2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser problems, complaints & recalls

Updated from NHTSA data · How we count

Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser, most often about body & structure. There are 10 recalls for this model year.

Complaints
13
Recalls
10
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Median mileage
118,000 mi
at time of problem

Key facts

  • Body & Structure is the most-reported problem area, named in 5 of 13 complaints (38%).
  • Suspension (3) and fuel, hybrid & EV propulsion (3) follow.
  • Half of the complaints that list mileage happened before 118,000 mi.
  • Owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries.
  • The 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser has 10 recalls on file.
  • It ranks 5th of 8 Toyota FJ Cruiser model years by our severity-weighted complaint score (1st = worst).

2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser problems by category

  • Body & Structure · 1 crash
    5 complaints
  • Other / Unknown
    4 complaints
  • Suspension
    3 complaints
  • Fuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion
    3 complaints
  • Wheels & Tires
    2 complaints
  • Airbags
    1 complaints
  • Steering
    1 complaints
  • Engine
    1 complaints

A complaint can mention more than one problem area, so categories add up to more than the total.

Most-reported components

Component (as filed with NHTSA)Complaints
Structure:body5
Unknown or other4
Suspension3
Fuel/propulsion system3
Air bags1
Wheels1
Engine1
Steering1

When problems happen (mileage)

Under 10k10k–30k30k–60k160k–100k3100k–150k150k+
Mileage at the time of the problem, for 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser complaints that list mileage.

2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser recalls (10)

  • Recall 16V396000Jun 2, 20167,749 vehicles
    SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

    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 14V743000Nov 19, 20143,233 vehicles
    SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

    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 14V475000Aug 4, 201420,000 vehicles
    EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

    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 13V163000Apr 25, 2013208,000 vehicles
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING

    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 13V123000Apr 9, 20137,525 vehicles
    EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  • Recall 13V098000Mar 15, 2013209,000 vehicles
    SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

    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 13V014000Jan 16, 20133,235 vehicles
    AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE · SEATS

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  • Recall 11V148000Mar 4, 201122,000 vehicles
    TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

    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 10V035000Feb 3, 2010271,417 vehicles
    EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

    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 10V036000Feb 3, 2010153,418 vehicles
    EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

    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.

Recent 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

  1. Filed Aug 18, 2026MIOther / Unknown
    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 Tacomas of the same years, on which this vehicle is built (same frame, same faulty rust-proofing operation from the manufacturer), was identified and Toyota was required to address it.…
    NHTSA complaint #11757740 · source
  2. Filed Jun 22, 2026GAWheels & Tires
    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: Rear driver tire suddenly deflated with a loud thwapping sound. The tire separated from the bead and suffered a 3-4" sidewall tear. Vehicle was at 15 PSI (standard trail…
    NHTSA complaint #11745754 · source
  3. Filed Nov 21, 2025INFuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion
    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 and contaminants to reside between the two, rotting the straps. Thankfully I noticed this as if I had kept driving I fear the tank would have completely fallen out of the vehicle.…
    NHTSA complaint #11700752 · source
  4. Filed Mar 19, 2023PABody & Structure
    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 cost (with associated work) $22K.
    NHTSA complaint #11512618 · source
  5. Filed Sep 2, 2022CASteeringWheels & Tires
    I have a dangerous steering issue. I tried to get my Toyota dealer to fix it, or adjust it but they said nothing was wrong. I feel they didn't want to even try. This issue has almost led to head-on collisions many times. I have replaced the tires, no help there. I had it aligned, (at dealer I purchased it from) with no improvements at all. What it does is, to stay in the center of the road I can not turn my head away from constantly adding steering input. This is an issue a…
    NHTSA complaint #11482639 · source
  6. Filed Nov 22, 2021WIBody & Structure
    Owner of a 2010 FJ Cruiser. The amount of corrosion on the frame and components is very high for the age of the vehicle, it leads to significant safety concerns (Including gas tank straps are corroded). Toyota should rectify this issue as it seems like they did a poor job on this model to isolate against rust the frame. There should be a Recall for a re-treatment of the frame (Just like they did on the Tundra and Tacoma models).
    NHTSA complaint #11441352 · source
  7. Filed Sep 8, 2021NYBody & StructureFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionOther / Unknown
    Single Toyota 2010 FJ Cruiser Owner. Over the last 10/11 have been really diligent taking care of my truck, unfortunately due to what seems very poor quality steel or treatment of the frame and some parts when was build by Toyota, it has cause severe rust/rotten issue leading not only to significant safety concerns (broken gas tank straps and fuel lines) but also a significant amount of money spend treating the frame and part to prevent further corrosion that could\will…
    NHTSA complaint #11432203 · source
  8. Filed Jun 10, 202166,731 miNJSuspension
    The contact owns a 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser. The contact stated while driving at various speeds over speed bumps, the vehicle would shake abnormally and was not stable while driving. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with the rear axle needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately…
    NHTSA complaint #11420477 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology