I've started this thread with the hope that ALL FJ Cruiser owners will be made aware of a potentially serious problem that may affect their vehicle.
There have been a number of documented cases of the inner fender well aprons bulging, cracking, and ripping on 2007 FJ Cruisers - and as of this time, there has been no "official" announcement by Toyota regarding this issue.
At this time, the "official" cause has not been determined (or at least has not been revealed publicly by Toyota). While not publicly acknowledging the issue at this time, Toyota has been repairing vehicles on a case-by-case basis under warranty. There are several members of this forum, myself included, who have been using their affected vehicles as "guinea pigs", allowing Toyota to document, photograph, inspect, and remove parts for analysis in determining the cause and repairs required to alleviate the problem.
It appears this problem in more prevelant in earlier models, but that is not conclusive. It also appears aftermarket equipment and off-road usage are not the cause of this problem, and Toyota has not denied coverage to anyone because of the equipment installed on or the usage of their FJCs.
There are several threads in the "Problems / Dealer Service" section of this site that contain more details, pics of some of the affected vehicles, and polls that we hope all FJC owners will take the time to repond to.
Not all dealers are aware of this problem, either. If you suspect your vehicle might be affected, contact your dealer for an inspection by the local Toyota field engineer. This will document your situation to protect your future warranty coverage regarding this problem should it occur later, and if affected, present your available repair options. At this time, Toyota has introduced redesigned inner fender well apron panels, and they are replacing those panels, along with the front core support, in order to eliminate the problem.
The panels that are bulging / ripping are crush zones designed to reduce the tranfer of impact forces in the event of an accident. So, this problem has the potential to affect vehicle safety in an accident if damaged panels are not replaced. PLEASE TAKE THIS ISSUE SERIOUSLY AND HAVE YOUR VEHICLE INSPECTED FOR SYMPTOMS.
These are threads in the "Problems - Dealer Service" section of this forum that are related to this problem:
I've started this thread with the hope that ALL FJ Cruiser owners will be made aware of a potentially serious problem that may affect their vehicle.
There have been a number of documented cases of the inner fender well aprons bulging, cracking, and ripping on 2007 FJ Cruisers - and as of this time, there has been no "official" announcement by Toyota regarding this issue.
At this time, the "official" cause has not been determined (or at least has not been revealed publicly by Toyota). While not publicly acknowledging the issue at this time, Toyota has been repairing vehicles on a case-by-case basis under warranty. There are several members of this forum, myself included, who have been using their affected vehicles as "guinea pigs", allowing Toyota to document, photograph, inspect, and remove parts for analysis in determining the cause and repairs required to alleviate the problem.
It appears this problem in more prevelant in earlier models, but that is not conclusive. It also appears aftermarket equipment and off-road usage are not the cause of this problem, and Toyota has not denied coverage to anyone because of the equipment installed on or the usage of their FJCs.
There are several threads in the "Problems / Dealer Service" section of this site that contain more details, pics of some of the affected vehicles, and polls that we hope all FJC owners will take the time to repond to.
Not all dealers are aware of this problem, either. If you suspect your vehicle might be affected, contact your dealer for an inspection by the local Toyota field engineer. This will document your situation to protect your future warranty coverage regarding this problem should it occur later, and if affected, present your available repair options. At this time, Toyota has introduced redesigned inner fender well apron panels, and they are replacing those panels, along with the front core support, in order to eliminate the problem.
The panels that are bulging / ripping are crush zones designed to reduce the tranfer of impact forces in the event of an accident. So, this problem has the potential to affect vehicle safety in an accident if damaged panels are not replaced. PLEASE TAKE THIS ISSUE SERIOUSLY AND HAVE YOUR VEHICLE INSPECTED FOR SYMPTOMS.
These are threads in the "Problems - Dealer Service" section of this forum that are related to this problem:
Location: AZ boy (temporarily) transplanted to southeast GA.
Posts: 4,282
Re: Attention: ALL Current FJC Owners !!!
Quote:
CommGuru previously said:
Can Mods sticky on main (Home) page, or is that against the FJC image?
I just "stickied" this here within the General Discussion area, to where virtually every member typically pays a visit when they log on.
In my opinion, this is an important topic that all FJ Cruiser owners should at least know about. This notice should not be misinterpreted as a "sky is falling" panic trigger . . . . it's far from being what rumors throughout the Internet have since described it.
However, this should serve as a form of "public awareness" . . . . so that each individual member can determine if they happen to have this particular problem. And if so, what follow-up can be done if they do.
We must be one of the lucky ones. We bought ours in 4/06 and haven't had a problem yet.
Thanks for this thread Larry! and "KEEP EM ON IT!"
__________________
"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is, to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools"
SF, A/T, Conv. Pac.,Aeroflow HLC's, Demello sliders, Demello Skid plate, OME 2" lift, BFG A/T, K&N filter, Magnaflow exhaust, KC 100 watt and 130 watt slim lights, Two tone air horn,Demello prerunner bumper, rear tow hitch,Allpro LCA's and Skids, Mile marker PE8000 winch, Amsteel blue winch rope.
Treadlightly member.
Attention: ALL Current FJC Owners !!!
Linear Mode
