Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
VISIBILITY
02/15/201079000
 Road debris during normal commute highway driving has resulted in multiple horizontal and vertical cracks in the windshield. i have replaced the windshield twice and the windshield recently cracked again. my company owns six 2007 fj cruisers and four of the vehicles windows cracked within the first four months of operation. previous to the fj cruiser, i commuted along the same route in another vehicle for four years and did not sustain damage to the windshield.
07/19/200712
 Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. the contact stated that it became very difficult to see the traffic light whenever he was the first vehicle at the light. he had to lean forward to see the lights hanging above the intersection. the inability to see the traffic light may be due to the design of the vehicle. the failure mileage was 12. the current mileage was 24000.
09/13/2008381001
 The windshield has been cracked multiple times by normal road debris. *tr
01/28/2009498751
 A hairline fracture began growing from a central mid-point at the bottom edge of the windshield right before my eyes as i was driving. there was absolutely no road debris that hit my windshield that made this occur, nor have i ever taken the vehicle off-roading. from the central point the crack grew over the course of 10 seconds in both left and right directions until ending at the left and right sides of the windshield. i can't even begin to understand how this would happen. i belong to an fj cruiser enthusiast website fjcruiserforums.com and 33% of 2007 owners report having had/have a cracked windshield. now that i am part of that growing percentage, i'm not happy that there is no technical bulletin by toyota about this. nhtsa, you need to get involved. many owners also report the problem happening again soon after getting the windshield replaced. what has to happen to get a recall done here? a vehicle built for rugged off-roading should be able to not have a paper-thin windshield and not crack for any apparent reason when driving down the highway. this is not cosmetic damage this is a safety issue and needs to have a recall issue before some poor soul goes sailing through their windshield because it has a design flaw. *tr
09/22/20075001
 I purchased a 2007 toyota fj cruiser in september 2007. the first week i had the vehicle i was traveling through town at 45mph when a very small rock struck the windshield causing a hole in the windshield. the next day the hold splintered across the entire length of the windshield. i have now owned the vehicle for one year and i have one dozen rock chips in the windshield. my driving habits are ordinary city driving. each of the chips was caused by very small rocks at slow speeds. most instantly splinter out from the original chip. the material or design of the windshield is clearly substandard. the replacement cost is outrageous. *tr
09/02/2008100001
 I noticed my windshield was getting hazed over with a sandblasted look within the first 6 months of owning my vehicle. the windshield became poked with little chips from road debris within the first year in addition to numerous cracks. the vehicle is now 2 years old and the windshield needs replacement due to extensive chips, pock, and cracks. *tr
04/02/200710001
 After just a few months with my new fj cruiser, i discovered a crack in the windshield. the crack started at the top edge of the glass, and has proceeded to traverse my windshield, and branch off into other cracks. *tr
11/15/200715111/02/2007
 Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. the visors on both the driver and passenger sides are too short to provide adequate coverage. the contact has not spoken to the dealer, but has filed a complaint with toyota. the current mileage was 750 and failure mileage was 15. updated 04-02-08 *bf
09/04/20073400107/23/2007
 The toyota fj has massive blind spots exacerbated by the design of the side mirrors and the rearview mirror and the tire which blocks the rear. *jb
07/30/2007112/09/2006
 I purchased this vehicle in dec of 06 and one month into having this car and driving on my normal routes that i realize that this car has zero visibility. no windows in the back that allow you to switch lanes safely or even back up from a parking lot or area safely. i just recently had an accident as well. i already know this car has no visibility to it takes me longer than usual to back up or switch lanes. i look at my side and rear view mirrors and do a complete turn past my black spot to ensure no cars are there, however even doing that you can still have an accident like i did when after looking waiting and then proceeding that i missed a small honda prelude come behind me. this is a serious hazard for all drivers. owners and others on the road. i have never had an accident since i was 18 yrs old and here i am 8 mos into having this car and i have one. *tr
VISIBILITY - GLASS, SIDE/REAR
01/01/20072000311/06/2006
 Windshield chips with slightest stone or debris. glass seems of inferior quality. side doors glass has imperfections. *jb
VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD
01/01/2010560001
 Toyota fj cruiser windshield cracks and chips easily. we've had our fj for two years and are on our 4th windshield. the smallest bit of debris creates a chip and sometimes it seems to begin to crack at the drivers side for no reason. dealer offers no solution except to charge $500 a pop to replace the windshield. this seems to be a widespread problem as it is mentioned on numerous web blogs and forums. incident date below is arbitrary as we've been driving with a cracked windshield for quite a while b/c we simply can't afford to replace yet another windshield at this time.*tr
12/01/200710001
 Windshield cracked from possible cold weather condition. *tr
04/02/2006260
 Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. while driving 50 mph, a rock fractured the windshield. there were ten fractures, but none were serious. the dealer stated that they have had numerous complaints about windshield failures. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 260 and current mileage was 30,000.
