Busted diff

[bjb]

Given this and the inner fender problem, along with Toyota's attitude, I will soon be putting my FJC up fo sale. Just as soon as I get it cleaned up and can put a sign on it.

[Sean K.]

bjb previously said:

Given this and the inner fender problem, along with Toyota's attitude, I will soon be putting my FJC up fo sale. Just as soon as I get it cleaned up and can put a sign on it.

Are you reading this Toyota? Better get your heads out of your collective asses or you're going to be in the same boat as GM with quality issues you choose to ignore.

Frankly, I'm disappointed enough that I'm not sure I'd consider another Toyota at this point and I've owned 8 now.

STEP UP!

Sean

[FJCRUSR]

Sean K. previously said:

Sounds like we need to start a letter writing campaign or all start inundating the customer service call center with complaints about this early production part warranting a recall.

Sean

We still don't know that the part is defective!
Maybe too week for the job?
We keep talking about a defective part but where's the proof??
I don't think I'll have my way with Toyota(see sig), so when I rebuild the old broken diff I'll send the broken gears to crusherII for testing...

[Garsgrl]

All of these busted rear diff's are starting to scare me. Definitley consdering im in the early group of buyers.

[Slingerdoo]

I am all for a letter writing campaign. I'll work on a letter this weekend and post it so we can all send it in.

Also, on a local level, I'd like to have BIG vinyl stickers made for the side and rear windows saying "Don't buy an FJ" or "Don't buy from ______". Give those out to the local group and have a lunch/happy hour near the dealership. We won't be on the dealership property, but we'll be VERY VISIBLE.

I talked to FJCRUSR last night and the way he was treat at Toyota Mall of Georgia is pitiful!

[Sean K.]

FJCRUSR previously said:

We still don't know that the part is defective!
Maybe too week for the job?
We keep talking about a defective part but where's the proof??
I don't think I'll have my way with Toyota(see sig), so when I rebuild the old broken diff I'll send the broken gears to crusherII for testing...

We have a pretty good idea. First off, there are TWO part numbers according to Homedad for the rear gears. His were replaced once with the early part number, they failed, then they were replaced with a second part number.....and those are still in the rear end.

Second, there's the internet rumor (how would we confirm this?) that Toyota was using a gear vendor in Mexico for the first production runs of FJC rear ends. Supposedly, once Toyota found out that there was a heat treat or vendor problem.....they switched vendors back to the gear cutters they normally use.....the same ones they've used since 1979 for the mini-truck 7.8" axle that built one helluva reputation as a very strong gearset over the last 28 years.

3rd....even if you're correct that the part is "too weak for the job".....and I can see that point....afterall, 236 hp is a far cry from the less than 90 hp available in first generation mini-trucks....but those trucks have also seen much harder offroad use with 38"+ tire sizes, ridiculous gearing (over 200:1) and full lockers so I'm not sure that argument holds water.....that still doesn't remove Toyota from the blame. If the part was too weak for the HP the engine produces....it's still a product defect and it should be warrantied.

Sean

[crusherII]

Do we know the 2 different part numbers for the gear?

It may be inexpensive to get 1 of each and see the differences?

[PaulThePhotographer]

Toyota says:
Driving your FJ Cruiser off-road does not automatically void your warranty but any component damaged by the off-road driving or performance problems resulting from the off-road driving would not be covered.

WHAT????

I thought that was why I bought the FJC, all the flash movies on the TOYOTA FJC website showing the FJC crawling over rocks, telling how they engineered this or that to be able to do this off road thing or that off road thing.

Now they say this statement above! Which makes no sense by itself!

BTW, wasn't this diff destroyed WITH the Toyota Trail Team present? Maybe they were even spotting?

Did the Toyota Trail Team tell these FJC people that these trails would void their warranty? Doesn't the TOYOTA Trail Team REPRESENT Toyota?

IMHO

[AF Chief]

I thought it was pretty much confirmed there was an issue with a vendor and the new part number has been out since at least 2/07.

[crusherII]

Fujio Cho, Chairman and Representative Director
Katsuhiro Nakagawa, Vice chairman and Representative Director
Katsuaki Watanabe, President and Representative Director
Shoichiro Toyoda, Honorary Chairman[1]

1 Toyota-Cho, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture 471-8571, Japan

I would work together as 1 voice, and address directly to the above. I would be polite and stern, I would present a review of all problems and all data of the failures.

From what I understand of the Toyota and Similar systems of manufacturing, if a problem manages to reach this level it will usually have some action.

1. Toyota prides itself as a family, it sees customers as the driver for future advancements, so it prides itself in keeping customers.
2. Toyota puts quality and reliability as a top goal, safety is usually first, direct contact from dissatisfied consumers in any amount and justified will cause some response. Even if it is a direct NO, it is a response.
3. We are having to deal with many levels of dealers, service managers, call centers etc, and that is just North America. Direct contact may be the way to go.

Is it possible that we can all work together on this?

Please remember the vehicle is from Japan, it is not built in North America. There may be a little piece of global politics being played here.

It also seems there is a trend of the South East Region Toyota not wanting to do anything, isnt this just one family owned franchise? I also remember SET changing and adding accesories and not getting base models.