2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Aug 18, 2026 · 66 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other FJ Cruiser years
Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 10 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser. That ranks 3rd out of 10 FJ Cruiser model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (13 complaints, 20%), typically at around 4,300 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries. There are 10 safety recalls covering this model year.

Toyota FJ Cruiser
Toyota FJ Cruiser in Bakersfield. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Steering13 · ~4,300 mi
Structure13 · ~52,000 mi
Wheels11 · ~5,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic9 · ~3,859 mi
Suspension7 · ~91,366 mi
Service Brakes6 · ~55,250 mi
Unknown or Other6 · ~116,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control5 · ~1,373 mi
Air Bags4 · ~70,500 mi
Seat Belts4 · ~49,711 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Steering1320%4,300——
Structure1320%52,000——
Wheels1117%5,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic914%3,859——
Suspension711%91,366——
Service Brakes69%55,250——
Unknown or Other69%116,000——
Vehicle Speed Control58%1,373——
Air Bags46%70,500——
Seat Belts46%49,711——
Fuel/propulsion System35%116,000——
Electrical System23%100,000——
Service Brakes, Electric23%1,780——
Tires23%5,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)12%60,000——
Engine12%———
Power Train12%80,000——
Seats12%71,276——
Visibility12%122,440——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2010, with 11 complaints
2010: 112010112011: 992012: 102012102013: 222014: 4201442015: 442017: 2201722018: 222019: 9201992020: 332021: 3202132022: 222023: 1202312024: 112025: 1202512026: 22

n = 66 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser recalls (10)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Seats:front assembly:seat heater/coolerJun 2, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V396000 · 7,749 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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 SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

Seats:front assembly:seat heater/coolerNov 19, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V743000 · 3,233 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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 to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

Equipment:other:labelsAug 4, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V475000 · 20,000 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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 is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Exterior lightingApr 25, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V163000 · 208,000 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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.

Equipment:other:labelsApr 9, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V123000 · 7,525 vehicles

Problem: 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."

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.

Fix: 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.

Seat belts:front:anchorageMar 15, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V098000 · 209,000 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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 contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Seats; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactiveJan 16, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V014000 · 3,235 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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.

Fix: 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.

Tires:pressure monitoring and regulating systemsMar 4, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V148000 · 22,000 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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 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.

Equipment:other:labelsFeb 3, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V035000 · 271,417 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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 recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact gulf states toyota at 713-580-3300.

Equipment:other:labelsFeb 3, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V036000 · 153,418 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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 southeast toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The truck's frame was found to be cracked / rusted through in spots. It was discovered during another attempted repair 8/17/26. Because of the split / crack in the frame, the vehicle is now not drivable as it is deemed not road worthy. This problem is known to Toyota as well as the NHTSA. The…

Unknown or Other · received Aug 18, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11757740

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…

Tires · received Jun 22, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11745754

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…

Fuel/propulsion System · received Nov 21, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11700752

No proper rust protection causing corrosion and irreparable transmission damage.

Engine · received Sep 9, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11613380

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…

Structure · received Mar 19, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11512618

Other Toyota FJ Cruiser years

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See all Toyota FJ Cruiser problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser?

Owners most often report steering, structure, wheels problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 13 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser?

Yes, 10 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other FJ Cruiser model years, the 2010 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.