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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
3about this part
Share
43%of 7 total for the year
Median mileage
67,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 43% of the 7 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 67,500 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“There is rust on the vehicle frame that is far worse than reasonable for a vehicle of this age. This is a known problem with these vehicles from this time and is known to be caused by compromises that Toyota made in the manufacturing process.”

NHTSA complaint #11330423, filed 2020-06, 75,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Fj Cruiser. The contact stated that while entering into traffic, he heard a breaking noise as the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission had fractured into several pieces. The vehicle was repaired after the failure was reported to the manufacturer. The symptoms of the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to a second dealer. The second dealer stated that a component had been installed in the vehicle backward. …”

NHTSA complaint #10480173, filed 2012-10, 60,000 miles

“The Toyota Fj Cruiser's seat belt is engineered hazard based on in seam design of the chasis. In the event of a side impact collision or the severance of the door from the body or shell of the vehicle the passenger can be extremely injured by the design of seat belt, or catapulted from the vehicle. The inner seam or floor would be a better position for the harnessing of the seat belt apparatus. In addition, the power train tends to be a little sticky possibly due to the oaring of the metal, viscosity enhancement can be made or research and design for better performance of gearing.”

NHTSA complaint #10285520, filed 2009-09

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201413%
201329%
201212%
201012%
2009343%
200865%
2007519%

Other parts of the 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Other or unknown
2 complaints
Seat belts
2 complaints
Body and structure
2 complaints
Suspension
2 complaints
Air bags
1 complaints
Brakes
1 complaints
Vehicle speed control
1 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology