The Lemon Index

All cars · Toyota FJ Cruiser · 2012

2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index–100 = average car
Complaints16NHTSA, first 3 years

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 300 and 7,000 miles. Median 1,000, from 15 complaints with a mileage.

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Steering50%
Suspension12%
Wheels12%
Body structure12%
Seats12%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
1600000

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 5

  • 14V475000 Aug 2014 Equipment / Other / Labels

    Defect. 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.

  • 13V163000 Apr 2013 Exterior Lighting

    Defect. 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

    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.

  • 13V123000 Apr 2013 Equipment / Other / Labels

    Defect. 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 ad

    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.

  • 13V098000 Mar 2013 Seat Belts / Front / Anchorage

    Defect. Toyota is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2013 FJ Cruiser passenger vehicles. The retractors for the front driver and passenger seat belts are mounted in the access door (rear door) panels of the vehicle. Due to insufficient strength of the access door panel, cracks may develop in the panel if the access door is repeatedly and forcefully closed over an extended period of time.

    Risk. If cracks occur in the panel around the lower retractor anchor, the seat belt retractor could become detached, which could increase the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.

    Remedy. The safety recall began on June 6, 2013. Toyota will mail an interim letter to owners late in April 2013. Remedy notifications to the owners for the repair will begin in late May 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

  • 12E046000 Oct 2012 Equipment

    Defect. Toyota is recalling certain Toyota Racing Development (TRD) brake kits, P/N PTR09-35070, and TRD High-Performance brake kits, P/N PTR09-35100, installed by Toyota vehicle processing centers and sold by Toyota dealers as an optional accessory for model year 2007 through 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser vehicles. The subject TRD brake kit is specifically designed for the front wheels of 2007-2012 model year FJ Cruiser vehicles. Due to the shape of the outer brake tube of the brake kit, the clearance between the outer brake tube and a TRD 16 inch 6-spoke alloy wheel is minimal. If wheel balance weights a

    Risk. If a brake tube becomes damaged and leaks fluid, it may result in increased stopping distances, and in some cases, loss of vehicle front braking performance, which could increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy. All known owners of 2007-2012 model year FJ Cruiser vehicles will be notified by first class mail. If the vehicle is equipped with one of the TRD brake kits, the brake caliper outer brake tube will be replaced with a newly designed one at no charge. During this service, if necessary, the dealer will make wheel balance adjustments. This remedy will be performed even if the vehicle has original e

Manufacturer communications 203

Toyota filed 203 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • Some customers may encounter bluetooth connectivity concerns such as: difficulty pairing the…
  • Some customers may encounter Bluetooth connectivity concerns such as: * Difficulty to pair the…
  • Some customers may encounter Bluetooth connectivity concerns such as: *Difficulty to pair the…

Crash ratings by version

VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV 4WDnot ratednot ratednot rated★★★☆☆
Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV 2WDnot ratednot ratednot rated★★★☆☆

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardNoNo

Engines and drivetrains 3

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
4.0L 6-cylAuto 5-spdRWD17 / 20 / 19Regular$3,300
4.0L 6-cylAuto 5-spd4WD17 / 20 / 18Regular$3,450
4.0L 6-cylManual 6-spd4WD15 / 18 / 16Regular$3,900

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

YouTube repair topics

199 videos about the 2007–2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 14.8M views.

TopicVideosViews
Driveshaft, axles & 4x4199K
Infotainment, battery & electrical269K
Brakes & ABS520K
No-start: theft light, key & ignition218K
Transmission & shifter110K
Intake, EGR & engine sensors210K
Cooling system19K
Spark plugs & ignition coils13K

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
2009–3–Transmission & drivetrain
2010–32–Brakes
2011–12–Steering
2012–16–Steering
2013–7–Wipers & visibility
2014–10–Brakes

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data

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