2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser Problems, Recalls & Reliability
166 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser, alongside 11 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 22/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 33,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2008 sits among all FJ Cruiser years
What owners report
“Excessive rust on the frame and undercarriage. Needed to be cleaned and treated.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 FJ Cruiser
“Upon hard braking, if vehicle hits a bump, pothole, uneven road surface, etc, the abs kicks in making it almost impossible to stop unless i completely release the brakes thus requiring me to slam on it hard to prevent rear ending another object.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 FJ Cruiser
“Vehicle was stationary in driveway my frame, some suspension components, and my rocker panels were falling apart in my hands”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 FJ Cruiser
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 125 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 33,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 16,000 and 80,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (11)
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…
Fix: 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…
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,…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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 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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
MARATHON IS RECALLING CERTAIN SEAT COVERS, BRAND SUPERHIDES WITH PART NUMBERS 593, 594, 578, 960, 228, 228-09, 267-08, 333, 625, AND 630, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE SEAT COVERS ARE MADE OF HEAVIER THREAD AND…
Fix: MARATHON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE SEAT COVER FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MARATHON AT 1-800-735-2769.
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
165 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 FJ Cruiser TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser reliable?
The 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser drew 166 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 22/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).
What are the most common 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser are body & structure (43 complaints), brakes & stability (29), and other (26).
At what mileage do 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser problems around 33,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 16,000 and 80,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser have recalls?
11 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.