2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other FJ Cruiser years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 41 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser. That ranks 4th out of 10 FJ Cruiser model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (12 complaints, 29%), typically at around 12,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 fire. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 41owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 12 | 29% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 22% | 2,250 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 22% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 12% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 12% | 9,750 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 7% | 10,600 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 5% | 300 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 2% | 130 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 2% | 130 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 2% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 2% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 2% | 6,700 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 2% | 47,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:other:labels
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 lighting
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:labels
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:anchorage
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.
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 vehicle within less than 15 years had structural creams rust that had compromised the safety of my vehicle and it is rotting out with holes, the fuel tank is rusted and lose, and may fall, repairs are expensive and it is my only car. Theyâre all also rust holes right through the body and…
My frame is corroding at a rapid rate and needs to be addressed by Toyota! I truly believe that this was cheap way of selling cars without the proper undercoating affecting these trucks later on most Toyota trucks had the frames replaced buy the dealers with the same problems that these fj cruisers…
Rust damage to frame
Frame rust through.
No dealer is willing to fix recalls.
Other Toyota FJ Cruiser years
← 2011 FJ Cruiser · 2013 FJ Cruiser →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 FJ Cruiser | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 FJ Cruiser | 30 | 5 |
| 2013 FJ Cruiser | 23 | 4 |
| 2012 | 41 | 4 |
| 2011 FJ Cruiser | 23 | 6 |
| 2010 FJ Cruiser | 66 | 10 |
| 2009 FJ Cruiser | 7 | 10 |
| 2008 FJ Cruiser | 124 | 9 |
| 2007 FJ Cruiser | 593 | 8 |
| 2006 FJ Cruiser | 1 | 0 |
See all Toyota FJ Cruiser problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser?
Owners most often report structure, steering, unknown or other problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 12 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 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 2012 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.