Attention: ALL Current FJC Owners !!!

[007FJ]

Yup This is how they start... Also look at the thread under dealer problems on the main board.. You will see where else they can be at..

Your's looks lower than what mine are but in the same area...

Bernd's from WA (who is the photos on the thread above) his were on the Crumple zone close to the fire wall, about 12 inches out.. That is where mine are starting...

I have the OME and a Bull Bar, more than just light wheeling though..
I love to hit the hard stuff..

Keep an eye on it and get to your dealer..

[timbo2]

CL, I don't know if you saw my thread re wreck=opertunities, but I put my FJ into a very V shaped ditch a couple of weeks ago-my fault,yada-yada, and ended up going from 60 to zero in a fraction of a second. I ended up on both bumpers with all 4 wheels off of the ground! The wrecker HAD to pull me up by the lower A before he could hook onto the tow point. Talk about stress on my frame and body! Well I inspected for tears and ripples post wreck-not a one was found! Just thought I'd update you after such a dramatic amount of stress-to me and my FJ! Tim
PS Happy Holidays to you and your family Larry!

[fjdave5341]

I am brand new to this forum and a fairly new FJ owner (purchased in April 07). First, I will address the inner fender issue. I have checked my FJ and have no bulges/rips at all (yes, I voted on the poll).

Although I appreciate knowing about potential problems with my FJ; reading through these forums honestly makes me consider selling mine despite not having a single problem as of yet. My window is not cracked, my voodoo blue paint does not look sand-blasted (only four chips on it), my front end is not about to fall off due to inner fender cracks nor do I have any of the other 1000+ fires I read about on these forums. Had I read about all these things before I purchased it, I most likely wouldn't have stepped foot in the Toyota dealership. Some may wonder why I bring this up, after all if I don't like what I read then just don't visit the forums at all right? I say these things because potential buyers of the FJ do read these postings and I guarantee reading about so many FJ's practically falling apart could affect them wanting to purchase one. I know it has certainly made me think about keeping mine or not. Am I reading a lot of nit-picky postings, or are we all sitting on a lemon that will soon rot? I wish I had not read about all the problems with the FJ on this forum, I certainly enjoyed the vehicle more before I did.

P.S. The Toyota Prado had the same complaints regarding inner fender bulging/ripping, and never issued a recall. I wouldn’t hold my breath for one on the FJs.

[cruiserlarry]

fjdave5341 previously said:

I am brand new to this forum and a fairly new FJ owner (purchased in April 07). First, I will address the inner fender issue. I have checked my FJ and have no bulges/rips at all (yes, I voted on the poll).

Although I appreciate knowing about potential problems with my FJ; reading through these forums honestly makes me consider selling mine despite not having a single problem as of yet. My window is not cracked, my voodoo blue paint does not look sand-blasted (only four chips on it), my front end is not about to fall off due to inner fender cracks nor do I have any of the other 1000+ fires I read about on these forums. Had I read about all these things before I purchased it, I most likely wouldn't have stepped foot in the Toyota dealership. Some may wonder why I bring this up, after all if I don't like what I read then just don't visit the forums at all right? I say these things because potential buyers of the FJ do read these postings and I guarantee reading about so many FJ's practically falling apart could affect them wanting to purchase one. I know it has certainly made me think about keeping mine or not. Am I reading a lot of nit-picky postings, or are we all sitting on a lemon that will soon rot? I wish I had not read about all the problems with the FJ on this forum, I certainly enjoyed the vehicle more before I did.

P.S. The Toyota Prado had the same complaints regarding inner fender bulging/ripping, and never issued a recall. I wouldn’t hold my breath for one on the FJs.

Congratulations on your FJ Cruiser - I hope you continue to have a problem-free vehicle, and that you enjoy it to the fullest.

That being said, I'm sorry if you would rather keep your head in the sand instead of having an awareness of possible issues with the very expensive piece of machinery you've purchased. Had you read the posts in any detail, you'd learn the vehicle is not "falling apart" - but it does have a few issues of concern to FJC owners that need to be addressed.

These issues are not posted here to discourage ownership or scare you into selling your FJC - this is an FJC forum - but rather to make sure all owners are kept informed of possible problems, and to make them aware of the symptoms these problems present. To pretend a problem doesn't exist won't make it disappear - but being aware of it may help to resolve a problem before it becomes a safety or resale value issue, as well as to monitor the actual extent of vehicles affected by such problems. We're all on the same side here - I have replaced a windshied, have the most severe inner fenderwell cracking I've seen to date, and I still love my FJ Cruiser, and the vehicle in general.
But I stay diligent to the possible issues others have encountered, and I am able to make sure that any issue that arises is dealt with by Toyota.

