Why the FJ Cruiser was ACTUALLY Discontinued - The Real Reasons Why 

Thanks everyone for watching! As an additional note, during the Obama administration, CAFE standards for emissions were set in place where manufacturers had to reach a certain criteria of fuel economy among their vehicles. By cutting the FJ, Toyota didn't have to spend time and money into R&D of the FJ to comply and was a quicker way of reaching compliance with CAFE standards. Also, the lack of advertising for the FJ was probably a contributing factor to the poor sales.

Owned three, 07, 12 and now I have a 2014 TTUE. Bought it as a retirement present to myself. Less than 15,000 miles only used for Hunting and Fishing trips.

I bought my 2014 FJ in December of that year. And I love it. The funny thing is, I have never taken it off road, as I have no interest in that sort of thing. I bought it because I just thought it looked sooooo cool…!!! And it’s proven to be a great vehicle.

I don't usually miss cars, but I definitely miss this one.

The FJ is sold in all Arabian Gulf Countries not only UAE and its very popular. On the other hand, we do not have any of the Tundra, Tacoma or the 4Runner! I have a brand new FJ 2021 and I love it :) Great video , as usual, and I really wish a new FJ would come out soon.

Always nice when you upload. love it

I have been eyeing an FJ for years, I didn't know that they had ceased production until this weekend. The Car dealer told me as I was signing papers to buy my very own FJ. Every single one I see on the road today looks like they are showroom ready. And a 2014 looks like it should be a 2020, that is how awesome these were made. And that classic vintage styling....WOW!. I inherited my Moms 2010 Toyota Corolla last year. She had it since 2012 and it never went it for anything other than regular maintenance. I knew if I gave up my moms Toyota, it was only going to be for another Toyota. FJ all the way!

I've got a 2007 FJ and I love it because it's utilitarian, no carpet anywhere, it goes anywhere and it's been everywhere.

Wow just found this channel. Very cool. Ive got a 2014 FJ 4x4 auto trans and I LOVE IT. Subbed to the channel

In hindsight it’s a good thing they stopped selling it. At least for those that got their hands on one and plan on keeping them long term. Another good thing is that they never changed the look, only improved features. That creates the classic FJ identify we all know and love.

Always liked the FJ the only downside for me anyway is the colors. But my next vehicle will be an FJ.

2021 models still for sale in South Africa we love them here.

I think modern technology could make this truck a killer in the US market. Put in a modern motor to bump up MPGs as well as HP and torque, and you'd have all you need. Add in blindspot monitoring and a modern head unit with a good screen for video (forward as well as reverse) and just about ALL the weaknesses of the old design would be overcome; you'd once again have a vehicle that people would clamor for if the price was reasonable. I think the demand for Ford's Bronco release supports that argument. It, too is a brick on wheels that includes a lot of technology to make it a decent daily driver while still boasting serious off-road chops.

They would have sold a lot more if there had been a diesel variant.

This is such a much better feel good story than what you’re gonna find on Lifetime or the Hallmark channel. 🥲Merry Christmas fellow FJ owners!

very nice Hayden! super detialed video to attempt answering this question! - Ali

Great video. The only way I will get rid of my FJ is if I crash it or it gets stolen. That said, I think there is another reason not in this video. Can't remember where I read it but during the time of the FJ's production, car crash (specifically rollover) safety standards in the USA changed. The FJ, having no pillar between the front and rear doors became unable to meet those new standards. In the event of a rollover, if the FJ ends up on its roof, it is structurally very weak without a pillar there. Toyota would have had to redesign the whole body with a pillar there in order to bring it up to current safety rollover standards. With such low sales numbers, they didn't want to invest that amount of R & D. Anyway, I enjoy your content on this channel. Keep it up!

You might be the best RU-vid content creator I follow. Thanks for being so psyched on FJs and for sharing/documenting the love.

