2008 Toyota Fj Cruiser Body & structure Problems

Chassis frame rotted

NHTSA ID

11735229

Incident

Dec 31, 2025

Premature frame rust

NHTSA ID

11597026

Incident

Jun 26, 2024

After buying my vehicle I have began to notice a growing rust problem that is not due to salt water or other environmental conditions, but clearly a defect in manufacturing. After joining a few Facebook groups with other FJ owners I’ve found countless other people have had the same problem and that without massive trust removal my vehicle is expected to have failures in the frame and suspension at some point.

NHTSA ID

11465065

Incident

May 17, 2022

The frame of my Truck has started to rust out as to many FJ Cruisers. It's been a known issue that these frame have this problem along with the Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Tundra. Which Toyota have a recall on those two models but they've yet to recognize the Toyota FJ Cruiser for the same issue. If this issue isn't resolved, it can result in weak points in the chassis making those area fail and cause an accident underload. I have had my shop look at it and said they can only treat the affected areas so much but the issue will keep coming back over time as rust does not go away unless its cut out. For the safety for myself, any FJ Owners as well as the roads we share with the public I hope that we get this issue corrected through the Manufacturer. Thank you

NHTSA ID

11431265

Incident

Aug 31, 2021

While inspecting a broken rear fuel tank strap, several holes were noticed in the frame of the vehicle. Excessive corrosion was present all along the welds on the frame and its crossmembers. There were spots where I could poke my finger through the frame. There was no warning that this corrosion was happening. I am the third owner of this FJ and it was inspected before I purchased it. The vehicle has not yet been taken to a dealership, police or an insurance company.

NHTSA ID

11423777

Incident

Jul 6, 2021

GAS TANK SUPPORT STRAPS FAILED WHILE DRIVING. DEALER INSTALLED TEMPORARY NYLON RATCHET STRAPS UNTIL PARTS ARRIVED.

NHTSA ID

11406282

Incident

Sep 15, 2017

Mileage

188,900 mi

FRAME, SUSPENSION, AND BRAKES HAVE EXTREME DAMAGE FROM RUST. REAR BRAKES ARE NON-FUNCTIONAL BECAUSE OF RUST.

NHTSA ID

11395507

Incident

Jan 1, 2020

Mileage

130,000 mi

EXTREME RUST AND CRACKING IN FRAME

NHTSA ID

11394425

Incident

Feb 15, 2012

Mileage

50,000 mi

EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME AND UNDERCARRIAGE. NEEDED TO BE CLEANED AND TREATED.

NHTSA ID

11382940

Incident

Jan 8, 2019

THIS VEHICLE STARTED TO DEVELOPE RUST IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE. THE VEHICLE IS A 2008 AND IS SCARY RUSTY ON THE FRAME AND OTHER COMPONENTS. AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF RUST COMPARED TO OTHER 2008 ERA VEHICLES. EVENTUALLY ONE OF THESE FAULTY FRAMES ARE GOING TO BREAK IN A HIGH SPEED SCENARIO AND SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH WILL OCCUR. MY OTHERWISE PERFECT FJ CRUISER ONLY HAS 35000 MILES ON IT AND SAT IN STORAGE FOR THE WINTER OF 2016 AND 2017.

NHTSA ID

11361371

Incident

Sep 27, 2020

Mileage

35,000 mi

SEVERE RUST ON ALL PARTS OF THE FRAME 'UNDERCARRIAGE', BRAKE LINES, GAS TANK STRAPS. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED BY FJ OWNERS AND NOTHING DONE BY THE MANUFACTURER. TRUCK WAS NEVER DRIVEN THROUGH SALT WATER NOR IS IT STORED BY THE WATER FRONT. I AM FRIGHTENED THAT IN AN ACCIDENT THE WHOLE BODY OF THE TRUCK WILL JUST COME OFF THE FRAME.

NHTSA ID

11341709

Incident

Jul 27, 2020

Mileage

160,903 mi

2008 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER FRAME ROTTING FROM INSIDE AND OUT. ALL SUSPENSION COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED DUE PARTS FAILING BECAUSE OF CORROSION THAT BLED OVER FROM THE FRAME TO INCLUDE BOTH FRONT STEERING KNUCKLES, TWO PARTS THAT ONLY EVER GET REPLACED IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. SEVERAL FRAME SUPPORTS HAVE CORRODED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND ARE FLAKING OFF. BRAKE COMPONENTS THAT RUN ALONG THE FRAME HAVE CORRODED FROM THE FRAME TO THE BRACKET THAT HOLDS THEM TO THE LINES THEMSELVES. CAUSE A SLOW BRAKE LEAK OVER TIME THAT EVENTUALLY RESULTED IN A DANGEROUS NEAR ACCIDENT SITUATION THAT WAS CAUSED BY COMPLETE IMMEDIATE LACK OF BRAKE PRESSURE. EVASIVE DRIVING AND A SOUND MIND AVOIDED A LEGITIMATE ACCIDENT, HAD TO TOW THE TRUCK TO A SHOP. UNSAFE TO DRIVE. FRAME WILL NOT HOLD UP IN AN ACCIDENT. 12 YEAR OLD FRAME SHOULD NOT BE ANYWHERE NEAR THIS CONDITION. DUE TO OVERSIGHTS AT THE MANUFACTURER THIS FRAME IS NOW CORRODING FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

NHTSA ID

11341612

Incident

Jul 4, 2020

Mileage

143,000 mi

THE FRAME AND SUSPENSION PIECES ON MY FJ HAVE RUSTED DUE TO POOR COATINGS AND MATERIALS USED BY TOYOTA. *TR

NHTSA ID

11329319

Incident

Jun 17, 2020

Mileage

73,000 mi

VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN DRIVEWAY MY FRAME, SOME SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, AND MY ROCKER PANELS WERE FALLING APART IN MY HANDS

NHTSA ID

11316792

Incident

Feb 22, 2020

Mileage

216,000 mi

SEVER RUSTING OF FRAME, BREAK AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS AND BRACKETS. THIS 2008 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER IS QUICKLY BECOMING A SAFETY HAZARD ON THE ROADS. I HAVE A 92 SABB AND A 93 VW THAT DON'T HAVE HAVE THE RUST ISSUES THIS TOYOTA HAS. TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THE FJ CRUISERS FOR FAULTY FRAMES AND UNDERCARRIAGE LONG AGO.

NHTSA ID

11306740

Incident

Feb 3, 2020

Mileage

39,000 mi

EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FUEL TANK STRAPS AND VEHICLE FRAME. UNDERBODY OF THIS VEHICLE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO U.S CORROSION STANDARDS SINCE I'VE NOT SEEN ANY AMERICAN VEHICLES WITH THIS WIDESPREAD RUST ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11301796

Incident

Jan 25, 2020

Mileage

33,000 mi

THE VEHICLE HAS A SEVERELY RUSTY FRAME. REST OF THE FJ BODY IS MINT WITH A TOTAL OF 80K MILES. THE REAR CROSS SECTION WHERE THE GEM HITCH BOLTS TO IS PARTICULARLY BAD AND HAS HOLE. THE HITCH ITSELF IS ALSO SITTING A LITTLE CROOKED WHICH I BELIEVE IS DUE TO THE POOR STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE CROSS BAR. TOWING IS OUT OF THE QUESTION AT THIS POINT BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I AM VERY WORRIED WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN AN EVENT I GET REAR ENDED.

NHTSA ID

11301736

Incident

Jan 2, 2020

WE BOUGHT OUR FJ CRUISER NEW IN 2008. I HAVE METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED (WITH SEVICE RECORDS FROM TOYOTA DEALERSHIP), AND I HA E ALWAYS KEPT IT METICULOUS INSIDE AND OUT. THE VEHICLE IS A 2008 WITH 100K MILES AND LOOKS BRAND NEW UP TOP... HOWEVER THE UNDERCARRIAGE IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY. NO MATTER HOW OFTEN I CLEANED THE FRAME, SUSPENSION, AND DRIVETRAIN I COULD NOT KEEP THE RUST AT BAY, NOW I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT MY FAMILIES SAFETY. I'M WORRIED BRACKETS ARE ABOUT TO RUST OFF, AND BODY MOUNTS AND BOLTS ARE SHOWING SEVERE RUST, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CARS UNDERCARRIAGE RUST SO QUICKLY AND COMPLETELY IN ALL MY LIFE. THIS NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED BEFORE PEOPLE START GETTING HURT WHILE DRIVING WITH THESE WITH THESE UNSAFE CHASSIS AND COMPONENTS. AND MY GAS TANK STRAPS ARE ROTTING FAST. I HAVE OWNED TOYOTA'S MY WHOLE LIFE. I CURRENTLY OWN 5 DIFFERENT LAND CRUISERS. WE LOVED OUR FJ AND BOUGHT IT BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD LAST.

