2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

I was planning on trading in my FJ Cruiser, so I took it to our local mechanic to look it over. After he put it on the lift, he showed me that the frame and gas tank straps were rusted out and that it wasn't safe to drive. I took it to another body repair shop and after putting it up on the lift, he said he has never seen a frame so rusted out in his twenty five years of doing body work. I contacted Toyota and they said they would NOT repair the frame.

Backing out of my driveway we heard a slight pop and a dragging feel on the right passengers front.( thought I ran over a landscape brick) Stopped and inspected nothing was under the vehicle starting to leave my complex vehicle started to shake some. When I got up to 20 MPH it was obvious I should not drive. Called tow truck. Thought I needed ball joints or something similar. Mechanic said frame was completely rusted out and unfixable. The Toyota FJ cruiser is suppose to be a tough off road SUV which I never used for off road driving They even advertised how tough the frame is in commercials . I see there has been recalls for other Toyota models of SUV and trucks of the same year and their is a class action lawsuit already started I think in California. If I would have continued to the freeway A serious accident would had happened. I contacted Toyota and opened a case # [XXX] which after two communications they closed because there is no recall on the vehicle. The car is in great condition other wise. A frame should last more than 15 years on a truck \SUV designed for off road driving . her are some details of the pending lawsuit: Plaintiffs allege that a manufacturing defect causes excessive rust and corrosion to the frames of 2007-2014 FJ Cruiser vehicles. The suit claims the defect weakens the structure of the vehicle, therefore posing a serious safety threat to vehicle occupants. In some cases, vehicles failed to pass safety inspection and are no longer safe to drive. As a result, owners find themselves stuck with a vehicle that is no longer legally allowed on the roads with a greatly diminished resale value. Toyota Activity Marketed the FJ Cruiser with Special “Electrocoat Deposition” Rust Protection Coating Despite Toyota’s marketing highlighting the “Electrocoat Deposition” protective coating, plaintiff’s claim FJ Cruiser frames prematurely rust and corrode at an accelerated rate. The suit states Toyota had been aware of the frame defect, but fail INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFOR

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. The contact stated while having the vehicle routinely serviced, the mechanic observed that the subframe showed severe corrosion. The contact had taken the vehicle to another independent mechanic and had the subframe inspected. The contact was informed that the subframe was dangerously corroded and perforated and that the vehicle should not be driven. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

I purchased this vehicle used in April 2022. It was not driven much until June 2022 because the car was purchased for our son, who attends school at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. The goal was to get him a car before his 3 week summer break and he and his sister and his best friend would drive it out to Colorado for him to use throughout his last two years. Their trip began on June 16, 2022, leaving central Ohio. We started getting texts from our daughter about loud noises the car was making while she was sitting in the back seat. Then we started getting texts from our son about noises by the rear tire. We had him check the tires for proper inflation or for any damage. None was reported. My daughter complained about the handling of the vehicle when she was driving. Saying it was not easy to control when going 70 through the plains of the US. They were very pleased to arrive in one piece out in Colorado. My son started to think it was a suspension issue because of the way it handled going over bumpy roads. He took it to a dealer and the dealer took video of the frame, and the black goo used to try and cover the holes and cracks in the frame. $21,000 was their estimate to put a brand new frame on the vehicle. This is a known defect with this vehicle. We should not have to pay for such poor manufacturing.