Cars, on average, are made up of over 20,000 or more individual parts, so even if the vehicle was 99.99% perfect (unheard of in any mechanical device), you'd still expect 20 problem components. All cars have their issues, especially first year models like the FJC. And the fact that the Prado was not recalled, and the issue has resurfaced in the FJC, is all the more reason to track, report, and demand a proper repair. Do I want to sell my FJC because of the problems I've learned about ? Absolutely not. Will I make sure they are resolved to my satisfaction, and attempt to help other afflicted FJC owners get proper treatment from Toyota ? ABSOLUTELY.

[fjdave5341]

[quote=cruiserlarry;741117]
"That being said, I'm sorry if you would rather keep your head in the sand instead of having an awareness of possible issues with the very expensive piece of machinery you've purchased. Had you read the posts in any detail, you'd learn the vehicle is not "falling apart" - but it does have a few issues of concern to FJC owners that need to be addressed."


Larry,
You make good points and I apologize if you took my posting personally in any way. I suppose I was partially venting frustration when I wrote it. I have read the posts in detail (one of the inner fender postings had 200 plus pages to it that I read through). While I can dismiss things like paint chips and windows as nitpicky (its an off-road vehicle after all). The inner fender issue is a major concern. Visions of cars like the Pacer, Vega, and Citroen pop in my head when I read about it (I read the same thing in another post). This issue is starting to make its way outside of these forums, even wikapedia has an entry about it. People buy FJ's because of their ruggedness and top rated Toyota reliability. If that image is lost, people will not buy them and resale value will tank.

I think I know how you will reply to this. All the more reason for them to settle this issue. Again, good point!

[cruiserlarry]

fjdave5341 previously said:

Larry,
You make good points and I apologize if you took my posting personally in any way. I suppose I was partially venting frustration when I wrote it. I have read the posts in detail (one of the inner fender postings had 200 plus pages to it that I read through). While I can dismiss things like paint chips and windows as nitpicky (its an off-road vehicle after all). The inner fender issue is a major concern. Visions of cars like the Pacer, Vega, and Citroen pop in my head when I read about it (I read the same thing in another post). This issue is starting to make its way outside of these forums, even wikapedia has an entry about it. People buy FJ's because of their ruggedness and top rated Toyota reliability. If that image is lost, people will not buy them and resale value will tank.

I think I know how you will reply to this. All the more reason for them to settle this issue. Again, good point!

No personal issue for me - just wanted to be clear why there is so much info about the issues on this site. If you do read through the postings, you'll find the inner fender issue is not structural in the sense it does not affect the chassis intergrity in any way - the car wont break in half or anything like that. And, believe me, there are many here (including myself) who are very frustrated with this situation.

Forums and the internet in general allow people to anonimously sound off about things - sometimes for good reasons, sometimes not. While a lot of what has been posted about these issues is inaccurate (especially on other "Toyota-bashing" forums), the proliferation of conversation on this problem will hopefully lead to a quicker resolution by Toyota, to prevent negative feedback on their products for future sales, and to keep current customers content.

Either way, the problem exists, and needs to be fixed. That's my purpose in participating in discussions regarding these issues.

We all appreciate your input, and I'm sorry if my reply to you came off harsh - not my intent. I hope you will find the FJC to be the amazing off-road vehicle I do.

[fjdave5341]

I spoke to a Mr. Jim Daswon at Toyota of Lake City today as well as Toyota USA in regards to this issue. Both assured me that Toyota is well aware of the problem and is working on a permanent solution to it, not only for the FJ's yet to be sold but also the ones that people like us already own. There is a legacy behind this vehicle and Toyota plans a big future for it as well. I had read this same thing on other posts but helped put my mind at ease about it hearing it from the horses mouth. This also gave me a whole new outlook on the various complaints I read about on the fourm, after all it is this one that brought the item to Toyotas attention (well done!). Both people I spoke to said this was not a aftermarket lift/bumper, offroad or safety issue. They also said that while an answer will most likely not be available in weeks; they will get a answer/solution out there with the right fix as soon as possible. Mr. Dawson was very professional and helpful, knows a great deal about this issue and as a plus is an FJ owner himself with buldges.

[thugasaur]

[quote=fjdave5341;741563]

cruiserlarry previously said:

. If that image is lost, people will not buy them and resale value will tank.

dave please dont take this as a insult but for the most part you dont buy the fj for resale value its more of a history/legend kind of thing this isnt your regular chevy!

[fjdave5341]

thugasaur previously said:

dave please dont take this as a insult but for the most part you dont buy the fj for resale value its more of a history/legend kind of thing this isnt your regular chevy!

Thug,
I'm quickly learning that....ironically, my last vehicle was a regular ford. Love the FJ and have learned the value of the forum. Gimmie a break, I'm still a rookie on this thing

[Chatsworth 818 FJ]

My large bulge hasnt increased since I discovered it a few months ago. (that kinds sounded dirty)