Toyota FJ Cruiser Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2007 draws 20.04 complaints per run and the 2012 2.69, a 7.4-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 6 years of age, so 69.1% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Structure, with 301 complaints, typically at 8.1 years.

Toyota FJ Cruiser years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Toyota FJ Cruiser — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2014	2.5	30	12	yes
2013	2	20	10	yes
2012	2.69	35	13	yes
2011	1.42	17	12	yes
2010	4.31	56	13	yes
2009	1.25	5	4	yes
2008	4.04	105	26	yes
2007	20.04	501	25	yes

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2007 FJ Cruiser asks a median $12,995, against $16,099 for a 2008, the next model year: about 19% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 4 Toyota FJ Cruiser years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2007, 2010, 2008; the three worth hunting are 2012, 2008, 2010.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Toyota FJ Cruiser — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	116	16.1%	covered
1 year	58	24.1%	covered
2 years	49	30.9%	covered
3 years	54	38.4%	you pay
4 years	34	43.1%	you pay
5 years	23	46.3%	you pay
6 years	29	50.3%	you pay
7 years	22	53.3%	you pay
8 years	26	56.9%	you pay
9 years	27	60.7%	you pay
10 years	31	65%	you pay
11 years	41	70.6%	you pay
12 years	70	80.3%	you pay
13 years	67	89.6%	you pay
14 years	50	96.5%	you pay
15 years	25	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 30.9% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 69.1% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 7% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Toyota FJ Cruiser, the early trouble is Hydraulic and Visibility — reported at around 2.2 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Structure at 8.1 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Toyota FJ Cruiser — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Structure	301	8.1 yrs	6	2
Service Brakes	118	4.7 yrs	3	1
Suspension	112	10.4 yrs	1	—
Unknown Or Other	110	11.3 yrs	1	—
Hydraulic	61	2.2 yrs	1	—
Visibility	55	0.2 yrs	1	—
Power Train	50	7.4 yrs	2	1
Steering	46	5.4 yrs	1	—

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the FJ Cruiser's vehicle class. Per production run, the Subaru Outback draws 3.64, the Toyota Land Cruiser 1.49 and the Subaru Forester 3.35, against 6.75 for the FJ Cruiser. That is the most complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Toyota FJ Cruiser — rivals in the same class
Same class as the FJ Cruiser	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Subaru Outback	8,587	159	2005–2026
Toyota Land Cruiser	257	85	1981–2026
Subaru Forester	6,521	121	1998–2026
Chevrolet Trailblazer	8,447	57	2002–2026
Honda Element	1,308	100	2003–2011
Jeep Liberty	8,880	80	1993–2013

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Toyota FJ Cruiser

Recalls65 campaigns Fuel economy19 mpg best Common problems907 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Used prices901 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2007–2014

Frequently asked questions

Is the Toyota FJ Cruiser reliable?

By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 6.75 against 3.73 for the average car, and more than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which FJ Cruiser years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2007, 2010, 2008. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2012, 2008, 2010. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do FJ Cruiser problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 6 years of age. The most reported system is Structure, typically at 8.1 years, followed by Service Brakes.

Will the warranty cover FJ Cruiser problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 30.9% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 7% of the complaints here.

Is the FJ Cruiser more reliable than the Subaru Outback?

No: 6.75 complaints per production run for the FJ Cruiser against 3.64 for the Subaru Outback.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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