YearToAvoid

2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser has a Complaint Index of 67 and ranks 4th worst out of 10 model years, earning a Caution verdict. NHTSA lists 40 complaints, 4 recalls, and 1 fire report, with Structure & Body issues the top concern at 33% of complaints.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
67/100
#4 of 10 FJ Cruiser years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
40
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
4
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
0
reported in complaints
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Top issue
Structure & Body
Best nearby year
2011
rated Good
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
18
17 city / 20 hwy
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Top 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Structure & Body13 (33%)
  2. Steering9 (23%)
  3. Other8 (20%)
  4. Suspension, Wheels & Tires8 (20%)
  5. Seat Belts5 (13%)
  6. Engine2 (5%)
  7. Brakes1 (3%)
  8. Electrical System1 (3%)
  9. Transmission & Powertrain1 (3%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers1 (3%)

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

What owners report

  • Steering wheel shimmies or shakes at highway speeds between roughly 50 and 70 mph, often persisting after tire balancing and alignment.
  • A driver's seat reportedly sinks and tilts backward while driving, pulling away from the steering wheel and pedals.
  • Owners report lug nut studs breaking during routine service, with the parts described as sourced from China.
  • A vehicle reportedly caught fire in the engine area while parked at low mileage.
  • One owner reported the rear bumper sinking and front end rising when a wheelchair lift was installed, questioning the vehicle's weight capacity.
2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser complaints: complaints filed per month2Nov 2011Feb 2013Aug 2014Jun 2018Nov 2020Jan 2022Oct 2023
40 complaints filed with NHTSA from Nov 2011 to Aug 2026; peak Sep 2012 (2).

2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser recalls

4 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 4 recalls for the 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser →

2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser fuel economy and fuel cost

City
17 MPG
Highway
20 MPG
Combined
18 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,600
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.

2012 compared with other FJ Cruiser years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002006200720082009201020112012201320142015
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Avoid78661018
2011Good3323619
2012Caution6740418
2013Caution5623418
2014Good4430518

All Toyota FJ Cruiser years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser reliable?
Compared to other FJ Cruiser years, 2012 ranks 4th worst out of 10 with a Complaint Index of 67 and a Caution verdict based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 FJ Cruiser?
Structure & Body issues lead at 33% of complaints, followed by Steering at 23% and Suspension, Wheels & Tires at 20%, according to NHTSA data.
Does the 2012 FJ Cruiser have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2012 FJ Cruiser, covering seat belt retractors, auxiliary lighting bulbs, accessory wheel/tire labeling, and a tire placard label issue; none are do-not-drive recalls.
Which FJ Cruiser years are worse than 2012?
NHTSA complaint data shows 2007, 2008, and 2010 rank worse than 2012, all carrying Avoid verdicts with higher Complaint Index values of 100, 89, and 78 respectively.
What is the fuel economy of the 2012 FJ Cruiser?
EPA rates the 2012 FJ Cruiser at 18 mpg combined (17 city / 20 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,600.

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.