Toyota FJ Cruiser reliability by year
7 recalls and 900 owner complaints across 8 model years. Best year to buy: 2011. Year to avoid: 2007.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 8 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the FJ Cruiser aggregated across 8 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Toyota FJ Cruiser?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser scores 8.2/10 — the strongest in the 2007–2014 range. 23 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Toyota FJ Cruiser year should I avoid?
The 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser scores 6.8/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 592 owner complaints with NHTSA, 1 active recall. That doesn't mean every 2007 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Toyota FJ Cruiser should I avoid?
No Toyota FJ Cruiser model year currently rises to an "avoid" or "high-risk" verdict on the NHTSA data — either the record is clean or sample sizes are still too thin for a confident call. The year-by-year breakdown below shows what's on file regardless.
How many years of the Toyota FJ Cruiser are tracked?
8 model years (2007 through 2014) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 7 recalls and 900 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Toyota FJ Cruiser?
body is the most-reported category — 250 complaints across 6 model years. Average shop repair runs about $1,500.