AI Damage2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser filed 124 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 124
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 34% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 28% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 4% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 4% of all complaints
- Structure: 42 complaints (34% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 35 complaints (28% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 14 complaints (11% of all).
- Seat belts: 13 complaints (10% of all).
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: AWD, RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 124 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 42 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 35 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I have impacted more than three vehicles behind the above mentioned vehicle because the back part is too high and it affects visibility to lower cars. This car does not have any reverse camera or sensor.
Loss of brakes, tried to stop. Both feet applied to brakes and nothing. This was a t stop with a 20' drop on the other side of the road . This was on a road driven constantly in our neighborhood.
A rod engine failed and caused the crash to occur. The contact was injured. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop but the engine was replaced at the contacts expense by an authorized dealer. The vin was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 8,600. The current mileage was approximately 15,000.
Front tire blew out rear tire has "bubble" in same area. The vehicle is a 2008 toyota fj cruiser.
The complete fracturing of the steering knuckle resulted in an immediate, unpreventable loss of steering control on the driver's side wheel. This sudden structural failure forced the front wheel assembly out of alignment, completely disabling the vehicle's steering mechanics and bending the lower drop crossmember…
The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased steering wheel rotation before the vehicle started to maneuver in either direction. No warning lights were illuminated.
The frame of the vehicle is rotted out. Holes in it. Front to back , side to side ROTTED. TOYOTA DEALER looked at it at my request when it was in for service and said it was very bad. Iâm [XXX] on Social Security, I cannot afford a frame or a new car.
the brakes are constantly binding up due to rust and need replaced, recently ABS brake lines rusted off causing me to miss a stop sign, very dangerous, Upper rear control arm mount rusted and cracked completely off causing steering and braking problems and had to be replaced to even use this vehicle, , The front rack…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,056 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the FJ Cruiser has 91 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 124, above average.
What to check before buying
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, service brakes, suspension. Total complaints: 124. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (21%), seat belts (13%), brake failure (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.