NHTSA ID

11301447

Incident

Dec 31, 2019

Mileage

30,000 mi

EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME. VEHICLE IS MAINTAINED VERY WELL, BUT FRAME RUST CONTINUES TO GET WORSE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE FJ CRUISER ON ALL THE FORMS ONLINE. TOYOTA HAS YET TO FILE A RECALL ON OUR VEHICLES. OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES THAT USE THE SAME FRAME HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECALLED. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF US WITH A ROTTING IN FRAMES AND TOYOTA WILL DO NOTHING.

NHTSA ID

11297743

Incident

Dec 1, 2012

Mileage

45,000 mi

FRAME RUSTED WAY TOO EARLY IN ITS LIFE TIME

NHTSA ID

11288930

Incident

Dec 13, 2019

Mileage

214,000 mi

EXTENSIVE FRAME RUST, HEAVY RUST ON REAR CROSSMEMBER AND REAR AXLE, BODY MOUNTS

NHTSA ID

11278808

Incident

Mar 20, 2019

Mileage

1,350,000 mi

I HAVE COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA ABOUT THE RUST FORM THE START OF OWNERSHIP, THERE RESPONSE WAS THAT THE FRAMES WERE MADE IN AMERICA. DOES MATTER WHERE IT WAS MADE JUST THE SUPER POOR QUALITY OF THE METAL. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SAME FRAME AS THE TUNDRA'S AND THEY ARE ALL RECALLED WHY NOT THE FJ CRUISERS?

NHTSA ID

11232182

Incident

Mar 8, 2008

Mileage

96,000 mi

BOTH INNER FRONT FENDERS ARE CRACKED. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED, THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY SORT OF ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

11015573

Incident

Aug 15, 2017

Mileage

120,000 mi

A VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING VERY SLOWLY ON A RURAL INTERSTATE AS MY TOYOTA FJ CRUISER APPROACHED IN THE SAME LANE. THE DRIVER OF THE FJ CRUISER BRAKED QUICKLY TO AVOID HITTING THE SLOW MOVING VEHICLE. HOWEVER, AN 18-WHEELER BEHIND IT COULD NOT STOP FAST ENOUGH. IT REAR-ENDED MY FJ CRUISER SENDING THE FRONT-END COLLIDING DIRECTLY INTO THE BACK OF THE SLOW MOVING VEHICLE. AS THE 18-WHEELER CONTINUED FORWARD, MY FJ CRUISER WAS SQUEEZED OUT FROM BETWEEN THE TWO VEHICLES AND PUSHED INTO ANOTHER LANE. BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OF MY FJ CRUISER WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR INJURIES. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AT ANY TIME DURING THE COLLISION WITH THE SLOW MOVING VEHICLE. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT AND REAR OF MY VEHICLE RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10652305

Incident

Oct 24, 2014

Mileage

68,000 mi

THERE IS BUCKLING OF THE BODY, RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE, UNDER HOOD APPROXIMATELY WHERE THE HOOD HINGES ATTACH TO BODY. THE MECHANIC HAS ADVISED IT IS A WEAK POINT IN THE BODY WHICH ON SOME VEHICLES THE BODY ACTUALLY CRACKS AND TRANSFERS OVER TO THE FENDER OVER TIME. IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS DUE TO VIBRATION FROM THE BODY FRONT END TO THE REAR FIREWALL. THE ESTIMATED COST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FROM A TOYOTA CERTIFIED BODY SHOP IS $11,837.02. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA CORPORATE, AND IT IS PENDING. TOYOTA DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10546934

Incident

Mar 3, 2012

Mileage

37,317 mi