2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

I AM THE THIRD OWNER OF A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER, THIS VEHICLE HAS MAJOR RUST OVERTAKING THE FRAME AND ALL SUSPENSION PARTS AND MOUNTS, EVEN THE INSIDE OF THE FRAME IS RUSTING OUT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A REGULAR ISSUE. I AM VERY CONCERNED I AM GOING TO HAVE SUSPENSION PARTS BREAK OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING, I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL TANK STRAPS THAT RUSTED IN HALF WHILE DRIVING DOEN THE HIGHWAY.

I AM ONE OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASERS OF A 2007 FJ CRUISER IN AUGUST OF 2006. I ORDERED MY VEHICLE IN JULY 2006. I RECEIVED A SCALE MODEL OF MY FJ WITH SERIEL NUMBER BELOW 500, WHICH I WAS TOLD INDICATED THAT I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST 500 PURCHASERS OF THE NEW MODEL I HAD READ ON THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED FJCRUISERFORUMS.COM THAT THE NEW FRAMES WHERE ARRIVING WITH RUST ON THE WELDS. WHEN MY VEHICLE ARRIVED I POINTED OUT RUST ON THE FRAME JUST FROM SHIPPING AND TOLD THE DEALER THAT I NEEDED THE FRAME UNDERCOATED. I ALSO SHOWED THE DEALER THE FJ CRUISER FORUM POSTS THEY COMPLIED. I HAVE USED THIS VEHICLE FOR WORK FOR MANY YEARS. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN ALMOST WEEKLY FOR AN UNDERCARRIAGE WASH IF I WAS USING IT WEEKLY. MOST ALL OF MY MILES ARE HIGHWAY. THE RUST HAS NOT ABATED. I HAVE WIRE BRUSHED THE FRAME MULTIPLE TIMES, SPRAYED IT WITH RUST PREVENTIVE PAINT, SQUIRTED OIL INSIDE THE FRAME. IT STILL HAS NOT STOPPED THE RUST. NOW I FINALLY HAVE A HOLE IN THE FRAME. IT IS NOT IN A CRITICAL AREA BUT I CANNOT TELL IF THERE ARE AREAS THAT IT MAY ALSO BE WEAK. TOYOTA HAS ADMITTED TO FRAME ISSUE ON THE TACOMA AND TOYOTA SEQUOIA. ARE THEY NOT ADDRESSING THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE FEWER OF THE FJ'S ON THE ROAD? THIS FRAME SHOULD BE REPLACED. IT WAS DEFECTIVE WHEN IT WAS SOLD.

WHILE DRIVING AROUND 45 MPH THE FJ BECAME LOOSE AND LOW IN THE REAR. AT THE SAME TIME ALL THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. WHILE LOOKING FOR THE PROBLEM WE FOUND THAT THE LATERAL TRACTION BAR MOUNTS WELDED TO THE AXLE HAD ROTTED AND COLLAPSED SEVERING THE ABS WIRE. THE UPPER PART OF THE AXLE WAS NO LONGER CONNECTED TO THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA DOES NOT OFFER A REPLACEMENT PART OTHER THAN A COMPLETE AXLE.

FRAME AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS ARE VERY RUSTY TO THE POINT OF A SAFETY CONCERN. I REPLACED THE REAR BUMPER WITH AN AFTERMARKET ONE TO DISCOVER THE REAR BUMPER SUPPORT WAS SO RUSTED IT WOULDN'T BE OF ANY HELP IN THE EVENT OF BEING REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER CAR. ALSO, THE REAR BUMPER COMES STOCK WITH 2 SENSORS SO WHEN BACKING UP WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GET CLOSE TO SOMETHING. BOTH SENSORS WERE NON-TRANSFERABLE TO THE NEW BUMPER BECAUSE THEY WERE SO RUSTED ON THE INSIDE WHEN YOU TRIED TO REMOVE THEM THEY CRUMBLED INTO BITS, A COMBINATION OF METAL AND PLASTIC. THE RUST WORKED ITS WAY UP THE WIRES AS WELL. NUMEROUS BRACKETS UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK WHICH HOLD WHAT APPEARS TO BE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO OPERATE. IF ONE OF THESE COMPONENTS BROKE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED I WOULD NEED TO BUY NEW BRACKETS ALONG WITH THE NEW COMPONENT - NEW SCREWS WOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED ALONG SIDE A HOLY PRAYER THAT THE OLD SCREWS DON'T SNAP OFF WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THEM. BY THE TIME I WAS DONE PAYING OFF MY VEHICLE AND HAVING MORE FREE INCOME TO PUT TOWARDS OTHER PRIORITIES I WAS CONSISTENTLY DELAYED WITH REPAIRES THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO KEEP FUNCTIONING. I HAD TO PAY FOR NEW TRANSMISSION LINES BECAUSE THE ONES ON THERE WERE SO RUSTED, IN A LUMP SUM I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR. POWER STEERING LINES WERE REPLACED ONCE AND THE POWER STEERING STILL HAS AN ISSUE HOLDING FLUID. I AM GOING TO CHOSE TODAY'S DATE AS THE DATE THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE NOW I AM AT MY WIT'S END WITH THE RUST. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO HAVE THE A/C RECHARGED TO BE TOLD ITS GOING TO BE ABOUT $2000 TO REPLACE ALL THE LINES AND THE CONDENSER THAT IS RUSTED PLUS LABOR. WHILE ON THE LIFT THE MECHANIC TOLD ME TO COME TAKE A LOOK UNDERNEATH MY TRUCK AND HE SHOWED ME HOW EXTENSIVE THE RUST HAS BECOME AND THAT I MIGHT NEED TO HAVE SOME WORK DONE ABOUT THE RUST FIRST BEFORE HE CAN FIX THE A/C.