The 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser has 5 recalls, the most serious involving aftermarket heated seat elements that can short circuit and start a fire inside the cabin. The second significant concern is a structural one: the rear access door panels house the front seatbelt retractors, and repeated hard closing of those doors can crack the panels to the point where a retractor pulls free, leaving an occupant without a functioning belt in a crash.
On the tire safety side, two recalls address pressure monitoring and tire labeling. The tire pressure monitoring system may fail to warn when a tire loses air, and vehicles fitted with accessory wheels and tires may have incorrect spare tire inflation figures on the door placard, either of which can lead to a tire failure while driving. There is also a lighting concern affecting vehicles with Toyota auxiliary driving lamps mounted to the front bumper, where the lights may exceed legal brightness limits and create excessive glare for oncoming drivers.
At a glance
What can fail
The electrical wiring in aftermarket seat heaters with copper strand heating elements can be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed, potentially causing electrical issues.
What the fix does
Dealers will disconnect the seat heaters at no charge and refund the purchase price of the accessory.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
The tire placard lists incorrect spare tire size or cold tire inflation pressure because aftermarket wheels and tires were installed before the vehicle's first sale.
What the fix does
Toyota will mail overlay stickers to owners or provide them to dealers to place over the incorrect tire placard information.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The auxiliary driving lamps on the front bumper use 55-watt bulbs. Combined with the upper beam headlamps, they produce light output that exceeds federal safety limits for upper beam brightness.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the 55-watt bulbs with 35-watt bulbs at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The seat belt retractors are mounted in the rear access door panels. Repeated forceful closing of the access door can cause cracks to develop in the panel over time.
What the fix does
Toyota will repair or replace the access door panel to restore its strength and proper seat belt retractor function.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The tire pressure monitoring system was not properly calibrated when factory wheels were replaced with Toyota accessory wheels and light-truck tires before the vehicle was sold. The low tire pressure warning light may not illuminate when tire pressure drops to the required minimum level.
What the fix does
For most models, the dealer will recalibrate the tire pressure monitoring system and install an updated tire information label. For FJ Cruiser, the monitoring system's electronic control unit will be replaced.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