11/14/20071
 2007 fj cruiser: small pebble hit windshield while driving around 40 mph chipping windshield. next morning found a 2 foot crack. *tr
03/12/2008803/03/2007
 I have a 2007 fj cruiser. it is one year old with 32,000 miles on it. in the first year, my windshield has no less than eight separate cracks from road debris. previous to this vehicle, i had two jeep wranglers for eight years and over 100,000 combined miles. i had a total of one small crack with my jeeps, and they shared the same vertical windshield design as the fj. virtually anything that hits the windshield results in a chip and small crack. i am terribly disappointed with the quality of the windshield. the grill, headlights, and after market lights on the fj have no similar damage. all of my driving is city and highway. the cracks are to a point now that i have to replace the windshield. i stopped by my dealer and asked them about the problem. of course, they said they weren't aware of any issues. but, various forums and web sites discuss the problem openly. i would like to know toyota's position regarding this problem. i feel that a higher quality glass design would blunt the effect of normal road debris. this should have been taken into consideration when establishing the specifications of the fj windshield. *tr
03/17/200735000104/02/2006
 2007 toyota fj cruiser has had 2 winshields cracked by small road pebbles,debris.concerned about the safety of this widshield design and consruction of materials used for manufacturing this windshield. *tr
01/22/200819000101/16/2007
 I have had several small rocks hit my fj's windshield, two of them leaving a chip/crack. one was while driving on the expressway, the other on my way home in 45 mph traffic. as a result, i now have a huge crack that stretches from one side of the window to the other! i have never owned a car that had cracked glass? it's obvious to me there is a huge design flaw with the fj's vertical glass placement. i also believe the quality of glass that is being used is sub-standard. the replacement cost is outrageous! i think toyota should be replacing this glass free of charge. i am now looking to get rid of this vehicle, because i know it's just going to happen again. too expensive to keep replacing!! shame on toyota. *tr
01/07/20081
 I have a new 2007 fj cruiser and i have already had to replace my front window due to a small pebble rock chip that hit it. it started out as a small pebble scratch and grew into an 8 inch crack within a 4 mile radius. i am very disappointed at toyota with having so many complaints about this problem. *tr
11/07/2007620310/26/2007
 New 2007 toyota fj cruiser, purchase on 10/26/2007 on nov 7th a truck threw a rock and it put a 2 1/2 diameter crack on the passengers side. two weeks later got an estimate $268.00 from windshield doctor/napa the very next day another rock chip just under the rearview mirror. said if it breaks this easy no use getting a new windshield, then about 2 weeks later a rock chip on the drivers side. on 12/16/07, the first crack spread from one side to the other across the lower 1/3 of the windshield. today 12/17 went and got another estimate from a different shop to see if price would be lower for a new windshield and its $415.00 without my deduct and $350.00 with my deductible. this is ridiculous we have not even had the fj 8 weeks and the windshield has been chipped 3 times already. what a poor design by toyota, looking at some of the fj web forums - this is a very common complaint among fj owners!!! will toyota help with cost of new windshield? the truck is not even 2 months old yet!! *tr
10/15/20079648103/08/2007
 Inner fender structure is bulging, started on passenger side about oct 15th & on drivers side about two weeks later. this is a well know problem among informed fj cruiser owners. also some of the ones toyota has repaired & upgraded are also failing. also poor quality windshield that was pitted & chipped within a few weeks of purchase. *tr
10/25/20071000109/01/2007
 Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. the contact stated that the windshield began cracking and spread until it covered the entire windshield. the dealer stated that the cracks were probably caused by road debris. the dealer refused to cover the repair cost because the vehicle was not covered under warranty. the contact had the windshield repaired and filed a complaint with the manufacturer. the current and failure mileages were 1,000.
