While operating my vehicle at normal legal speeds on a public road, the aftermarket Rough Country lifted steering knuckle suffered a sudden, catastrophic structural breakage at the tie-rod mounting point after hitting a standard pothole. 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 brackets. This is a severe life-safety hazard. Had this casting failure occurred at highway speeds or in heavy traffic, it easily could have resulted in a rollover, a head-on collision, or a fatal accident. Heavy-duty cast suspension components should never experience catastrophic metal breakage from everyday public road imperfections. The manufacturer, Rough Country, is refusing to recognize this as a structural defect and is denying liability. This failure needs to be investigated immediately to see if there is an underlying casting, metallurgical, or design defect in Rough Country's lifted steering knuckles before it causes a fatal crash on public roads.
The worst 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Body42
- Brakes35
- Suspension14
- Seat belts13
- Transmission6
- Acceleration5
- Fuel system5
- Steering5
- Visibility5
- Driver assistance4
- Electrical4
- Airbags2
- Engine2
- Tires2
- Wheels2
- Locks1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Recalls 9
Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
- 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.
Recall number 16V396000 · Recall details
Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Recall number 14V743000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 14V475000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 13V163000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 13V098000 · Recall details
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Recall number 11V148000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- This does not meet the standard requirements.
- 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.
Recall number 10V035000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.
- 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.
Recall number 10V036000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: labels
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling 27,080 model year 2005 through 2010 passenger cars built from september 1, 2005 to may 4, 2009. These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims."
- Risk
- Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge. The safety recall began on august 18, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑888‑270‑9371.
Recall number 09V223000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser 165
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Condition in which a musty odor is present
- Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical...
- To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used...
- The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix...
- Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal...
- Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad...
- Condition in which a musty odor is present
- Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal...
- This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life...
- Obsolete notice
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 6‑cyl | RWD | 16 | 20 | 18 |
| 4.0L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 15-16 | 18-20 | 16-17 |
What 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Chassis frame rotted
I have 47k miles on my car. I took it in for an oil change (Fox Toyota, Rochester Hills, MI) and was told that it was dangerous to drive. I needed a new rear axle and much more. No details were provided. I could not open the email link they sent to my phone. I left the car at the service dept. 10/21/25 -prior to this visit I brought my car in to Fox for an oil change august 2024 and was told I would probably need new struts soon. I had appx 44,000 miles on my car at that time. - I park in my garage every night and have had an undercarriage wash each month at a car wash. - I live on a dirt road but my husband's 2017 Chevy Silverado has 180,000+ miles. -People online have asked me if I parked in the ocean -I contact Toyota Brand Engagement immediately. They paid a small amount ($3900) toward fixing the $17,000 bill. My car was in limbo at service for 30 days. I had not care. So I had to accept.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser. 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 vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 197,000.
Premature frame rust
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. I’m [XXX] on Social Security, I cannot afford a frame or a new car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Seat belt just started to not work. retractor is not working and I am concern for my safety due to relocating to Florida and seat belt is not working.
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 has been replaced due to excessive rust of lines and fittings, same with transmission cooler lines-rotted off...brake backing plates rotted off.. Even though I have had this undercoated and rust treated, the frame is rusting inside-out...frame braces, everything on the frame is rusted much more than one would expect, even in a salt state like Ohio....my safety was put at risk by faulty brakes, the frame is not safe under hard braking and may cause an accident, the dealer has seen this vehicle, a local independent says "get rid of it"...no warning lamps, just wild things happen with brakes, pulls left, pulls right, front, then back and this past time ...NONE!...only 111,000 miles.
On the home my wife went to apply the brakes and she had no brake pressure. The pedal went all the way to the floor. Then several lights and a buzzer sound started, and she could not stop the car. She was able to pull up on the e-brake just before she drove completely into the intersection, where several cars were driving in both directions. The front end of car ended partially in the north bound lane of US MD-5. There was also a home at the end of the road that she could have also driven into. I researched on several forums where other owners have had the same issue and the dealership has been unable to diagnose the issue. No TSB or recall has been made, but the number of people that have had this issue, something should have been done. My 4-year-old daughter was in the car, and I could have lost both of them. People need to aware of this. I had no idea that a total brake failure was possible with these vehicles.
I was given this car seat as a gift 12/18/2021. The metal buckle is inserted backwards on the left side. This results in a twist of the seat belt that can’t be corrected. I cannot remove the metal piece to fix this because the strap is sewn together. I thought it was just twisting because that’s what car seats sometimes do. But when I remove the padding to clean it today I realized it was a manufacturer error.
Compare the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Other model years
Questions about the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Is the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser reliable?
Owners have filed 124 complaints about the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 4.0 times a typical FJ Cruiser model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser year score?
The 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser scores 18 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Toyota FJ Cruiser: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser?
Body and structure, with 42 complaints, typically around 33,000 miles. Next is brakes (35).
How many recalls does the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser have?
9 recalls, covering seats, equipment and exterior lighting.
What year does the Toyota FJ Cruiser have the most body problems?
The Toyota FJ Cruiser model years with the most body complaints are 2007 (238 complaints), 2008 (42 complaints) and 2010 (14 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser get?
Official estimates for the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser range from 16 to 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.0L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 16 city and 20 highway.
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