thanks for the quick responses... I'm gonna give the picture thing a shot so here we go.... I remember looking into the build date a while ago... as I recall its an early summer 08 build... Anyway I headed over to FOX toyota in Rochester Hills and had the body shop manager and service managers staring at the problem and telling me that they are contacting the factory reps engineering and service reps this afternoon ... so it sound like we are heading down the right path.... the exterior pictures are a bit small for showing the exterior part of the problem...but the hood is now under the fender outer on the RHS and the side pictures shows the gaps to the door panel decreasing at the top of the door to ~3-4mm while the gap to the plastic cowl garnish gaping toward the a pillar around 6mm ( the seal does not touch the fender) and forward corner of the cowl garnish fully compressing the gap seal... it looks like the fender is rotating in a counterclockwise direction...
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2008 Brick, m/t, all stock, debadged, Thule spare tire bike rack, fender bulge at 5k miles
Last edited by Semtorque : 04-27-2009 at 09:34 PM.
I get mine back on friday! I can't freaking wait. 4 weeks in a corolla has been like 4 weeks at the go kart course. Toyota did not get mine fixed within the 30 days allowed by arbitration, they could not find a body shop willing to do the work (keep in mine im in a town with 500,000 people), but I have yet to find out what that means, only that they did not comply with the arbitration agreement. None the less I get it on Friday! Super excited. Then my Metal tech bumpers, light racings uca's, IPF lights and black paint on the rims and silver plastic can FINALLY happen!
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Here are some fender tear resources. I hope you find them useful. Please file complaints with your state attorney general and with the NHTSA. Lets make it impossible for Toyota to ignore this plague. http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forum...resources.html
This is a USA only niche vehicle...WRITE NTSB, TOYOTA, COMPLAIN EVERYWHERE YOU CAN (politely of course).
Strength in numbers-But being a small "niche" (unusual for Toyota), percentage-wise, that many more need to b!tch!
This is not only a USA niche vehicle problem. The FJ shares the same platform as the Prado which was available in Asia and Australia back in 2003. The fender apron issue was reported back then except not a lot of yanks know about it since it wasnt imported or manufactured in US.
BTW, there was no recall or admittance by TMC in Asia and or Australia on that issue. There was also no "real fix" supplied by TMC.
Some of the members here has the first and second generation fender apron ripped or bulged. They are on their third gen, I believe.
And Im sure youll b!tch too when you'll have them.
Just filled out the NHTSA form after toyota denied me. They had three engineers from Japan looking at my car, and decided it was caused by 33 inch tires and OME coilovers. So, my truck will sit in the garage for two years while I am away.
I hope my fenders don't fall off in the mean time.
OME heavies, ARB bumper with Warn 8K winch, 33'' tires.
Toyota did not get mine fixed within the 30 days allowed by arbitration, they could not find a body shop willing to do the work (keep in mine im in a town with 500,000 people), but I have yet to find out what that means, only that they did not comply with the arbitration agreement.
If I was a bodyshop I wouldnt touch this repair either....
With the history as others have mentioned, I'll go back and state again - its a frame problem, not an inner fender problem.
I, am going to look into building a rollcage-like frame from the front body mount up to the firewall - something has to be made to stiffen the front end.
Why aren't you people with this issue filling out the NHTSA forms correctly?
I hear lots of complaints on a regular basis, but no NHTSA complaints are being filed on a regular basis.
You have an expensive repair issue, but you won't do anything about it?
Those that have had it fixed by Toyota need to fill out the form to report the issue as well. Just because you had it fixed, don't screw everyone else over and act like it didn't happen in the first place.
Report the problem so that Toyota is forced to fix this for EVERYONE.
Why aren't you people with this issue filling out the NHTSA forms correctly?
I hear lots of complaints on a regular basis, but no NHTSA complaints are being filed on a regular basis.
You have an expensive repair issue, but you won't do anything about it?
Those that have had it fixed by Toyota need to fill out the form to report the issue as well. Just because you had it fixed, don't screw everyone else over and act like it didn't happen in the first place.
Report the problem so that Toyota is forced to fix this for EVERYONE.
I agree 110%! Well said!
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Sun Fusion 4X4 AT CQ GY DL FE XY PW CA TC QS
Mods to date: New and Improved Tire cover, with the FJ, tire tracks, and the word "Cruiser" free-hand painted by my wonderful wife
A-Trac,Dual horn,Goodyear Fortera Silent Armor's w/MB Razor wheels
Florida "Shark" specialty license plate saying "KRUSR"
Linear Mode