My Toyota parts guy told me a few years ago that the FJ had fallen out of CARB compliance so Toyota decided to drop the FJ and invest in 4runner sales. So sales numbers had lots to due with it.

Its crazy that toyota still sells this in the middle east and the philippines brand new, maybe in 15 years it will get an overhaul like the new Sequioa, and we may have a reason to buy one if it had better fuel economy.

Still strange,fj is stand alone offroader.The Previa van was an excellent vehicle also discontinued for unknown reasons.

One more reason why they discontinued it could be because the SUV is very sensitive to the way tires need to be balanced. Front-end vibration at high speeds is a common problem, and the mechanic in the tire shop needs to be very skilled to fix it. And it might come back pretty soon after driving a few thousand miles, as some guys complain on internet forums. when I tested it it was starting to vibrate at 60 mph. The good tire shop guys fixed it, will see for how long it will last.

still . It is being released in the Middle East with 2022 models zero km And a strong desire to buy it

Love my 08 fjcruiser. I offroad it hard against jeeps, it never has let me down. ( my fj is slightly modified). I hope Toyota brings back a modern version of the fj40 body style. Owning a 75 fj40, I would run out and immediately purchase a new fj40. It would be nice to have a new fj40 outshine a rubicon, like the old fj40 outperformed the older jeeps (cj5,cj7 etc,)

If they had released the FJ with a Diesel engine option they would still be selling them in Australia/ NZ.

Good stuff always; thanks!

Once you understand that the CAFE regulations for vehicles classified as light trucks the North American market, which the FJ falls under, are based on the area of the wheelbase, you will understand the main deciding factor for its discontinuation. CAFE regulations killed the small pickup truck as well. The regular cab short bed Tacoma was also discontinued in 2014 which was the lone hold out in the small pickup truck market in North America. They were both replaced with vehicles having a larger area footprint but have the same or worse fuel economy. This is consistent among all manufacturers selling in the North America market. It is also the reason for the demise of station wagons and sedans in the NA market as well. CAFE regulations, being based on the area of the vehicles footprint, incentivized manufacturers to design, produce, and sell larger vehicles because the more area a vehicle's tires encompass, the less fuel efficient it is required to be. Vehicles having a smaller footprint are required to be much more fuel efficient. This is why the regular cab short bed Tacoma was only offered with the 4 cylinder engine in its last years.

TOYOTA should not have discontinued it. I'm considering buying one here in P.R. TOYOTA should work on a modern design FJ Cruser. Customers who love off roading like me would definately buy it. There are about 7 or 8 used for sale here in P.R. TOYOTA, please! bring this off road vehicle back in the market.

You didn't mention that multiple years of the FJ's had tremendous frame rust problems but they were never recalled like the Tacoma's that had the same issues. Those issues with the Tacoma started with a class action lawsuit in the US by owners. Some FJ owners are trying to do the same but I think they could be finding it tough because it is no longer sold here.That may be another reason. The Tacoma frame rust issues cost them a pretty penny in the US.

One of the most powerful cars I owned. I own the 2008 FJ and it still has more power A car worth paying for

I have always heard that the FJ is the poor man’s version of the Land Cruiser. I still don’t understand why they discontinued the Land Cruiser years after the FJ when they could have upgraded for safety and accessibility in the US and sold them faster than the new Broncos. I want to draw and model a revised version because they’re so reliable and you don’t need to do anything except drive and maintain them. Most Toyota drivers buy for life and only get newer ones but FJ owners have a hard time letting go:

2012 owner here, sandstorm color Only owner, had 5.5km on it day one Now at 346974km still runs like a dream, best vehicle I’ve ever owned

Taking this explanation into account, it would be a bad idea for Toyota to release a new FJ now. Maybe they can take styling cues from the FJ and transfer them to the very plain looking Highlander and 4Runner.

We still have 2022 fj in Saudi Arabia, most of our police cars are new fj cruisers.

I think another reason sales of the FJ were hurt, we’re because of dealer mark-ups. When I was looking for one, dealerships marked them up a few thousand.

