2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM AN INDIVIDUAL ON DEC. 12, 2020. LESS THAN 30 DAYS AGO. I BROUGHT IT TO THE BODY SHOP TO SEE IF THEY COULD FIX THE RATTLING SOUND THAT CAME FROM WHEN I HIT A BUMP. THE CARS BODY IS IN GREAT CONDITION. THE MILEAGE WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR WAS 183,800. I ASSUMED I MAY NEED TO DO SOME WORK ON THE CAR, BUT THE BODY SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE SOUND I WAS HEARING WAS DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE THAT HAD RUSTED SO BADLY THAT THEY WHERE CLOSE TO FALLING OFF. INCLUDING THE GAS TANK. THEY TOLD ME THAT FJ CRUISERS WHERE KNOWN FOR RUSTY UNDER BOTTOMS AND THAT I WOULD BE A SAFETY RISK TO MYSELF AND OTHERS IF I DROVE THE CAR. THEY ALSO SAID THE CAR WAS BEYOND NORMAL REPAIR. I WILL ATTACHED PHOTOS THEY SENT ME. I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR 1,500 MILES AND IT IS CONSIDERED UNDRIVABLE AND UNFIXABLE. I GOT A SECOND OPINION. WITHOUT KNOWING THE RESULTS OF THE FIRST OPINION THEY CAME TO THE EXACT SAME CONCLUSION. EXCEPT THEY TOLD ME TO REACH OUT TO YOU.

SEVERE SUSPENSION BRACKET RUST ON MULTIPLE REAR AND FRONT COMPONENTS. I LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT WHEN BRAKING BUT MY ENTIRE CAR SWAYED WHEN THE REAR LATERAL SUPPORT BAR BRACKET BROKE RIGHT OFF THE MOUNT THAT IS WELDED TO THE REAR DUE TO RUST. I THEN INSPECTED AND FOUND MULTIPLE RUST AREAS ON FRAME AND OTHER SUSPENSION BRACKETS. MAKING THIS VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I AM AWARE OF TOYOTA'S ONGOING DILEMMA WITH USING THIS HORRIBLE UNTREATED STEEL AND HOPE THE NHTSA ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. THIS IS NOT NORMAL CORROSION THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE NEGLECT IN SAFETY BY NOT HAVING THIS STEEL TREATED ON SUCH CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF A VEHICLES FRAME. HAD THIS INCIDENT HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF 55 MPH OR GREATER. SERIOUS INJURY AND/OR DEATH CAN OCCUR. IF I AM NOT THE ONLY CONSUMER HAVING THIS ISSUE ON TOYOTA FJ CRUSIER VEHICLES. I HOPE THE NHTSA ENFORCES A RECAL ON THESE FRAMES AND/OR CRITICAL SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. MY VEHICLE IS 16 YEARS OLD, I PURCHASED IT FROM A DEALER WHOM RECIEVED IT FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WITH 57,000 MILES ON IT. NOW CURRENTLY AFTER 4 YEARS OF OWNING THIS FJ CRUISER I ONLY HAVE 71,000 MILES ON IT. HAD THIS BRACKET CAUGHT ONTO MY BRAKE LINES WHICH IS LOCATED DIRECTLY BELOW THIS REAR BRACKET I WOULD HAVE LOST ALL ABILITY TO STOP MY VEHICLE.

MY SON WAS DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL WHEN HE HEARD A RATTLE/BANG WHEN HE TOOK A CORNER OR WENT OVER A BUMP. HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE NOISE AS SOON AS HE GOT HOME. WE TOOK THE FJ OUT FOR A DRIVE AND I HEARD THE NOISE COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE. UPON INSPECTING THE EXTERIOR DRIVERS SIDE I FOUND THAT THE LEFT SIDE, REAR TRAILING ARM MOUNTING POINT AND A SECTION OF THE FJ'S FRAME, HAD TORN AWAY FROM THE FRAME. THE TRAILING ARMS WAS NOT FLOATING, UNATTACHED. WE ARE VERY LUCK THAT THE TRAILING DID NOT DROP WHILE MY SON WAS DRIVING HOME, AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVEN INTO THE PAVEMENT, POSSIBLY CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. I HAVE CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE, WHO CAN PROVIDE NOT SOLUTION ON HOW TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE. AGAIN, I AM LUCKY MY SON WAS ON SECONDARY ROADS AND NOT THE HIGHWAY AND THE TRAILING ARM FELL TO THE PAVEMENT.

SEVERE RUST ISSUES. ENTIRE REAR DIFFERENTIAL REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. ALL POWER STEERING AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LINES NEEDED REPLACEMENT, FUEL LINES ARE NEXT FUEL TANK STRAPS RUSTED AND BROKE OFF, TANK FELL DOWN. BRAKE PAD PINS REQUIRED CUTTING OFF. PROTECTION PLATES RUSTED OFF. EXHAUST SYSTEM COMPONENTS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT DUE TO RUST. ENTIRE FRAME AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT COVERED IN RUST. ALL THESE ITEMS HAVE CAUSED MULTIPLE SAFETY ISSUES. MULTIPLE STRAPS AND CONNECTIONS FOR VARIOUS COMPONENTS ARE NO LONGER USABLE DUE TO RUST.

MY 2007 FJ CRUISER HAS MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH RUST. THIS INCLUDES BEING INFORMED TODAY THAT THE FRAME HAS HOLES THAT HAVE RUSTED THROUGH AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION. I HAVE ALREADY PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO THE VEHICLE REPLACING RUSTED PARTS INCLUDING REPLACING THE FUEL TANK STRAPS LAST YEAR, PARTS OF THE SUSPENSION AND RADIATOR. THIS SEEMS EXCESSIVE DAMAGE DUE TO RUST AND CREATES AN UNSAFE TOYOTA PRODUCT.