10/17/2007310/11/2006
 Windshield continually cracks. *tr
07/29/200760002
 I have had the vehicle for 5 months and have already had 3 cracked windshields. when talking to other fj drivers, they complain about the same problem. *tr
07/15/20072500103/07/2007
 2007 fj cruiser windshield cracked. there was no apparent damage prior to crack appearing. *tr
06/13/2007106/07/2007
 While driving down the road going less than 30 mph i heard only a very small sound only to find a broken windshield. i had only 200 miles on tis car. very disturbing. *ak
06/25/20075480101/26/2007
 Very small piece of gravel broke window. *ak
06/11/2007950005/25/2007
 I only had 950 miles on my toyota fj cruiser when a small rock hit the windshield and cracked immediately. before i got home the crack spread across my field of vision 12 inches from impact. the warranty does not cover impact damamge ..was told to contact my insurance company. the windshield glass seems very fragile
02/15/20071500111/11/2006
 2007 fj cruiser has a bad windshield design that causes it to crack with no contact. it starts as a crack from the bottom bellow the wiper and then curves left on the drivers side. the windshield is very brittle and is easily crack/chipped by road debris. *ak
06/17/200630005
 My 2007 toyota fj cruiser has 3 chips and 2 cracks in the front windshield in less than a year.
03/01/2007111/19/2006
 Bought a new 2007 fj cruiser and drove with caution due to awareness of windshield being broken on other people's vehicles. despite my best efforts, i had a broken windshield after about 4 months of ownership.
04/19/20072860203/30/2007
 The windshield on the 2007 toyota fj cruiser is very fragile/brittle. very small impacts from road debris initiate a break in the windshield which then quickly propagate into long cracks which can create an impairment in the field of vision. in my 26 years of owning vehicles, this is by far the most fragile windshield i have had experience with. *tr
05/30/20072
 2007 fj cruiser has a bad windshield design that causes it to crack with no contact. it starts as a crack from the bottom bellow the wiper and then curves left, on the drivers side. *tr
04/25/200715600307/07/2006
 2007 fj cruiser. during normal driving i got a pea sized ding on the windshield approximately 4 months ago. april 25th got a crack which is still traveling toward the passenger a pillar. may 15th got a quarter sized star. all resulting from small (i mean small, really small) projectiles. glad i did not replace the windshield 4 months ago, otherwise i would have had to replace it two more times. this windshield is a disaster. i owned 6 cars over 27 years and had one busted windshield from a 3 piece of concrete. i own my fj for 11 months and have three places where the windshield is damaged from incidents that should not have damaged it as much as they did. toyota designed an upright windshield (a design i love), presumably understands the laws of physics (which i don't), and did nothing to mitigate the design in order to make the fj windshield last the way a more steeply windshield made from the same material would last. this is an off road vehicle for crying out loud! what were they thinking - that pebbles will magically avoid the fj windshield because the fj is so good looking? i plan on replacing the windshield with a ppg product. toyota does not deserve the business in my judgment. *tr
04/24/20073
 I own a 2007 fj cruiser i purchased in april 2007 i have 6,000 miles on it and have had four rocks hit the window in various locations and have 4 spider cracks from each hit , i repaired one and dont know if its worth all the extra money to fix the other three. this windshield seems really weak and i am worried a bigger rock would explode the entire windshield. thanks dan gray. *tr
05/28/20071200105/04/2007
 After washing 2007 fj cruiser, i noticed inside upper passenger side of front windshield was leaking water. *tr
05/19/2006004/01/2006
 I have a f j cruiser and the windshield seems to keep getting crack and chips from every little pebble on the highway.
