2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
23 NHTSA owner complaints · 7 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 23 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 1.53
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Passenger front seat belt will not retract anymore and a passenger hit the windshield during a hard braking incident. I looked online and saw NHTSA 13V098000 about the seat belt retractor being recalled, but we were never notified.
My Toyota fj cruiser has frame rot issues. Will not pass an inspection because of the frame rot problem.my Toyota has less than 79000 miles on it and looks to be in excellent condition on the interior and exterior. Toyota knows about the problem and refuses to take responsibility for it .Is there anything I can do about it.. Got a verbal quote to replace ( it's gonna cost about 9500 to repair ) could be more after …
Rust to the frame of the car not consummate with the age of the vehicle, rust to the straps that secure the fuel tank. points that affix the brake lines to the vehicle frame have rusted to the point they're no longer affixed to the frame. the rate at which rust gestates on this vehicle (and i am much more attentive than the typical consumer) is unsafe and will continue to create unsafe conditions as these vehicles ra…
Recalls: 7 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 11V148000 | Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems | TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 FJ CRUISER, LAND CRUISER, TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)." WHEN FACTORY-INSTALLED WHEELS AND TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH TOYOTA AUTHORIZED ACCESSORY WHEELS AND LT… |
| 14V475000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 FJ Cruiser and Tacoma vehicles equipped with accessory wheels and tires installed by Toyota or dealers prior to the vehicle's first sale. The affected vehicles may list incorrect spare tire size and/or cold tire inflation information on the tire placard. |
| 13V123000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota… |
| 13V098000 | Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage | Toyota is recalling certain model year 2007 through 2013 FJ Cruiser passenger vehicles. The retractors for the front driver and passenger seat belts are mounted in the access door (rear door) panels of the vehicle. |
| 11V185000 | Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems | GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 FJ CRUISER AND MODEL YEAR 2009-2011 TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS." THE TPMS ON SOME VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY CALIBRATED AND AS A RESULT THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LAMP MAY… |
| 12E046000 | Equipment | Toyota is recalling certain Toyota Racing Development (TRD) brake kits, P/N PTR09-35070, and TRD High-Performance brake kits, P/N PTR09-35100, installed by Toyota vehicle processing centers and sold by Toyota dealers as an optional accessory for model year 2007 through 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser vehicles. The subject TRD brake kit is specifically designed for… |
| 13V163000 | Exterior Lighting | Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2007-2013 FJ Cruiser vehicles manufactured January 25, 2006 through February 23, 2013 and equipped with a Toyota Auxiliary Driving Lamp Kits mounted to the front bumper. These lamp assemblies include 55 watt bulbs and due to this wattage and mounting angle, the combination of the upper beam… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 19 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,250
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Steering8 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Suspension6 complaints · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle (4.0 h labour + parts)$780–$1,580
- Structure5 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Wheels5 complaints · typical job: Wheel bearing or hub replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$460–$920
- Unknown Or Other2 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Service Brakes2 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
Other Toyota FJ Cruiser years
Toyota FJ Cruiser years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Steering (8 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 85/100, computed from 23 NHTSA complaints and 7 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser's most common problem?
8 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser sit in the Steering group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement: about 5.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,020–$2,500 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser cost to run per year?
About $5,768 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,842 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/03/2011. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other fullsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 23 complaints, 7 recalls on record
- 23 NHTSA complaints on record (1.5/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (2.5/yr)
- 7 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality