CSR

Toyota · NHTSA safety record

2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

65

Complaints

3

Crashes

1

Fires

3

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser have filed 65 safety complaints with NHTSA between February 2010 and June 2026. The most complained-about system is the steering, named in 13 of them (20%). The typical failure was reported at 14,500 miles, the median across the 55 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 10 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (10)

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

16V396000 · June 2, 2016

The defect
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
The risk
If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 7,749 vehicles across all model years covered

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

14V743000 · November 19, 2014

The defect
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
The risk
Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
The remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 3,233 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

14V475000 · August 4, 2014

The 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."
The 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.
The 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.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 20,000 vehicles across all model years covered

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

13V163000 · April 25, 2013

The 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, and associated equipment."
The risk
Light intensities above the maximum allowable limit could cause increased glare for oncoming traffic and increase the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 208,000 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

13V123000 · April 9, 2013

The 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 added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The 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.
The 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.

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 7,525 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

13V098000 · March 15, 2013

The 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.
The 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.
The 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.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 209,000 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

13V014000 · January 16, 2013

The defect
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
The risk
If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
The remedy
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 3,235 vehicles across all model years covered

TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

11V148000 · March 4, 2011

The defect
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 FJ CRUISER, LAND CRUISER, TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)." WHEN FACTORY-INSTALLED WHEELS AND TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH TOYOTA AUTHORIZED ACCESSORY WHEELS AND LT TIRES PRIOR TO FIRST SALE, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS WERE NOT RE-CALIBRATED CORRECTLY AND THEREFORE DO NOT START ILLUMINATING THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING TELLTALE AT THE REQUIRED MINIMUM ACTIVATION PRESSURE.
The risk
FAILURE TO WARN OF TIRE DEFLATIONS IS A NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 138 AND COULD LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy
FOR THE LAND CRUISER, SEQUOIA, TACOMA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES, THE DEALER WILL RE-CALIBRATE THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM ON AFFECTED VEHICLES AND INSTALL AN UPDATED TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL AT NO CHARGE. FOR THE FJ CRUISER VEHICLES, THE TPMS CANNOT BE RESET SO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FOR THE TPMS WILL BE REPLACED. TOYOTA IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THE REMEDY ECU. IF AN OWNER IS NOT CERTAIN WHETHER HIS OR HER VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THESE ACCESSORIES, PLEASE CONTACT ANY TOYOTA DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. · up to 22,000 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

10V036000 · February 3, 2010

The defect
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
The risk
A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.

SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, LLC · up to 153,418 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

10V035000 · February 3, 2010

The defect
GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 AND JUNE 2, 2008 WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
The risk
THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.

GULF STATES TOYOTA, INC. · up to 271,417 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 65.

STEERING 13 20%
STRUCTURE 13 20%
WHEELS 11 17%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 9 14%
SUSPENSION 7 11%
SERVICE BRAKES 6 9%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 8%
AIR BAGS 4 6%
SEAT BELTS 4 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 5%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2010 at 11.

2010 2026
2010 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · 61,000 miles

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED BUT DEFLATED. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG ALSO DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED NECK, HEAD, SPINE, HAND AND KNEE INJURIES. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

NHTSA complaint 10678627. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · 80,000 miles

FJ RAN OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE HEAD ON WITHOUT BRAKING. RIPPED THE FRAME IN HALF AND SPLIT A WHEEL IN HALF COMPLETELY IN TWO PIECES. GREATER THAN 17000 DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. FJ TOTALED OUT. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED A BROKEN COLLAR BONE. WHY DID AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOY? *TR

NHTSA complaint 10660783. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS

fire · 71,276 miles

UPON OPENING THE CAR DOOR ON THE MORNING OF 4/7/14, I DISCOVERED THAT SOMETIME BETWEEN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF APRIL 5 AND THE MORNING OF APRIL 7 THE INTERIOR CAUGHT FIRE. IT HAD BURNED ITSELF OUT BY THE TIME I DISCOVERED IT. DAMAGE TO THE 2 FRONT SEATS, THE CENTER CONSOLE AND ALL 4 WINDOW VISORS. INTERIOR OF VEHICLE IS COVERED WITH BLACK RESIDUE. THE FIRE APPEARS TO HAVE ORIGINATED IN OR NEAR THE CONSOLE BETWEEN THE 2 FRONT SEATS. THERE IS NO ELECTRICAL INPUTS IN THIS AREA (I.E. MP3 SLOT, ETC). THERE WERE NO COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS PRESENT THAT TO MY KNOWLEDGE COULD HAVE IGNITED. CAUSE OF FIRE UNKNOWN. NO PREVIOUS ISSUES WITH THE CAR. *TR

NHTSA complaint 10578751. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

crash

The frame has alot of rust on metal and on welds affraid of frame failing and coming apart.

NHTSA complaint 11450948. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

TIRES
Tires were purchased April 2026. Vehicle was then driven in June 2026 for off-road use, minimal usage prior to June due to mechanical issues). A structural failure occurred on 3 new truck tires (Size: 275/60R20, DOT: 0225) within 24 hours while driving under 10 MPH on a basic off-road trail. Day 1: Rear driver tire suddenly deflated with a loud thwapping sound. The tire separated from the bead and suffered a 3-4" sidewall tear. Vehicle was at 15 PSI (standard trail pressure). 10 companion trucks ran identical terrain without issue, isolating the failure to this tire batch. Swapped to spare. Day 2: Remaining tires aired up to 20 PSI to mitigate risk. Despite higher pressure and slow speeds,

NHTSA complaint 11745754, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The rear fuel tank mounting strap rusted in half. After filling vehicle with fuel and driving 10 miles home, I noticed the skid plate hanging down that covers the fuel tank. The plastic skid plate started to crack from the weight of the tank. The design of the skid plate to the tank allows moisture and contaminants to reside between the two, rotting the straps. Thankfully I noticed this as if I had kept driving I fear the tank would have completely fallen out of the vehicle. I ordered new straps and hardware, but during the parts search I found many owners of the Toyota FJ, all years, are having the same problem. Apparently the straps are just mild steel and were not treated with any

NHTSA complaint 11700752, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
No proper rust protection causing corrosion and irreparable transmission damage.

NHTSA complaint 11613380. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
The frame has rusted so badly it no longer is road safe and the frame needs to be replaced. Large hole in frame on front passenger side, and bad rusting all over. Mechanics said this is a known issue with FJ and Tacoma frames , and in my case the only solution is to replace the frame, which will cost (with associated work) $22K.

NHTSA complaint 11512618. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
I have a dangerous steering issue. I tried to get my Toyota dealer to fix it, or adjust it but they said nothing was wrong. I feel they didn't want to even try. This issue has almost led to head-on collisions many times. I have replaced the tires, no help there. I had it aligned, (at dealer I purchased it from) with no improvements at all. What it does is, to stay in the center of the road I can not turn my head away from constantly adding steering input. This is an issue a big one, my car Drifts left or right but rarely goes straight when steered straight, I must constantly make adjustments to its direction. Before I replace the tires again, (the car has only 53,000 miles on it) and align

NHTSA complaint 11482639, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Toyota FJ Cruiser

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2014 30 5
2013 23 4
2012 40 4
2011 23 6

Other 2010 Toyota models

Every Toyota on this site — 272 vehicles, 370 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst