The 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser has 5 recalls, the most serious involving aftermarket heated seat cushions that can short circuit and start a fire inside the cabin.
The front seatbelt system also carries a significant concern: the retractors for both the driver and passenger belts are mounted inside the rear access door panels, and those panels can crack over time from repeated hard closings. If the panel cracks around the lower anchor point, the retractor can pull free from the door entirely, leaving the belt unable to restrain an occupant in a crash.
On the tire side, two recalls are worth noting. The tire pressure monitoring system on certain FJ Cruisers does not meet federal safety standards and may fail to alert the driver when a tire is losing pressure, which can lead to a blowout. Separately, vehicles that had accessory wheels and tires installed before their first sale may have an incorrect tire placard showing the wrong spare tire size or inflation pressure. Inflating a spare to the wrong pressure can cause it to fail while driving.
There is also a lighting recall affecting vehicles fitted with Toyota auxiliary driving lamps mounted to the front bumper. Those lamps can exceed the maximum legal brightness limit, producing glare that reduces visibility 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.
