Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.. Even though I have had this undercoated and rust treated, the frame is rusting inside-out...frame braces, everything on the frame is rusted much more than one would expect, even in a salt state like Ohio....my safety was put at risk by faulty brakes, the frame is not safe under hard braking and may cause an accident, the dealer has seen this vehicle, a local independent says "get rid of it"...no warning lamps, just wild things …
On the home my wife went to apply the brakes and she had no brake pressure. The pedal went all the way to the floor. Then several lights and a buzzer sound started, and she could not stop the car. She was able to pull up on the e-brake just before she drove completely into the intersection, where several cars were driving in both directions. The front end of car ended partially in the north bound lane of US MD-5. There was also a home at the end of the road that she could have also driven into. I researched on several forums where other owners have had the same issue and the dealership has been unable to diagnose the issue. No TSB or recall has been made, but the number of people that have had this issue, something should have been done. My 4-year-old daughter was in the car, and I could have lost both of them. People need to aware of this. …
Hello, Toyota calipers and caliper pistons have a problem. The pistons or calipers are corroding and causing delayed employment of braking on that caliper. Understand that the calipers that are working correctly will "pull" to the side they are on and the caliper that has a problem will have a delayed engagement. This is extremely dangerous. The "good" caliper causes the car to pull to that side, then the "bad" caliper engages pulling the car back the other way. When the brakes are released, the "good" caliper lets go and the "bad" caliper releases a few seconds later. Understand that this can happen on any of the four calipers front or rear. The combinations of good and bad calipers can cause the car to zig zag left or right unpredictably, pulling left or right, and if the driver is not ready for it, can cause a big problem controlling the car. …
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser frame rotting from inside and out. All suspension components have been replaced due parts failing because of corrosion that bled over from the frame to include both front steering knuckles, two parts that only ever get replaced in the event of an accident. Several frame supports have corroded from the inside out and are flaking off. Brake components that run along the frame have corroded from the frame to the bracket that holds them to the lines themselves. Cause a slow brake leak over time that eventually resulted in a dangerous near accident situation that was caused by complete immediate lack of brake pressure. Evasive driving and a sound mind avoided a legitimate accident, had to tow the truck to a shop. Unsafe to drive. Frame will not hold up in an accident. 12 year old frame should not be anywhere near this condition. …
Loss of brakes, tried to stop. Both feet applied to brakes and nothing. This was a t stop with a 20' drop on the other side of the road . This was on a road driven constantly in our neighborhood. Turned the car to the right went over the curb through a yard hit a fire hydrant took it across the street jumped the other curb and stopped in brush. There were no skid marks in the grass or road where the breaks had been applied. Drivers side air bag ripped or shredded at bottom did not inflate fully, passengers did inflate correctly. No one was hurt seriously or taken by ems.
Sever rusting of frame, break and suspension components and brackets. This 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser is quickly becoming a safety hazard on the roads. I have a 92 sabb and a 93 vw that don't have have the rust issues this Toyota has. Toyota should have recalled the FJ cruisers for faulty frames and undercarriage long ago.
Brake caliper and brake caliper pistons bind in caliper bore causing the vehicle to pull to one side or the other depending on which side the problem is. When the brakes are applied, the "good" calipers do their job, but the bad caliper pistons are momentarily stuck and this causes the car to pull to the good side as the brakes are applied, then a moment later the "bad" brake pistons let loose and the car pulls back the other way. Also then as the pistons are bound, when the brakes are released, the good side pistons retract, but the bad side bind on return, so pulling to the bad side. This is most noticed on the front brakes but also occur on the back. Note that the "bad" side on the back May not be the same side as "bad" on the front, causing a zig-zag type pulling , front one way, back the other and can be very unptedictable, particularly when sudden or "panic" braking occurs. …
I have a 2008 FJ Cruiser manual transmission. This is the 2nd time this has happened to me since I've owned the truck. On May 10th, I was driving down the highway at about 70-80 MPH. The truck to the right of me seemed like he wanted to change lanes in to my lane. I hit the breaks to let him in but the braking power being applied to the rotors was a lot harder then what I needed. In other words, it seemed like the computer thought my brake pedal was all the way down to the floor when in reality, I just needed a quick brake. Anyway, the wheels locked up to and released. It scared me how hard the truck stopped-- almost caused an accident behind me. The brakes then released and I kept going, but could smell the burnt rubber for another mile. This was a cement highway road that May have had some cracks in it but I don't remember if being particularly uneven. …
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser, build date:10/07. Have had unnerving experiences with the brake system on my FJ.(1) when braking over a non smooth road the brake pedal pulsates for a long period and does not stop the vehicle. (2) had to panic stop and hit the brakes hard, they locked up, there was no braking just the ABS took over and locked up the brakes hard to the point that I was glad I was wearing my seat belt, because I would've been lying in the street.(3) the pedal will be hard one time and mushy the next when applying the brakes. When the pedal is mushy the brakes do not work appropriately, nearly rear ending people or locking up the brakes to stop. (4) when at a stop the pedal was mushy and I tried to "pump"up the pedal by pumping the brake pedal, all the warning lights came on (related to the braking system) the dash and an annoying alarm sounded, has happened 3 times now. …
I purchased new a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser 2 wheel drive with automatic transmission. Since ownership from March 2009 to date, I have been experiencing a lurching forward of the vehicle while the brakes are applied and at a full stop. This lurching forward occurs when the air conditioner is on and at the time that the air conditioner clutch engages. Most of the time, when the air conditioner clutch engages, the engine RPM only increases about 100 RPM, but frequently, when the A/C clutch engages the engine RPM increases 300 to 400 RPM with normal brake pressure while stopped, 100 RPM engine increases cause no problem, but with 300 to 400 RPM engine increases, normal brake pressures while stopped are not adequate and the vehicle lurches forward. …
Brake complaints in other FJ Cruiser years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the brakes of the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 28% of the model year's 124 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 25,000 miles, and 45% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.