How Reliable is the Toyota FJ Cruiser?

Front 3/4 view of a Toyota FJ Cruiser

FJ Cruiser owners have made 96 complaints over 8 model years. It ranks 28th in reliability out of 33 eligible Toyota models.

Our reliability rank is based on our PainRank™ system. A higher number means you can expect more significant problems. The average Toyota score is 9.75 while the FJ Cruiser comes in at 18.89.

The 2 Most Common FJ Cruiser Problems

We've pulled together a list of the problems FJ Cruiser owners.

  1. Musty and Moldy A/C

    Toyota air conditioners smell like mold in numerous vehicles. So what's causing the musty smell and just how dangerous is it?…

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  2. Rodents Chew Wires

    Somewhere in the mid-2000's there was an industry-wide push by automakers to replace plastic and glass-based wiring insulation with a more eco-friendly soy-based coating. It's biodegradable, commendable, and a complete disaster for owners. …

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What FJ Cruiser Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks

Years to Avoid

Full Lists on CarComplaints.com

FJ Cruiser Generations

Generations are groups of model years where few, if any, changes were made to the vehicle which means their model years tend to break in similar ways. The FJ Cruiser has 1 generation available in North American markets.

  1. 1st Generation FJ Cruiser

    Years
    2007–2014
    Reliability
    40th of 81
    PainRank™
    4.05
    Complaints
    96
    Continue Front 3/4 view of a FJ Cruiser

FJ Cruiser Key Numbers

  1. 96 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  2. 195 service bulletins

    Documenting the process of troubleshooting common problems.

  3. 19 recall campaigns

    Time-sensitive, free repairs for widespread safety problems.

Recent FJ Cruiser News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Toyota has blamed a musty A/C smell on microbes [i.e., mold] growing o the evaporator surface and now a lawsuit wants them to do something about it.

    The plaintiffs claim the vehicles have defective heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that cause smells and health problems from mold that collects on the evaporators. Numerous complaints have allegedly been filed with the government, Toyota and Lexus dealerships nationwide since at least 1999.

    This isn't the first time Toyota has been sued for musty A/C units.

    keep reading

  5. When Toyota switched away from using plastic or glass-based inulation in favor of soy, it invited in some very unwelcome Toyota loyalisits.

    According to the plaintiff, she learned the hard way about the soy wiring when her Avalon wouldn't start and a look under the hood showed wires chewed, so she had the car towed to a dealer. Toyota told her rodents had caused the damage and it would be no problem to repair the problems as long as she could cough up $6,000 to cover the bill.

    The soy-based wiring is allegedly attracting in rodents, who love to chew it up and use it for nesting material. The lawsuit, Heidi Browder vs. Toyota Motor Corporation, et al. follows a similar lawsuit filed against Honda earlier this year.

    keep reading

  6. How hot do you like your seat heater in the winter?

    If you like it really toasty — as in, with an actual flame — you’ll probably love one of 7,700 Toyota vehicles with seat heaters that catch on fire. The vehicles have been recalled because fire and cars don’t get along, what with their tanks of highly flammable liquids and all. All the affected vehicles are equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters that contain copper strand heating elements. The recall is being handled by Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) which is the world’s largest distributor of Toyota and Scion vehicles.

    The recall is expected to begin on July 14, 2016 and the seat heaters will need to be disconnected. Owners will be reimbursed.

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  7. If your car or truck has an optional accessory like running boards, chances are Southeast Toyota distributors put them on ... and I use that term loosely.

    The distributor recently admitted that many accessories probably weren't attached with the proper torque and can fall off. Whoops! Since dropping a running board at 70mph on the highway is a serious safety concern, Toyota is recalling 3,942 vehicles to address the problem. That includes some:…

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  8. In the past month, Toyota has recalled cars that leak gas and catch on fire, faced growing criticism about unintended acceleration at low speeds and been named in a lawsuit complaining about rusted frames in older trucks.

    So, finding out your Toyota has been recalled for an incorrect tire pressure label isn't that big of a deal. It's really more along the lines of a pain in the you-know-what that needs attention to pass federal safety standards. Here's what you need to know:…

    keep reading

See All FJ Cruiser News

Other Toyota Models