I hate to be a killjoy, but I am not so optimistic at this point. I don't currently have any problems, but I wanted to obtain answers to the following questions "just in case":
1. If my truck exhibits this cracking after 36000 miles will it be covered? The cracking seems to be an inherent defect.
2. If I take my FJ off-road and I have cracking, will Toyota stand behind this "flagship" off-road vehicle and repair crack damages?
3. What modifications to the vehicle could cause problems with warranty work on any possible cracking?
1. It sounds like Toyota is guaranteed to perform repairs outside the warranty period only if they issue a recall (not TSB).
2. If I choose to off-road the vehicle while in the warranty period to intentionally surface any defects, I am gambling that the repairs will not be covered since I took the vehicle off-road, and it becomes the regional Technical Specialists decision on a case-by-case basis.
3. Third, Toyota can use the existence of any modification to deny service.
Before any one else panics, I would like to comment that the responses you received from toyota are in conflict with the discussions some of us have had directly with their field inspectors, and may also may not be legaly accurate.
The Magnuson-Moss Act of 1973 specifically prevents an auto dealership or manufacturer from denying warranty coverage just because aftermarket parts are on a vehicle - they are required to demonstrate a causal relationship - and this may prove to be difficult, given even the results of the small sampling of FJCs in the forum poll. It is also very likely that, given the changes to the 08s and late 07s, they have been aware of the problem long before any of us will have used up our warranties, and will need to accomodate this situation to prevent a formal recall or legal action - both substantially more expensive alternatives for Toyota.
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i told them to take their time and if they need it for any reason to go ahead and use it. i am in no rush to get it back because i want them to use my truck for as much research as possible to help everyone else out.
but they said about another week or so.
Quote:
MudLovingFJ previously said:
thank you very much, FJ-Dozer.
if it werent for all you guys i never would have known of this problem, costing me lots of $$$ down the road.
plus, i need to give back to our community. this is for everyone who sends out free stuff and for those that share their mods and ideas with us. and a big plus, think of all the beer i will get at the next fj summit!
What a man. What a great group of people here.
I'll give you more rep as soon as I can. Thanks MudlovingFJ! And I believe you will buy no beer at the summit. We WILL take care of you and the lovely Mrs.
Edit:What the...??? How did I get Dragon's avatar??
Thanks for keeping us updated amigo! This issue has really been bothering me, and I was thinking about trading in the FJ for a Tacoma
After reading your post you may have provided justification for me to buy my lift and keep it
Make sure to get us some detailed pics of the "new" fender wall. I'm curious to see if it's just the later build '07 panel or something entirely different.
EDIT**
Can someone please tell me how to send rep points?
Today I had my meeting with the field rep and the service manager. Everything went as expected. The field rep looked at my vehicle and took pics. We talked about my off road use. He told me the vehicle was built for what I was doing with it. I showed him a stack of pics (thanks to all for posting and sending me your pics), I also told him of the thread. He didn't seem to know of it( so he said). I gave him my pics and the latest copy of the pole. He and I talked about what should be done next. He said that he could replace the inner fender all day long, but without knowing what caused it he could not promise it would not happen again. So he told me that he was going to check with Toyota and have the service manager get back to me.
I am very pleased with the outcome of my meeting to day. The field rep was quite nice and to the point. I have faith that Toyota will do the right thing and take care of us all with this problem. Its going to take a little time for everything to get figured out, but thats best for us all. I don't mind waiting if its going to fix the problem for good.
Today I had my meeting with the field rep and the service manager. Everything went as expected. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . Its going to take a little time for everything to get figured out, but thats best for us all. I don't mind waiting if its going to fix the problem for good.
Thank you all
Bernd
What's great is, your meeting with your rep was consistent, if not identical, to the meeting I had with my rep. Consistency on something like this is GOOD!!
I was told ny the body shop guy that it is possible that this issue is caused by the factory wheels and tires coming up and grabbing the inner fenders with stock suspension. this explains why it is happening to more of the stock trucks. my lift and wheels/tires were put on after 5k miles. i now have 14k. the cracks on my truck could have started when the truck was stock and since i have lifted it it could have stopped the cracking process.
Very interesting theory, MudLoving. Not to mention, pretty damn logical.
After all this worry and speculation about aftermarket accessories being the suspected culprits, wouldn't it be ironic as hell if bigger tires and lift kits were not only eliminated as being the cause of this problem . . . . . but in fact, they very well might be the cure??
Location: Somewhere where I don't know where I am. Actually, the OC
Posts: 3,769
Re: Engine Bay Body Rips
it would be pretty funny and ironic, wouldnt it.
but the funny thing is that everyones stock speedometer is off from the factory; it corrects itself when you put a larger tire on. a 285/70r17 actually displays the correct speed. isnt that a little interesting?
another culprit could have to do with the cowl shake i have noticed...maybe a weak portion in the body right at the cowl and inner fender panels.....but once again, dont quote me on it....
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and a big plus, think of all the beer i will get at the next fj summit! 
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