2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

ANOTHER FENDER BULGE ISSUE. THE BULGE STARTED AT 30K MILES. I'M AT 90K MILES NOW AND THE PASSENGER SIDE BULGE HAS NOW BECOME A TEAR. THE DRIVERS SIDE HAS ALSO BECOME A TEAR. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE IS VERY COMMON ON THE FJ CRUISERS BUILT IN 2007. THIS ISSUE WAS ATTENDED TO ON THE NEWER MODELS. THE CRUMPLE ZONES IS WHERE THESE TEARS APPEAR AND I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND MY PASSENGERS. MY VEHICLE IS NOT THE FIRST THIS HAS HAPPENED TO AND IT WILL NOT BE THE LAST UNTIL TOYOTA RECOGNIZES THIS AS AN EPIC FAILURE ON THEIR PART. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW A VEHICLE THAT HAS 90K MILES STILL HAS THE STOCK BATTERY AND BRAKE PADS BUT HAS TWO MAJOR TEARS IN THE BODY! *TR

THE INNER FENDER WELL APRON CRUSH ZONES ARE BUCKLING, CRACKING AND RIPPING UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS - IT APPEARS THE FRAME HAS TOO MUCH FLEX AND IS CAUSING THE WEAK SPOT IN THE INNER FENDER WELL TO BREAK. CONCERNED THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED AREA OF THE BODY THAT THIS ISSUE MIGHT IMPACT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE IN AN ACCIDENT, OR EVEN UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, AND A TOYOTA FIELD ENGINEER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING TAKING NUMEROUS PICTURES. NO REPAIRS WERE OFFERED AT THAT TIME, AS THEY WERE UNSURE OF THE CAUSE OR REMEDY. *TR

INFORMED VIA THE INTERNET ABOUT POSSIBLE PROBLEM, WITH AT THIS TIME UNKNOWN CAUSE, DECEMBER 2006. INNER FRONT FENDER RIPPING AND BULGING OF FENDER SUPPORT PANELS LEADING EVENTUALLY TO JAMMING OF FRONT DOORS WHILE IN THE CLOSED POSITION WHEN FRONT FENDERS DROP DOWN TO A LOWER POSITION ON FRAME BLOCKING SAME. THIS APPEARS TO BE OCCURRING TO APPROXIMATELY 20% OF THE OLDER VEHICLES WITH BUILD DATES OF 06', 07' & 08' WITH MILEAGE FROM 10,000 TO 75,000. INFORMATION GATHERED FROM FJ CRUISER FORUM VIA THE INTERNET AND WEB RESEARCH. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND AM AWAITING A RESPONSE. DAMAGE WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL 60600 MILES WHEN VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED AFTER DETAILING, MILEAGE OF DAMAGE OCCURRENCE IS UNKNOWN. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE AND TOOK PICTURES AT THEIR LOCATION. *TR

LEFT SECTION OF THE HOOD OF A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER FLEW OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, CAUSING CARS TO SWERVE. NO WRECKS. I TOOK THE CAR TO A BODY SHOP AND THEY SAID THOSE PANEL FLY OFF ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT AFFIXED IN PLACE. NO SCREWS, GLUE, OR NAILS. NOTHING. VERY DANGEROUS. COULD HAVE KILLED FAMILIES TRAVELING ALONG THE HIGHWAY FOR SUMMER VACATIONS. *TR

I HAVE DISCOVERED BULGING AND CRACKING ISSUES IN THE ENGINE BAY INNER FENDER APRONS AT THE LOCATION OF THE CRUMPLE SAFETY ZONES. TOYOTA DEALER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT WILL NOT ESCALATE MY COMPLAINT OR ALLOW ME TO SPEAK WITH A SUPERVISOR. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT THERE IS A HIGH AMOUNT OF OWNERS EXPERIENCING SOME BULGING AND CRACKING ISSUES WITH 2007 AND SOME EARLY 2008 MODELS. THE BULGES AND CRACKS IN THE INNER FENDERS SEEM TO BE ATTRIBUTED TO A TOYOTA DESIGN FLAW THROUGH CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS. SOME SPECULATION WAS MADE THAT AFTERMARKET STEEL BUMPERS HAD PUT EXTRA WEIGHT AND STRESS ON THE FENDERS, CAUSING THEM TO CRACK, BUT HUNDREDS OF FJ'S EQUIPPED WITH AFTERMARKET BUMPERS SUFFERED NO DAMAGE. IT IS RUMORED THAT TOYOTA ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM IN MOST 2008 MODELS BY BOXING THE INNER FENDER AND ADDING A THIRD LAYER OF METAL AND A NEW BOLT INSIDE THE FENDER. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AS IT NEGATES THE ABSORPTIVE PROPERTIES OF THE FRONTAL CRUMPLE ZONE, IN ADDITION TO THE OBVIOUS STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS. *TR