05/15/200712000103/20/2007
 Windshield shows signs of pitting. just normal highway driving, just 1200 miles on the auto. *ak
05/04/200711880108/08/2006
 2007 fj cruiser, small pebble struck at low at 35 mph and produced a scar which spread to an 8 crack. windshields are the subject of numerous failures by consumers. poor quality safety glass used.*ak
04/17/20075000101/01/2007
 Windshield had received numerous chips and pits eventually cracking within the first 5000 miles. previous jeep wrangler with vertical windshied still in great shape after 100k mile. i truly believe there is a problem with the fj cruiser windshield that it is damaged so easily. at $1500.00 to replace this is an insurance nightmare. *tr
06/06/20061
 While driving on new jersey turnpike, a pebble kicked up from the car in front of me and took a chip out of my windshield. car was two months old. six months later, while on i-66 in va, same thing occurred - same sized chip, this time right in my line of vision. *tr
04/30/2007103/21/2007
 Driving at 55 miles an hour the car in front was 5 car lengths ahead my windshield received a chip that with 4 cracks coming out roughly 1/8 of an inch long, over the course of 4 hours waiting for the glass to be repaired it has cracked to over 6 inchs high and 3 inchs across. this is my second windsheild in 2500 miles, less than 45 days of ownership. *ak
04/12/2007533103/27/2007
 Toyota/fjcrusier@1012mi.cracked windshield,drivers side top. no apparent reason it appears to me to be a stress fracture. *tr
01/12/20073500112/18/2006
 Windshield has 2 cracks in the windshield from rock chips. *tr
11/17/2006405/17/2006
 Faulty windshield glass. multiple cracks and pitting throughout the windshield. *tr
08/15/20062200107/17/2006
 Within 2500 miles of owning my new fj cruiser a small rock flew up and chipped my drivers windshield. while it is not a viewing hazard and has not expanded yet i think toyota should look into using a better grade product as this is not a isolated incident. i live in florida and it is covered with no detectable under my insurance but, others states don't have this policy and owners should not have to come out of pocket to replace a inferior product. *jb
04/27/200710130111/01/2006
 Cracked windshield @ 10k miles. *jb
03/30/20073501
 Windshield broken. *jb
03/10/20075000209/22/2006
 I have 2 windshields fail in less than 5 months. minor pebbles have cracked both windshields at least 12 inches or more. there are hundreds of other people with the same issue. the windshields are not designed properly or manufactured incorrectly. there is a risk someone will be critically hurt when a large stone or other object hits this glass. *jb
10/03/20063000109/10/2006
 Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. a vehicle traveling in oncoming traffic caused a small rock to strike the contact's vehicle at 30 mph. the rock caused a small crack in the windshield. the crack has currently increased to approximately four feet long and spanned halfway across the windshield. the current mileage is 62,000. and failure mileage was 3,000. *ak
06/23/20063000104/01/2006
 My story is this: at about 3000 miles i was driving home and about halfway there (we live about 5 miles out of town), i took a rock chip. i promptly turned right around, went back to town, while the glass shop was still open, and had the chip repaired. i parked it in the garage and that very night it cracked about 8. it was in the fall as i remember, so it was not a particular hot nor cold day or night. it seemed to me at the time (and still does) that the windshield may actually be stressed somehow, putting additional pressure on it, in ways it was not designed to be. at present, the crack is holding steady (i fixed that too). *jb
03/01/2007810102/06/2007
 New toyota fj cruiser 02-06-07 and first windshield damaged occurred before 03-06-07 while driving to work on weekday morning on outer loop of 495 near rt. 214. about size of pencil eraser with clear patch installed over to keep clean. every time vehicle is washed, cleaned , etc. more scratches, nicks, wear and tear is appearing on windshield. windshield will never last as long as vehicle. bad, cheap laminate? ? ? something?????? *jb
01/12/20071
 Windshield cracks way to easy. assume it's the angle it's at. i never even heard anything hit my windshield and believe it to be a stress crack, but the dealer disagrees. *jb
10/15/2006800208/01/2006
