2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser Steering Problems

“My steering had become stiff, no steering fluid leaks or issues with the rack, dealer drove vehicle said nothing it wrong. I got home and took a better look, the u joints on the lower intermediate steering shaft are rusted and rotted. The steering in noticeably tight and has trouble returning to center.”

“Every time I drive between 60 to 65 MPH the steering wheel shakes back and forth. Also the front end shakes. It can be difficult to control at times. Had tires re-balanced and the 4 wheel alignment checked. I have also had the front end checked. Everything checks out. This appears to be a dangerous situation that seems common in a large population of fj's on the road.”

“The contact owns a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased steering wheel rotation before the vehicle started to maneuver in either direction. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 197,000.”

“the brakes are constantly binding up due to rust and need replaced, recently ABS brake lines rusted off causing me to miss a stop sign, very dangerous, Upper rear control arm mount rusted and cracked completely off causing steering and braking problems and had to be replaced to even use this vehicle, , The front rack has been replaced due to excessive rust of lines and fittings, same with transmission cooler lines-rotted off...brake backing plates rotted off.. …”

“While operating my vehicle at normal legal speeds on a public road, the aftermarket Rough Country lifted steering knuckle suffered a sudden, catastrophic structural breakage at the tie-rod mounting point after hitting a standard pothole. The complete fracturing of the steering knuckle resulted in an immediate, unpreventable loss of steering control on the driver's side wheel. This sudden structural failure forced the front wheel assembly out of alignment, completely disabling the vehicle's steering mechanics and bending the lower drop crossmember brackets. This is a severe life-safety hazard. …”