2007 Toyota Fj Cruiser

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. OCCASIONALLY WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, HE NOTICED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK TO THE FLOOR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXTREME BRAKING PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 31000.

AFTER READING THAT THIS DEPARTMENT WAS "OPENING A FORMAL INVESTIGATION OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID MODEL YEAR 2010 TO LOOK INTO ALLEGATIONS OF MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY WHILE TRAVELING OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, POTHOLE OR BUMP", I REALIZED THAT THIS EXACTLY DESCRIBES MY EXPERIENCE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH MY 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. I DID NOT REPORT THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY FAULT FOR MY SPEED WHEN HITTING THE UNEVEN SURFACE. I DON'T KNOW REALLY WHY I DIDN'T ASK ABOUT THIS BUT THIS DEFINITELY HAPPENED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. *TR

DRIVING MY 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER V6 4X4 ON A LONG STRETCH OF TWO LANE HIGHWAY IN CLEAR WEATHER CONDITIONS. CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AT 70 MPH. VEHICLE STARTED SPEEDING UP ON IT'S OWN TO ABOUT 85 MPH. I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL. TURNED OFF CRUISE CONTROL, NOTHING HAPPENED. CAR WAS STILL ACCELERATING. HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL AND NOTHING HAPPENED. CAR WAS STILL ACCELERATING ON IT'S OWN. I WAS GETTING READY TO PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, OR PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE... WHEN I DECIDED TO HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD WITH BOTH FEET SEVERAL TIMES. CAR FINALLY STARTED SLOWING DOWN. IT WAS LIKE THE VEHICLE HAD A MIND OF IT'S OWN. THIS OCCURRED JUST BEFORE 7/20/09 AND I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO TOYOTA FOR REPAIR WHEN WE RETURNED HOME. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. HAVEN'T HAD THE ISSUE SINCE, BUT AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR ON LONG STRETCHES OF HIGHWAY. THIS CAR IS NOT CURRENTLY ON THE RECALL LIST. TOYOTA HAD A CERTIFIED MASTER TECHNICIAN RUN A SYSTEM TEST ON ALL COMPUTER SYSTEMS IN VEHICLE AND FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISE FUNCTION OR ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC CONTROL COMPONENTS. THIS WAS ON 7/20/07, THAT THEY CONFIRMED ALL SYSTEMS WERE OPERATING AS DESIGNED. I HAD TWO WITNESSES IN THE CAR WITH ME AND THEY SAW WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS LUCKY THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS ON THAT STRETCH OF THE HIGHWAY DURING THAT 15-20 MINUTE TIME FRAME. *TR

THE FIRST INCIDENCE OCCURRED IN DECEMBER 2009. THERE WERE PATCHES OF ICY SNOW ALONG OUR STREET. I WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN (THE SPEED LIMIT IS 25 MPH) AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. I APPLIED THE BRAKES SOONER THAN WHAT I WOULD HAVE NORMALLY DUE TO THE ROAD CONDITIONS. AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL MADE CONTACT WITH A PATCH OF ICY SNOW. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, IT WAS AS IF I HAD NOT APPLIED ANY BRAKES AT ALL, AND MY FJ CRUISER CONTINUED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WHICH ENTERED ONTO A MAIN THOROUGHFARE. THERE WAS NO BRAKING ACTION AND IT WAS AS IF I HAD NEVER PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I REALLY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GO THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND BE HIT BROADSIDE AND STARTED TO PREPARE FOR AN ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY, I RELEASED AND REAPPLIED BRAKE PRESSURE, AND MY FJ CRUISER CAME TO A STOP. SINCE THIS WAS THE FIRST BRAKING INCIDENT I PASSED IT OFF DUE TO THE SNOWY CONDITIONS OF THE ROAD. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN IN DECEMBER 2009. I WAS ON A STREET THAT WAS UNDER HEAVY CONSTRUCTION AND THERE WAS A LOT OF LOOSE GRAVEL ON THE ROAD. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 MPH. THIS TIME WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, I EXPERIENCED THE OPPOSITE EFFECT. THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND ACTUALLY SKIDDED TO A STOP AS IF I HAD APPLIED THE BRAKES IN A PANIC SITUATION (LIKE I WAS GOING TO REAR-END THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME). THE THIRD BRAKING INCIDENT HAPPENED IN JANUARY 2010. WHILE DRIVING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD (THE SPEED LIMIT IS 25 MPH), I APPROACHED THE STOP SIGN AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL CONTACTED A PATCH OF ICY SNOW. AGAIN, IT WAS AS IF I HAD NOT APPLIED THE BRAKES AT ALL, AND MY FJ CRUISER CONTINUED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AS IF I HAD NEVER PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NOT ANY TRAFFIC AS I SLID THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. I RELEASED AND REAPPLIED BRAKE PRESSURE AND MY FJ CRUISER CAME TO A STOP. *TR

2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. I'VE HAD ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH MY TOYOTA FJ CRUISER, AS MENTIONED IN THE CURRENT RECALLED MODELS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COME TO A STOP, THE ENGINE REVS AND "ACCELERATES" AT AN UNCONTROLLABLE LEVEL THROWING THE CAR OUT OF CONTROL. THIS HAS HAPPENED A MINIMUM OF 3 TIME ALREADY AND POSSIBLY MORE THAT I WROTE OFF AS OTHER ISSUES. 2 OF THE 3 TIMES I TURNED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT AND OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT HITTING ANYONE OR ANYTHING, APPLYING THE BRAKE UNTIL THE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN AND I COULD COME TO A FULL STOP. I CALLED TOYOTA, (MAY 2009) AND THEY THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A COMPUTER ISSUES AFFECTING ACCELERATION, OF COURSE THIS WAS BEFORE THE WIDESPREAD RECALL. THESE ISSUES WERE NOT DUE TO FLOOR MATS OR STICKY ACCELERATORS. I UNDERSTAND THAT MY CAR, 2007 FJ, IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL, BUT HAS THE SAME ISSUES AS THE RECALLED MODELS. *TR

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT YESTERDAY, THURSDAY, 18FEB10, AT AROUND 3:40 P.M. ON THE INTERSECTION OF WESTHEIMER AND BELTWAY 8. I DRIVE A 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THERE ARE 2 LIGHTS BEFORE I HAVE TO TURN LEFT ON THE BELTWAY TO HEAD TOWARDS I-10. I STOPPED AT THE FIRST LIGHT ON THE RED LIGHT BEHIND SEVERAL CARS AS THERE WAS SOME TRAFFIC. THEN THE LIGHT AHEAD TO TURN LEFT ON THE BELTWAY TURNED GREEN SO ALL OF THE VEHICLES TRAVELED TO THE NEXT LIGHT AND STARTED GOING THRU THE GREEN LIGHT UNTIL IT TURNED YELLOW. THE 1ST CAR AT THE LIGHT STOPPED AND EACH VEHICLE STOPPED BEHIND THEM INCLUDING ME. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT INSTEAD OF MY CAR STOPPING WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES IT FELT LIKE THE BREAKS TRIED TO GRAB BUT THEY DIDN'T GRAB AND MY FJ CRUISER KEPT ON GLIDING UNTIL I HIT THE CAMRY IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAMRY HIT THE LEXUS IN FRONT OF HER AND THE LEXUS HIT A BUICK IN FRONT OF HER. IT WAS VERY SCARY AS I EXPECTED MY BRAKES TO BRAKE WHEN I HIT THEM BUT INSTEAD IT FELT LIKE MY BRAKES TRIED TO BRAKE BUT THEY COULDN'T. THE COPS CAME AND GAVE ME A TICKET FOR "FAILURE TO CONTROL SPEED" EVEN THOUGH I WAS ONLY GOING VERY SLOW SINCE THERE WAS SO MUCH TRAFFIC BUT IT WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE I HIT THE CAR FROM BEHIND. THE FJ, THE LEXUS AND THE BUICK WERE MINIMALLY DAMAGED BUT THE CAMRY IN FRONT OF ME HAD THE BACK-END SMASHED IN. THE POLICE CAME AND TOOK OUR INFORMATION AND THEY CHECKED OUT THE OWNER OF THE CAMRY BECAUSE HER NECK HURT. I REPORTED THE ACCIDENT TO MY ALLSTATE INSURANCE AND TOLD THEM ABOUT MY BRAKE PROBLEM. I TOLD THEM THAT IN THE PAST THE ONLY THING I HAD NOTICED WAS MY CAR HAD PROBLEMS IN 2 INSTANCES WHEN I WAS GOING OVER BUMPS. IT FELT LIKE THE BRAKES HAD TROUBLE GRABBING. *TR I TOOK MY CAR INTO A ALLSTATE AUTHORIZED DEALER CLOSE BY "DON MCGILL TOYOTA" TO HAVE MY CAR FIXED BUT MOST OF ALL TO HAVE MY BREAKS CHECKED. I WON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING MY FJ CRUISER ANY MORE UNTIL THE DEALER CAN SURE ME THAT THE BREAK PROBLEM IS FIXED! I AM SO SCARED!

THIS JUST HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN TODAY, I HAVE AN 07 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER BOUGHT IN MID 06, I WAS DRIVING IN PA (WHERE YELLOW LIGHTS ARE SHORTER THAN MY NORMAL NJ ONES), THE LIGHT TURNED YELLOW RIGHT BEFORE I GOT TO AN INTERSECTION SO I GAVE A LITTLE EXTRA BRAKING, JUST AS I HIT A SERIES OF SMALL POTHOLES, ABS KICKED IN, THE NORMAL ABS FEELING HAPPENED IN THE PEDAL, BUT THEN EVEN AFTER THE POTHOLES WHERE THE ROAD WAS FINE, THE ABS SHOULD HAVE "DISENGAGED", THERE WAS NO LONGER THE NORMAL ABS "PULSING", INSTEAD I HAD A NEAR DEAD PEDAL. I HAD TO PUSH DOWN WITH ALL MY MIGHT TO SLOOOOOOOWLY BRING THE TRUCK TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION (FROM 5MPH TO 0 IN ABOUT 20 FEET). INSTINCT SAYS BRAKE HARDER WHEN YOU ARE NOT SLOWING DOWN, BUT I DON'T THINK I COULD HAVE PUSHED ANY HARDER. I AM REALLY GLAD THIS WAS JUST TO AVOID A YELLOW LIGHT AND NOT TO AVOID A CAR CROSSING MY PATH, I SURELY WOULD HAVE NAILED IT AS THE TRUCK SLOWLY ROLLED TO A STOP WITH MAYBE 10% BRAKING DESPITE ME STANDING ON THE BRAKES. I HAVE FOUND FROM EXPERIENCE THE ONLY WAY TO RECOVER FROM THE DEAD PEDAL IS TO LET OFF IT COMPLETELY, AND THEN YOU HAVE A NORMAL PEDAL AGAIN. THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED TO ME MAYBE 6-7 TIMES IN MY 50,000 MILES ON THE FJ, BUT SO FAR I HAVE BEEN LUCKY AND MOST OF THE TIME IT IS SIMPLY STOPPING AT A YELLOW AND NOT BECAUSE I NEED A REAL EMERGENCY STOP. I WAS 100% STOCK FOR THE FIRST 5-6 TIMES, AND THIS LAST TIME I HAVE SLIGHTLY BIGGER TIRES AND A LIFT. THEY WILL PROBABLY JUST BLAME IT ON THE MY LIFT AND TIRES, BUT ITS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE 100% STOCK. ONE DAY I AM GOING TO KILL SOMEONE, OR MYSELF. THE POLICE WILL JUST WRITE IT UP AS "FAILURE TO STOP, DRIVERS FAULT", BUT SOME OF YOU WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS WILL KNOW OTHERWISE. *TR

THE TOYOTA FJ CRUISER DEVELOPS BULGES IN THE ENGINE BAY OVER TIME WITH NORMAL DRIVING. THESE ARE IN THE CRUMPLE ZONES AND EVENTUALLY RIP. TOYOTA FAILS TO FIX THIS TO SPITE HAVING HUNDREDS OF DOCUMENTED CASES. MINE IS ONE OF THEM. HTTP://WWW.FJCRUISERFORUMS.COM/FORUMS/TOYOTA-FJ-CRUISER-POLLS/37556-DO-YOU-HAVE-INNER-FENDER-BULGES-CRACKING.HTML. *TR

I TOOK MY 2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER INTO THE DEALER AROUND THE END OF 2007, IT HAD 12,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. I TOLD THEM THAT MY GAS PEDAL HAD STUCK AND I HAD TO HOLD THE BRAKES DOWN AND TURN OFF THE KEY TO GET IT TO STOP. I THEN HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND REACH DOWN TO RELEASE IT. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT MUST HAVE STUCK ON THE FLOOR MAT AND TO JUST WATCH IT. IT THEN STUCK AGAIN ABOUT A YEAR LATER AND I WAS ABLE TO RELEASE IT THIS TIME BY KICKING AT IT. I DIDN'T THINK ANYMORE OF IT UNTIL ALL THE RECALLS STARTED COMING OUT ON TOYOTA GAS PEDALS AND I THOUGHT THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT HAPPENED ON A MODEL THAT IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST AND THAT THE PROBLEM CAME UP OVER TWO YEARS AGO. THIS INCIDENT IS DOCUMENTED AT THOMPSON TOYOTA IN PLACERVILLE, CA. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AT FOLSOM TOYOTA 2/2007. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THIS YET BUT THE SERVICE DIRECTOR AT THOPSON TOYOTA WAS VERY CONCERNED THIS TIME AND SAID THAT SOMEONE WAS COMING UP FROM THE BAY AREA TO LOOK AT IT SOON. *TR