 Windshield cracked replaced, now 2nd one cracked. *jb
02/22/200722322104/23/2006
 I have had my fj since april 23, 2006. the windshield issue took a little bit longer to cross my path than it seems others. i was riding along the expressway when i heard a small size pebble hit the windshield. didn't think that much of it because it wasn't very loud. well i was mistaken. less than 2 hours later it had spread to a crack of 6 inches. i couldn't even get it repaired. than i looked at the forum and saw all the other complaints. i don't want to replace because i feel there should be recall or subsequent reimbursement. i did hear of a company called clearplex where they can strengthen the windshield by adding a clear thing plastic protective coating. don't get me wrong i love my fj, but this is not right. they did the right thing with the tire recall and that was probably 750 per car, replacing all 5 tires plus labor. i trust they will do the right thing. *tr
02/20/20073500401/20/2007
 2007 toyota fj cruiser. large crack in middle of the windshield from a rock. other cracks arise from just small tiny debris striking the windshield. glass needs to be scratch and dent resistant. replacement windshields costs around 1400 dollars. this is because the installation involves removing a top molding piece that breaks easily and the unique cut of the glass. if you replace the windshield, the insurance company could refuse to insure you after multiple incidents like this blatant defect. it's a safety issue of getting the cracks fixed , compromises windshield integrity. also once you replace the windshield it is replaced with factory oem glass. which can crack again! this is just from city driving not even long distance driving! *jb
03/14/2007800103/10/2007
 Small pebble hits windshield and crack is one foot long.. this happen with 800 miles on the odometer. there is now 2300 miles on the vehicle. the cost is 1500.00 to replace. if you would like more information check threads on fjcruiserforum.com. many threads with people having a lot of issues with fj windshield. thanks for any help! *jb
03/20/2007103/24/2006
 Rock chip cracked windshield on toyota fj cruiser. a month later a second crack not connected to the first began to form. this second crack was not due to any rock chips. the first crack extended from side to side across the windshield, the second formed at a diagonal angle from drivers side to near top of the windshield. *jb
03/15/200711250109/06/2006
 Toyota fj cruiser windshield. multiple deep chips. glass can not withstand minor stone impact. *tr
04/25/20077000110/13/2006
 The windshield on my 2007 toyota fj cruiser has a lot of pits in it. this vehicle only has 7,000 miles on it and i think the pitting is excessive. *tr
04/24/200713000110/25/2006
 I have a major issue with the windshield glass on the 2007 toyota fj cruiser. i have had my vehicle since november and already i have a crack clear across my windshield, 4 chips and pits everywhere. the way toyota designed the glass to the design of the vehicle leaves you vulnerable. it's a serious design flaw, because your windshield is almost at a 90 degree angle to the roadway and any tiny stone will create a bad situation. to add to the problem the glass appears to be extremely too thin. i have never had this type of problem with any other vehicle. toyota needs to be held accountable for this flaw, not the consumer. especially since a replacement windshield costs a mere $1500.00 dollars a pop. please help! *tr
01/17/20078000205/23/2006
 I was driving at a safe speed and distance from other cars, when out of nowhere a rock came at my windshield and put a large crack in it. the windshield of my toyota 2007 fj seems to be inappropriately weak. i have driven other vehicles with a vertical windshield and have not had this problem, especially only having the vehicle less than a year. it has since happened again, but this incident i am describing is the first time it happened. *tr
12/16/2006100002
 Frequently breaking windshield on the 2007 toyota fj cruiser. *jb
04/23/2007304/19/2007
 Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. on 4/21/07 while driving at 65 mph a rock hit the windshield. the rock caused a small indentation on the lower center of the windshield. on 4/23/07 while driving about 45 mph a rock hit the windshield and left a small indentation on the top left side of the windshield. on 4/24/07, while the vehicle was parked the windshield had a large crack between the indentations. the weather was not a factor. *ak updated 05/21/07. *jb
