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Re:Front suspension collapsed
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Date: 2006/11/07 05:46
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By: antihistab
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Status: User
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Karma: 1
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F.J.C.O. Rookie
| Posts: 13 |   |
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Bajabandit - "Totally collapsed as in how? Interested in hearing the findings..."
I will keep you informed.
My hurried research indicates there have been at least 5 or 6 similar accidents involving Toyotas where the cause was attributed to "ball joint" and/or "relay rod" failure. Toyota was recently reprimanded by the Japanesse government for not recalling vehicles after it knew that their "relay rods" were prone to fail causing loss of control. I do not yet know what failed in my FJ.
I have told the local dealership where my FJ is stored that no one can touch/move it unless they have my permission in writing. I intend to have full oversight of efforts to determine what failed and why. I will let you know what we find.
My primary concern is the safety of other FJ owners...but if Toyota or anybody else tries to stiffle my investigation of this, I will take them to the mat and to the cleaners...legally and financially...that's fer sure.
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Re:Front suspension collapsed
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Date: 2006/11/07 06:51
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By: Runner_Ryan
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Status: Admin
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Karma: 30
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Admin
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Well, the FJ Cruiser doesn't have a relay rod. It has rack and pinion steering. Besides, a relay rod wouldn't have anything to do with suspension collapse. It is a steering issue.
You say your wife got sick from excessive vibration? Mine is completely quiet and smooth. I even have larger tires, and still no vibration. Maybe there was something wrong with it before you got it.
I'm also wondering what happened to it while you had the Trailblazer for the weekend.
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Re:Front suspension collapsed
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Date: 2006/11/07 21:23
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By: phil369
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Status: User
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Karma: 4
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F.J.C.O. Regular
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Frankly, something sounds fishy!
Who buys a new car, drives it out, has a bad vibration and doesn't take it right back?
Next, who buys a new vehicle drives it home and then doesn't touch it for over a week? One can only presume you test drove your FJ before you bought it - any vibration?
It seems unusual to drive home a brand new vehicle let it sit for 8 days, then drive it to another dealer to trade in.
If you are interested in legal action - the last place you would leave the vehicle is at a Toyota dealer.
What's the real story here?
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Re:Front suspension collapsed
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Date: 2006/11/08 06:48
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By: antihistab
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Status: User
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Karma: 1
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F.J.C.O. Rookie
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phil369 - "Who buys a new car, drives it out, has a bad vibration and doesn't take it right back?"
antihistab - True. We have immediately returned several SUVs (e.g., Xterra, Pathfinder, Rodeo, Trailblazer, et. al) for bad vibration where the front wheels shimmyed excessively making the vehicle difficult to control. This FJ vibration wasn't like that. It didn't affect the steering. It was a roughness that my wife felt coming up through her seat. Anyway, I shoulda took it back right away that's fer sure.
phil369 - "Next, who buys a new vehicle drives it home and then doesn't touch it for over a week? One can only presume you test drove your FJ before you bought it - any vibration?"
antihistab - My wife hasn't driven since her heart attack in late Jun'06, and I drove my old beater to work all week, because I work on a military base requiring a vehicle decal for entry which I hadn't obtained for my new FJ.
phil369 - "One can only presume you test drove your FJ before you bought it - any vibration?"
antihistab - Yes, we test drove it before we bought it. Unfortunately, the area around the dealership was very congested preventing us from speeds greater than 40 mph. The vibration didn't show up until exceeded 50 mph on the open road headed home. Also, we had test driven 3 other new FJs and all of them were fairly smooth. One with bigger (20 inch) rims was a bit squirrelier than the others.
phil369 - "It seems unusual to drive home a brand new vehicle let it sit for 8 days, then drive it to another dealer to trade in."
antihistab - That's what we did. Like I said before, my wife isn't driving, and I drove my beater to work all week. We're too old and laid-back to get excited over a new vehicle. If we hadn't decided to try to trade it, it mighta set for months without us driving it. I bought a Diamante in 2001 and only put 4000 miles on it in 3 years.
phil369 - "If you are interested in legal action - the last place you would leave the vehicle is at a Toyota dealer."
antihistab - That is a potential problem. On the other hand, I was concerned that if I had it stored elsewhere, the Toyota folks might claim that I screwed with it. A salesman from the local dealership was on the accident scene within 5 mins of the accident's occurrence. He participated in putting it on the flatbed truck which carried it directly to the Toyota dealership's sevice yard. So, there was sort of an unbroken chain of custody ruling out my screwing with it. I think that's a good thing. But, it being on Toyota property is a problem. For access to it, I have to get their permission. Also, they could just put it on the rack, replace the failed parts, thereby covering up the true cause/nature of the problem. I have talked to about 6 lawyers and none of them were interested (some were actually rude)...seemingly because there were no injuries and no other vehicles involved.
phil369 - "What's the real story here?"
antihistab - My FJ's front suspension, driver's side, collapsed while I was driving it on the highway. If I had not bought it, or if I had immediately returned it after buying it, I doubt that would have somehow healed the problem, whatever it was, with its suspension.
I appreciate your interest, very much.
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Re:Front suspension collapsed
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Date: 2006/11/08 07:25
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By: antihistab
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Status: User
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Karma: 1
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F.J.C.O. Rookie
| Posts: 13 | |
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Runner_Ryan - "Well, the FJ Cruiser doesn't have a relay rod. It has rack and pinion steering. Besides, a relay rod wouldn't have anything to do with suspension collapse. It is a steering issue."
antihistab - Thanks for this enlightment. Violent accidents are difficult to recall, but I remember losing steering control, having no brakes, and the front end, driver's side collapsing on the tire.
Runner_Ryan - "Maybe there was something wrong with it before you got it.
I'm also wondering what happened to it while you had the Trailblazer for the weekend."
antihistab - At this time, I cannot rule out any of these. I think we are all concerned that the problem, whatever it is, may exist in other FJs. That's what we need to rule-out...some way,somehow. Toyota has already implied that I damaged my FJ. I did not...unless driving it less than 100 miles on the highway damaged it.
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