What year Toyota FJ Cruiser should I avoid?

NHTSA data points to 2007, 2008, and 2010 as the years to avoid. 2007 has the highest complaint index at 100 with 593 complaints and 8 recalls.

Which Toyota FJ Cruiser year is the best?

No FJ Cruiser year earns a Best verdict. The lowest-risk years rated Good are 2011 (complaint index 33) and 2014 (complaint index 44).

What are the most common problems with the FJ Cruiser?

Across all years, Structure & Body issues make up 37% of complaints (339 total), followed by Suspension, Wheels & Tires at 17% and Brakes at 15%.

Why is the 2009 FJ Cruiser rated Caution instead of Good?

The 2009 model has a low complaint index of 22 but is capped to Caution because it carries 10 recall campaigns requiring a dealer visit.

How many total complaints and recalls does the FJ Cruiser have?

Across model years 2006-2015, NHTSA lists 907 total complaints and 17 recall campaigns for the Toyota FJ Cruiser.

Toyota FJ Cruiser Best and Worst Years (2006–2015)

Toyota FJ Cruiser years to avoid are 2007, 2008, and 2010, with 2007 the worst at a complaint index of 100 and 593 complaints. 2011 and 2014 are rated Good with lower complaint indexes of 33 and 44. No FJ Cruiser year earns a Best verdict.

Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls per model-year, ranked within this model — not a reliability rating. Methodology.

Avoid 2007 Avoid 2008 Avoid 2010

Model years: 10; 2006–2015
NHTSA complaints: 907
Recall campaigns: 17
Crashes reported: 26
Fires reported: 8
Top problem area: Structure & Body

FJ Cruiser Complaint Index by year

Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

Toyota FJ Cruiser problems and recalls by year

Year	Verdict	Index	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Recalls	Top issue	MPG	NCAP
2006	No verdict	11	1	0	0	0	Brakes	—	—
2007	Avoid	100	593	15	5	8	Structure & Body	17	—
2008	Avoid	89	124	5	1	9	Structure & Body	17	—
2009	Caution	22	7	0	0	10	Transmission & Powertrain	17	—
2010	Avoid	78	66	3	1	10	Suspension, Wheels & Tires	18	—
2011	Good	33	23	1	0	6	Suspension, Wheels & Tires	19	—
2012	Caution	67	40	0	1	4	Structure & Body	18	—
2013	Caution	56	23	1	0	4	Structure & Body	18	—
2014	Good	44	30	1	0	5	Structure & Body	18	—
2015	No verdict	0	0	0	0	1	—	—	—

FJ Cruiser years to avoid: what went wrong

2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser Index 100 · 593 complaints · 8 recalls

The 2007 FJ Cruiser has the highest complaint index (100) of any year, with 593 complaints and 8 recalls. Structure & Body issues dominate, making up 41% of complaints at a median 62,500 miles, followed by Suspension, Wheels & Tires (16%, median 98,000 miles) and Visibility & Wipers (13%, median 3,500 miles). Owners reported 15 crashes, 5 fires, and 9 injuries. Recalls covered auxiliary lamp bulbs and seat/cushion heater wiring shared across several Toyota models.

2007 structure & body problems →2007 suspension, wheels & tires problems →2007 visibility & wipers problems →

2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser Index 89 · 124 complaints · 9 recalls

The 2008 model carries a complaint index of 89 across 124 complaints and 9 recalls. Structure & Body problems account for 35% of complaints (median 34,000 miles), Brakes 28% (median 25,000 miles), and Suspension, Wheels & Tires 15% (median 40,000 miles). NHTSA logs 5 crashes, 1 fire, and 3 injuries for the year. Recalls addressed seat heater wiring and accessory wheel/tire placards shared with other Toyota vehicles.

2008 structure & body problems →2008 brakes problems →2008 suspension, wheels & tires problems →

2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser Index 78 · 66 complaints · 10 recalls

The 2010 FJ Cruiser has a complaint index of 78 from 66 complaints and 10 recalls. Suspension, Wheels & Tires leads at 27% of complaints (median 10,800 miles), Brakes at 26% (median 5,900 miles), and Steering at 20% (median 4,300 miles), pointing to failures reported at relatively low mileage. NHTSA records 3 crashes, 1 fire, and 3 injuries. Recalls covered heater wiring and tire placard corrections carried over from earlier model years.

2010 suspension, wheels & tires problems →2010 brakes problems →

Most common Toyota FJ Cruiser problems (all years)

Share of NHTSA complaints by component group across all model years.

Structure & Body339 (37%)
Suspension, Wheels & Tires158 (17%)
Brakes137 (15%)
Other117 (13%)
Visibility & Wipers92 (10%)
Transmission & Powertrain65 (7%)
Steering63 (7%)
Engine52 (6%)
Fuel System50 (6%)
Seat Belts50 (6%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

Frequently asked questions

What year Toyota FJ Cruiser should I avoid?: NHTSA data points to 2007, 2008, and 2010 as the years to avoid. 2007 has the highest complaint index at 100 with 593 complaints and 8 recalls.
Which Toyota FJ Cruiser year is the best?: No FJ Cruiser year earns a Best verdict. The lowest-risk years rated Good are 2011 (complaint index 33) and 2014 (complaint index 44).
What are the most common problems with the FJ Cruiser?: Across all years, Structure & Body issues make up 37% of complaints (339 total), followed by Suspension, Wheels & Tires at 17% and Brakes at 15%.
Why is the 2009 FJ Cruiser rated Caution instead of Good?: The 2009 model has a low complaint index of 22 but is capped to Caution because it carries 10 recall campaigns requiring a dealer visit.
How many total complaints and recalls does the FJ Cruiser have?: Across model years 2006-2015, NHTSA lists 907 total complaints and 17 recall campaigns for the Toyota FJ Cruiser.