04/23/2007970204/05/2007
 My newly purchased fj cruiser has a defective windshield. i had a chip repaired a few weeks ago, and now i have a crack in my windshield not associated with the previous chip. as of yesterday afternoon, i didn't have a crack while i was cleaning out the inside of my car. last night when i got into my fj, i noticed a crack that starts 3' to the left of the driver side wiper and arches to the middle of the wiper. *tr
09/05/20063000108/11/2006
 Windshield breakage. *ak
02/14/20077700106/30/2006
 I own a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. i frequent a forum called fjcruiserforums.com. we have tons of problems with windshields on the fj cruiser. cracks are a common occurrence with these windshields. i owned a jeep wrangler for 4 years. i had one time that i received a crack to the windshield. so, the angle of the window on the fj is not the problem. it must be a cheaper grade of glass. a lot of people on the website listed above have had to replace their window several times. i fortunately only had one crack as of yet. but, i am sure there will be more. the cracks develop into a splintering effect which requires the windshield to be replaced. so, insurance pays and premiums increase over cheap glass. *ak
04/04/20073900102/17/2007
 Windshield crack under the right passenger side windshield wiper while driving on the interstate in michigan. small rock stroke and window chipped and spattered. windshield chipped and cracked way too easily. *ak
04/10/2007208/21/2006
 Cracked windshield on fj cruiser i am on windshield number 2 and this one is also cracked at 1200 dollars for replacement. *jb
02/27/200719800207/21/2006
 Driving on loop 250 in town following a other cars, clear day,dry road windshield was hit by small rocks kicked up by other cars.. one hit top of windshield which has crack the glass down and over towards the passenger side about 5-8 inches..the other is on the drivers line of sight.. dime size ding no crack. *jb
01/01/20072000311/06/2006
 Windshield chips with slightest stone or debris. glass seems of inferior quality. side doors glass has imperfections. *jb
04/15/2007237202/11/2007
 Bad windshield glass, had the vehicle for two months and had two cracks in the windshield from very small pebbles, had a lot of vehicles over the years and this has never happened so easily. also, belong to an owner's s online forums, and there were hundreds threads on brand new fj toyota cruiser windshields cracking. you can see other documented windshield problems here: www.fjcruiserforums.com. *ak
04/04/20072744112/15/2006
 Broken windshield caused by a tiny pebble. pitting caused by sand and tiny pebbles on the road. the toyota fj cruiser windshield scares me due to how fragile the glass is. i can not see how these windshields could have been certified as safe by the department of transportation. i have owned vehicles with near vertical windshields in my lifetime and have never had them crack this easy. i even scratched one of the windows washing bird droppings off of the glass. i ended up replacing that window as well. some one really needs to look into the safety of this glass.*ak
02/28/20077500108/02/2006
 I currently own a 2007 toyota fj cruiser. i have already had a damaged windshield due to a stone hitting the windshield on the interstate. the vehicle had only 8500 miles on it and already the windshield needed to be replaced. the windshield sa tvery vertically, but the issue seemed toybe more of a substandard quality of glass. i belong to a forum in which numerous windshield failures have occurred, and some within a few weeks of each other. any attention given to this matter would be much appreciated.*ak
02/22/20071
 2247 miles on vehicle, in 3 months of driving and the windshield is pitted in several locations, some are starting to crack. the first one occurred before i had driven 500 miles.*ak this is a safety issue as it concerns proper visibility and windshield integrity. there are several other vehicles on the road with a near vertical windshield like mine, and they are not having the same issue. it seems the glass is really fragile on this vehicle. i am currently waiting on a new windshield to come into stock so that it can be replaced.
03/14/2007800103/14/2007
 Cracked winshield froma small pebble hit. *ak