Steering complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Intermediate Steering Shaft Weld Failure: Recall concern. My car was built 7/25/2014. Recalls were initiated for FJ's within the following date ranges 8/7/2013 - 8/20/2013 for this issue. My FJ has the same issue confirmed by three Toyota Dealership Service Departments. Revisiting the Recall Status is needed. Thank you for your attention.
When the car is driven over 55mile per hour the steering wheel start to shake and to vibrate violently making the car very unstable and unsafe to drive.took back to the Toyota dealer but they were unsuccessful of fixing it. After multiple attempts by the car dealer ,as of today the steering wheel fluttering and vibration hasn't been fixed.
I purchased my beloved 2013 FJ Cruiser from Wellesley Toyota 6.5 years ago and have really enjoyed it. I have had it serviced religiously at McGee Toyota of Hanover since my purchase and expected to continue to enjoy it for many years to come and was just informed by McGee Toyota that the frame is severly rusted out throughout. My truck only has 158K miles on it and I expected this to last at least twice as long. This appears to be the same issue Toyota experienced with the Tundra and Tacoma with premature rusting on their vehicles due to a manufacturing issue. There are numerous complaints online about this issue and even a current class action lawsuit. I have alerted Toyota Corporate of this and they are not standing behind their product.
Vehicle has a shimmy or shaking as felt in the steering wheel at speeds of 45 MPH or higher. This seems much more pronounced when driving on a curve than on a straight highway. Have had the front tires balanced by the Toyota dealer 3 times so far, and the balancing is spot on (I watched them balance them), but shaking in the steering wheel still continues. The tires did not take excessive weights either. I have stock trd wheels with bf goodrich 265-75/16 tires - which came with the 2013 team trails edition. I don't believe this is a tire balancing problem, but something loose in the steering or suspension.
Vehicle affected since new. Steering shimmy occurs as vehicle approached 63 and 68 MPH on a variety of roadways. At peak vibration or shimmy, the steering wheel moves rotationally one to two inches. Attempts to "hold" the wheel steady are unsuccessful. The energy input to the steering system is beyond my ability to hold. Vehicle has been taken to dealers for service. Tires have been balanced by Toyota and Goodyear. Goodyear states the tires balance okay, but balance changes with 1000 miles use. Alignment has been checked and found within specification. Last attempt to repair Toyota wrote "vehicle vibration can't be improved, other FJ Cruiser's on the lot used for comparison exhibit more shimmy and should be repaired." since Toyota has had recalls on the FJ Cruiser for tire mounting issues, it seems this issue should be evaluated. …
As Toyota and many, many FJ Cruiser owners are well-aware, there is a steering vibration issue that occurs somewhere in the 55-65 MPH range that causes the steering wheel to shake back and forth pretty violently. As one of the previous complaints stated, there is a very active community of FJ Cruiser owners on internet forums that also have this problem...but I don't think they're aware of this complaint process or have the time to do it, or something. I'm using after-market wheels and tires that were professionally installed by very competent people, so I'm very confident it's not an issue with my wheels or tires. I would like to echo other complaints and say that the vehicle needs to be recalled and fixed.
At 55,000 miles (6 years old) my front gravel shield had completely rusted off and was found in my driveway. I took my car to my Toyota service center and they notified me that both control arms and both front struts were very badly rusted and needed to be replaced. I called Toyota corporate and after much debate, I was told there was no recall for this matter and therefore they would only reimburse me 50% of all costs to replace said parts. I found Toyota has recalls for rust issues on other models and would like this matter looked into. Due to the limited production of this vehicle type it is possible it is being overlooked. I am terrified at the thought that I could've been driving and my control arms could've rusted off like my gravel shield did. A six year old vehicle with only 55,000 should not have this type of rust or parts falling off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser. While driving unknown speeds and making turns, the steering hesitated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (carbone Toyota of bennington, located at 751 n bennington rd bennington, vt 05201) where it was diagnosed that the steering shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 144,900.
Related recalls (1)
Steering
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 FJ Cruiser vehicles manufactured August 7, 2013, to August 20, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the intermediate steering shaft which connects the steering wheel and the steering gear box may have an inadequate weld.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the intermediate steering shaft, free of charge. The recall began on March 6, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota FJ Cruiser years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (21), 2010 (13), 2012 (9), 2011 (8) and 2008 (5) model years. Steering complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Toyota FJ Cruiser steering problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 15V-081 (steering, Feb 10, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Toyota FJ Cruiser steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 36,000 miles; 70% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the linkages › tie rod assembly (1 mentions).
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.