YearToAvoid

2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

20/100

#5 most-complained of 6 FJ Cruiser years

The 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser ranks 5th out of 6 model years for reported problems, with a complaint index of 20 and 23 NHTSA complaints, making it one of the better years for this model. Its top issue area is Suspension, Wheels & Tires.

Complaints
23
Recalls
6
Crashes / fires
1 / 0
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19
17 city / 21 hwy

Top 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (39%)
  2. Steering8 (35%)
  3. Structure & Body5 (22%)
  4. Electrical System3 (13%)
  5. Brakes2 (9%)
  6. Other2 (9%)
  7. Visibility & Wipers2 (9%)
  8. Airbags1 (4%)
  9. Fuel System1 (4%)
  10. Seat Belts1 (4%)

What owners report

  • Steering wheel or column shakes violently between 55 and 70 mph, described by multiple owners as unsafe on the highway.
  • Vehicle shimmy at 55 to 65 mph persists even after tires were replaced, rebalanced, and aligned multiple times at dealers.
  • Undercarriage and frame show heavy corrosion/rust, reported by more than one owner and noticed as early as 2,500 miles.
  • Rear view camera fogs and freezes in cold weather, making visibility difficult.
  • Auxiliary light kit recall repair was requested multiple times over six months without being completed.
  • A parked vehicle reportedly rolled and struck a house despite being in park with the parking brake engaged, at 71,000 miles.
2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser complaints: complaints filed per month4Jun 2011Jul 2012Apr 2013Jun 2015Jul 2017Sep 2019Feb 2023
34 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jun 2011 to May 2026; peak Aug 2012 (4).

2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser recalls

6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 14V475000Aug 4, 2014Other20,000 vehicles

    Equipment:other:labels

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 FJ Cruiser and Tacoma vehicles equipped with accessory wheels and tires installed by Toyota or dealers prior to the vehicle's first sale. The affected vehicles may list incorrect spare tire size and/or cold tire inflation information on the tire placard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

    Risk: If the spare tire is inflated to the incorrect pressure provided on the placard, tire failure may occur while it is being driven on, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: For the involved vehicles, overlay stickers to correct the tire placard will either be mailed to owners or provided to dealers for placement over the incorrect information on the placard. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

  2. NHTSA 13V163000Apr 25, 2013Electrical System208,000 vehicles

    Exterior lighting

    Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2007-2013 FJ Cruiser vehicles manufactured January 25, 2006 through February 23, 2013 and equipped with a Toyota Auxiliary Driving Lamp Kits mounted to the front bumper. These lamp assemblies include 55 watt bulbs and due to this wattage and mounting angle, the combination of the upper beam headlamps plus the auxiliary lamps are too bright and exceed the maximum light output allowed for an upper beam headlamp. Therefore, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."

    Risk: Light intensities above the maximum allowable limit could cause increased glare for oncoming traffic and increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the 55 watt bulbs with 35 watt bulbs, free of charge. The recall began on June 6, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

  3. NHTSA 13V123000Apr 9, 2013Other7,525 vehicles

    Equipment:other:labels

    Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

    Risk: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.

    Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

See all 6 recalls for the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser →

2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser fuel economy and fuel cost

City
17 MPG
Highway
21 MPG
Combined
19 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,400
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2011 compared with other FJ Cruiser years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100201020112012201320142015
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Avoid100661018
2011Best2023619
2012Avoid8040418
2013Caution6023418

All Toyota FJ Cruiser years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser reliable?
Among FJ Cruiser model years, 2011 ranks 5th out of 6 with a complaint index of 20, giving it a 'Best' verdict relative to other years. It has 23 NHTSA complaints and 6 recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 FJ Cruiser?
NHTSA data shows the top problem areas are Suspension, Wheels & Tires (9 complaints, 39%) and Steering (8 complaints, 35%), often involving steering shake or shimmy at highway speeds.
Does the 2011 FJ Cruiser have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2011 FJ Cruiser, covering tire pressure monitoring system calibration, an auxiliary driving lamp kit, and seat belt retractors mounted in the rear door panels.
How does the 2011 FJ Cruiser compare to other years?
The 2011 model's complaint index of 20 is much lower than 2010 (100, Avoid) and 2012 (80, Avoid), but higher than 2014 (40, Good) and 2015 (0).

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.