Engine Bay Body Rips

[JAXTOY]

07Tonka previously said:

Same here , had to pull the icons and a arms before they would touch the car under warranty, got it fixed though

I did show them the rip at 12k and added the mods after fyi

Why did you have to do that? I suspect I will have to remove my 2nd battery and maybe my bumper, but not my suspension.

[07Tonka]

The factory rep claimed he was not allowed to approve any repairs to vehicles with non stock suspension.

I can’t say enough about the local dealer, part of Penske where I bought the truck. They went to bat for me, yet were very quiet about it. First words from them was ... this is a truck built to go off road and it was the end of the end of that. I never heard anything to the contrary. – part of the Penske group in southern california.

ARB bumber and Warn were ok per the rep and stayed on the truck - poor thing looked like a blue Zamboni coming back from the shop

[Semtorque]

First off .. Hi... I love my FJ.... but... 4 months into ownership and with a total of 5000 mile on the odo... I can't close my hood without chipping the paint and have become a member of the "battle of the bulge " club....

I drive on Michigan roads... all flat except for the occasional pot-hole, I do not off road... only some loose gravel patches on the way to a golf course or mountain biking... my mileage is 50/50 highway/city and my truck is a stocker with offroad pkg... no towing, no accidents, nothing...

So... its off to the dealer I go...I really just want a decent fix... come-on TOYOTA.... I was expecting better....

[spincycle]

Semtorque previously said:

First off .. Hi... I love my FJ.... but... 4 months into ownership and with a total of 5000 mile on the odo... I can't close my hood without chipping the paint and have become a member of the "battle of the bulge " club....

I drive on Michigan roads... all flat except for the occasional pot-hole, I do not off road... only some loose gravel patches on the way to a golf course or mountain biking... my mileage is 50/50 highway/city and my truck is a stocker with offroad pkg... no towing, no accidents, nothing...

So... its off to the dealer I go...I really just want a decent fix... come-on TOYOTA.... I was expecting better....

You're having this problem on a new ('09?) model FJ with 5k miles?

We would all very much appreciate pictures to verify the location and extent of the issue with your vehicle. If you need help posting pictures, let us know.

Reports of cracks/bulges/failures at this position in late-model bodies is worrisome, so as much information we can collect the better.

And some general advice: take pictures, document mileage, dates, mods installed at that time, etc. Take it to the dealer and make sure you walk away with written documentation of the issue.

And some advice that others might disagree with (long history in this and other threads): be polite, respectful, don't accuse the dealer, service manager, regional representative, Toyota, etc. of anything. Just be chill, document everythhing, be friendly.

[other1]

His FJ is a 2008 stock brick MT.

[richbradbury]

Re: Body Rips – Has anyone considered the fact that since the FJ Cruiser had to meet federal “street” collision requirements for 2007? It might be nearly impossible to build a real 4x4 that’s crumple zones aren’t effected? This would explain why 4x4’s of the past don’t crack. They didn’t have to fair as well in head-on collisions. So, it’s possible that Toyota’s hands were tied? Since the vehicle cracks at the designed crumple zones, this seems like the most plausible explanation from an engineering standpoint.

My FJ is a brand new (5 days old) 2008 (built 02/2008) with the off road package, courtesy package, roof rack, running boards, heavy duty floor mats – six speed manual. Digital Camo Paint (custom by the dealer). I would love any feedback RE: body rips. I did call eight Toyota repair shops in three states before my purchase and only one person had heard of the rips. None had seen a vehicle with damage. The one guy who’d heard of the rips told me that he was told in class that this can happen if the vehicle is jumped. They also all told me that this would be covered as long as the suspension isn’t modified? I paid $22,385 for the vehicle after haggling with two dealers for a long time. Was this an okay price?

[MountainMan]

my rig is in the shop getting repaired right now, since it seems that the reality is that the 'fix' is suspect, TOY is mostly rejecting these after warranty, i am at 29K miles, i have a lift and tires sitting in my garage for once i get it back, if the signs start to show again after the fix at all, i will probably have to sell, i cant handle a $4-8K repair out of pocket every few years with this rig, it would break my heart if it comes to that i wish toyota would just cowboy up and say they will take care of this, no matter what...

[spincycle]

other1 previously said:

His FJ is a 2008 stock brick MT.

Yep, missed that in his sig. Would be nice to know what month build it is (i.e, rev 2 or rev 3 parts).

[SkyKing]

richbradbury previously said:

Re: Body Rips – Has anyone considered the fact that since the FJ Cruiser had to meet federal “street” collision requirements for 2007? It might be nearly impossible to build a real 4x4 that’s crumple zones aren’t effected? This would explain why 4x4’s of the past don’t crack. They didn’t have to fair as well in head-on collisions. So, it’s possible that Toyota’s hands were tied? Since the vehicle cracks at the designed crumple zones, this seems like the most plausible explanation from an engineering standpoint.

My FJ is a brand new (5 days old) 2008 (built 02/2008) with the off road package, courtesy package, roof rack, running boards, heavy duty floor mats – six speed manual. Digital Camo Paint (custom by the dealer). I would love any feedback RE: body rips. I did call eight Toyota repair shops in three states before my purchase and only one person had heard of the rips. None had seen a vehicle with damage. The one guy who’d heard of the rips told me that he was told in class that this can happen if the vehicle is jumped. They also all told me that this would be covered as long as the suspension isn’t modified? I paid $22,385 for the vehicle after haggling with two dealers for a long time. Was this an okay price?

I think your price was good. I can tell you, for sure, that I paid a lot more for my TRD...
Now as far as older trucks and front end crashes... My old Blazer is built like a small tank. Head to head, I might just be able to crush an FJ with it. It was not made to crumple, and it would just kill an FJ in a crash. The frame is about twice as thick as any Toyota frame I have seen (it does still flex, but nothing like my FJ). After reading about the Toyota Prado, I don't think model year, or fender thickness will change the outcome, our truck flex so much, I can't see any real fix for this (well, maybe a new frame). It is a design flaw, that Toyota should be made to correct, or replace all that were sold. I think we have all been taken for a ride. The Prado came out years before the FJ was even a thought, and it's fender problems have never been "fixed". So what did Toyota do? They made a truck on the same frame, and sure enough, it has the same problem.

With auto sales so bad, now is the time to hit the media about this. I don't think Toyota would let a class action make it through court at this time, because it would hurt sales even more.

I do know that Spincycle has had his "fixed", if you can call it fixed...
I agree with him 100%. If you go to a dealer and start yelling, it will not help at all. Be cool, act nice, and tell them you love them. It looks like Toyota is rejecting warranty claims any way possible.
Oh, what a feeling!

I still love my FJ, it is a great truck, it just has this one real big problem.

[07Tonka]

I wanted to second the be polite advice. Be polite but go in well armed with print outs from this forum.

If mine rips again - its a tube front end and fiberglass fenders. If its coming out of my pocket we will fix it right - grin


... I keep looking for kits online, come on guys,