AND TIRES REBALANCED WITH A ROAD FORCE MACHINE WITHOUT ANY RESOLVE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIOLENTLY BETWEEN 55 AND 70 MPH. SEVERAL OTHER FJ OWNERS SEEM TO HAVE THIS ISSUE. DEALER CAN NOT FIX EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE TIRED MULTIPLE WHEEL BALANCES AND TIRE ROTATIONS. NOT SAFE TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY LIKE THIS. *TR

VEHICLE EXHIBITED EXCESSIVE STEERING WHEEL SHAKE INDICATIVE OF WHEELS BEING OFF BALANCE. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO RE-BALANCE 6 TIMES AT 4 DIFFERENT SHOPS THE SYMPTOM PERSISTS INTERMITTENTLY. OTHER FJ OWNERS OF 2010 MODEL YEAR AND NEWER FJ CRUISERS HAVE COMPLAINED THAT THEIR VEHICLES HAVE EXHIBITED THE SAME BEHAVIOR. THE PROBLEM (BASED ON FEED BACK FROM OTHER OWNERS ON INTERNET FORUMS) IS SPREAD ACROSS DIFFERENT MODELS, WHEEL AND TIRE COMBINATIONS. MANY OF THEM HAVE TAKEN THEIR VEHICLES BACK TO TOYOTA WHO CLAIMS THE SHAKING IS NORMAL. HOWEVER THE VEHICLE SEEMS UNSTABLE AT SPEED RANGING FROM 45 TO 60MPH, MOST EVIDENT AT ABOUT 50MPH. *TR

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. *TR