Finally another video! Thanks

I owned a 69 FJ40 Red one long ago. My 3 rd vehicle. loved it. I would love to have it back. Maybe someday get one if I hit the lottery! I do think the FJ cruiser is cool too. They go for top dollar as well now that only used ones exist. Hope they come out with a new model someday. Do it Toyota! do it!

we all know it would be awesome if they made them for the US market again, but careful what you ask for as I suspect it would be some EV plug in crap with one of these earth killing batteries that cost twice as much to replace.

Excellent video! Any chance you can reference where some of the trails are in the video?

They should bring it back now; definitely looks better than the Bronco and more than likely built better.

I owned a 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser manual transmission AWD off road package Trial Teams Addition Army green

Awesome video! Thanks!

In kuwait we have it I bought it before 2 days and I will own it after 10 days

Fj is discontinued now in the Philippines as well.

I might have an answer for why FJ is still going You have missed Saudi Arabia, 4x4 is almost a must have for every family here and Toyota cars are being bought before they make it to the ports Once supply finishes and next batch is coming in few months, we buy toyota cars from neighbouring countries (oman, uae, bahrain, qatar and Kuwait) I don't have the numbers but if you have access to them, you might have your answer there

Correct me if I am wrong, another possible reason for low sales to off-roaders in particular is that it is not as customizable as Jeeps.

good video , how much is toyota fj right now? , which year do you think is the best? thanks !

They could build an FJ with no computer chips and it will sell like hotcakes.

Right analysis, Toyota should give a restyling and give a better look at the stock model... in fact no upgraded FJ is awful, on the contrary upgraded 35 tyres are really awesome! My history is quite funny, but meaningful. I like 1/10 RC crawlers and have a collection. I got an FJ some years ago, but after a while I changed the body because was ugly respect to othesr crawlers. One day I broke a body and while I was waiting for a new one... I look in my RC garage and took the old FJ body to use the car next day (becasue of a lot of chassis, ESC, motor, tyres upgrades I want to test). The look was so impressive on that upgraded chassis that I LOVED IT and become one of my favourite cars ! So lovely I recently bought another FJ and upgraded it the day after !! From that day I started looking at RU-vid channels about FJ and I found some real world really awesome upgraded FJ. If Toyota should have understood that... maybe FJ could live a lot more... also because the total price for new FJ and upgrades is quite high for most people!

I work for Toyota motor manufacturing and they don’t tell why any vehicle is getting discontinued

The FJ is manufactured at the HINO plant which allows limited production.

Suicide doors suck , just like the Honda Element it killed a whole buying group and turned it into a 2 person vehicle . I've owned one for 17 years, it was immediately relegated to the second car.

I heard they wouldn't wear out

I have more then 40-50 cars and most loved are 1970 Buick Skylark and Toyota FJ Cruiser. My FJ have over 200000 miles and it's the only car I kept that long. Toyota discounted the Fj in US because Tacoma and 4Runner and don't want to compete with other off road vehicles.

Here in Peru you can buy a brand new 2022 FJ cruiser for 53k usd

Bring it back but with better mpgs maybe a a diesel to US.

You forgot to mention or maybe you didnt know. but we have them here in SOuth America. You can find 2021 FJ cruisers. I can send you pictures or videos one day.

Love my 09 will never gets rid of it or my fj55 and fj40 its in my blood

We never had it here in the UK and mostly are imported, Toyota needs to bring this vehicle back and with better fuel/electric drivetrain oh and bring to UK😉

Hi! I am in the market to replace my Jeep. Will they be making a 2023 FJ?

