2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER WITH DOOR PANEL FENDER FAILURE. CONSUMER STATES BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVERS SIDE FRONT FENDERS HAVE BULGES AND CRACKS APPROXIMATELY 3-4 INCHES LONG IN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE INNER FENDER. THEY ARE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 8 INCHES FROM THE FIREWALL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND 6 INCHES FROM THE FIREWALL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE.*KB

INNER FENDER STRUCTURE IS BULGING, STARTED ON PASSENGER SIDE ABOUT OCT 15TH & ON DRIVERS SIDE ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER. THIS IS A WELL KNOW PROBLEM AMONG INFORMED FJ CRUISER OWNERS. ALSO SOME OF THE ONES TOYOTA HAS REPAIRED & UPGRADED ARE ALSO FAILING. ALSO POOR QUALITY WINDSHIELD THAT WAS PITTED & CHIPPED WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF PURCHASE. *TR

WITHIN 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING MY VOODOO BLUE 2007 FJ CRUISER, I BEGAN NOTICING RANDOM PAINT CHIPPING ON THE BODY OF MY VEHICLE. I HAVE NEVER PUT MY CAR THROUGH A CAR WASH, NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN OFF-ROADED. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF MY SALES REP AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT AND HE PROCEEDED TO ASK ME IF I HAD EVER DRIVEN THROUGH ANY CONSTRUCTION SITES, WHICH I HAD NOT. HE THEN REFERRED ME TO A TOYOTA PAINT SPECIALIST WHO THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT THIS IS VERY COMMON BECAUSE LEAD IS NO LONGER AN INGREDIENT IN THE PAINT, WHICH IS CAUSING IT TO BECOME VERY BRITTLE. SINCE I AM LEASING THE CAR I WAS CONCERNED THAT I WOULD BE CHARGED AT LEASE TERMINATION FOR THIS BUT WAS ASSURED BY THE SPECIALIST THAT THIS WAS CONSIDERED "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" ON THE CAR. HE SUGGESTED THAT I PURCHASE TOUCH-UP PAINT AND APPLY AS NEEDED. HOWEVER, IT HAS NOW BEEN WELL OVER A YEAR AND THE PAINT NOT ONLY CONTINUES TO CHIP FURTHER, BUT I'VE BEGUN TO NOTICE A FEW SMALL AREAS WHERE THERE IS ALSO CORROSION DEVELOPING. AT THIS POINT I PLAN TO BRING THE TRUCK BACK IN TO GET SOMETHING IN WRITING CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM AND LIABILITY. I DO NOT WANT TO GET SCREWED AT THE END OF MY LEASE TERM. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF PAINT CHIPPING IN THIS WAY, ESPECIALLY NOT ON A NEW VEHICLE. I EVEN PURCHASED A 2007 PRIUS RECENTLY AND HAVE HAD NO ISSUES WHATSOEVER WITH THE PAINT ON THAT VEHICLE AND IT IS DRIVEN UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS AS THE FJ - CITY AND HIGHWAY ONLY. *TR

VEHICLE LIKE OTHERS IS STARTING TO EXPERIENCE BULDGING ON THE INNER FENDER APRONS. MINE HAVE NOT DEVELOPED TO CRACKS LIKE SO MANY OTHERS BUT APPEARS TO BE IN ITS INFANCY SINCE IT IS BULDGING. I WAS MADE AWARE OF THE COMPLAINT AFTER BROWSING THIS DATABASE. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH I FOUND FJCRUISERFORUMS.COM WHERE 155+ OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM! I HAVE NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AS I HAVE HEARD HORROR STORIES AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REMEDIED. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE FRONT IN UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE VEHICLES CRASH RATING AND HOW IT HAS BEEN AFFECTED. IT APPEARS TO BE BULDGING AT TWO CRUMPLE ZONES ON THE UNI BODY. NO OTHER APPARENT BULDGES, RIPS, OR DEFORMITIES ANYWHERE ELSE. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN IMPACT SITUATION GREATER THAN A SHOPPING CART AT THE SUPER MARKET ROLLING INTO MY VEHICLE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A NATURAL OCCURRING PROBLEM WHICH THE TOYOTA DESIGNERS DID NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN BUILDING THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT END DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT ITS OWN WEIGHT. *TR