At 4:20 you provide the clearest answer to the question of why FJ sales collapsed. Despite the very welcome, very consumer-friendly decision by Toyota to offer a cheaper and more accessible 4x4 alternative to the 4Runner, the FJ failed to gain a foothold in the marketplace. The photo of the original FJ 40 shows a coherent and utterly pragmatic design. It is a near perfect example of form following function and I suspect that design was done by an adult or group of adults. In contrast, the FJ was a self-indulgent, immature and cartoon-like design where the form was a direct impediment to the intended function. The FJ's solid mechanical underpinnings (provided by the Prado) were directly undermined by the bloated C pillar and shrunken windshield. These design flaws substantially reduced visibility in a vehicle ostensibly designed for pinpoint off road maneuverability. Eventually the number of buyers willing to forgive these glaring shortcomings dwindled to the point where Toyota withdrew it from our market. Had Toyota brought the sensibly styled and equally capable 2 door Prado to this market as the economical offering in their 4X4 lineup, it would probably still be here. In comparison, the 4Runner has always been logical in design and has enjoyed decades of steady sales to equally logical consumers as a result.

Had to buy a Jeep Wrangler Sahara because the FJ was no longer available . Funny how Jeep sales rocketed ... think Toyota was wrong ? . So now I'm looking to get a Full Size Ford 2 door Bronco. because it's foot print looks so similar to the FJ . I cant buy a new FJ .I don't want 4Runner or Tacoma and didn't really want a jeep and yes this will be my every day runner . Should a FG be announced I will hold out to get one . just wish I could import a new one without paying for 2 FJ's with duty and taxes

A lot of people like to talk about the FJ Cruiser and how they want to have one, but just like the Land Cruiser it stays in the for sale car lot for months on end, unlike the 4 Runner which gets sold out within a week. Even when it was announced that the last batch will be made, we had FJ still left unsold for a year, weird, the most loved/liked vehicle in paper but no one is buying it.

I don't know anyone who for 100% for sure knows why FJ was gonna by by by...and I can not explain why people did increase orders of ford's new broncos, after it is known that this SUV has multi problems, and engine shoot downs, electrical multi problems.....just do not make any sense .but after all Toyota is not a cheap car to own,but it's a good car to have.th

Probably they are still selling FJs since they have parts in storage, and it shares platform with cars like the 2-door Prado. Btw, isn't it interesting that I just purchased mine, paying a high price for it, while Russia's war is increasing petrol prices?! :-| Hopefully it doesn't affect the resale price!

It makes no sense. It costs Toyota nothing to sell it in America. Same car, the production line is still there. You don’t even need to improve it -it’s an off-road car. Just put up the website and nothing more needs to be done. Toyota is not making sense here. What do you have to lose to put up a website. If 1000 people buy, you sell 1000; if no one buy, you lose nothing.

I bought my 2014 few months ago. Hoping toyota would not release FJ in the US. So the value of the FJ would go up in the future.

Fj with 4.7 iforce v8,

Fortunately, FJ Cruiser is still available in the Philippines.

has anyone took the stock petrol engine out and put a diesel motor in a FJ ?

Let's get something straight.... The FJ is NOT discontinued. I just bought my zero milage 2020 yellow FJ in Iraq. Can't you Americans import new FJs from Dubai?

If they bring it back then FJ used prices would crash. Those who recently bought one would feel pretty foolish. But if they bring it back in electric form like the prototype they showed, then prices would continue to increase for the gas powered ones.

Side opening back hatch, no thanks.

There’s no logical reason they wouldn’t have refreshed or brought back to the market since they stil produce the truck. Prob to many conservative owners.

Toyota should just build to order.

Smiles per gallon LMAO

Why....FJ was too good for Jeep Wrangler. BTW FJ Cruiser is still in production.

I think it was Obama ecology reasons. Didn’t wanna dumb it down for US market

Love the FJ, but its a gas hog. Make an electric fj and im sold.

Funny you show this video, while the Ford Bronco is commanding premiums of $10 to 20 thousand over MSRP, and Ford can't meet demand no matter what! The real reason, IMHO is that Toyota, being a foreign manufacturer is always scared of Congress and its shenanigans and CAFE and emissions. That's the reason we don't get diesels either, while every other domestic manufacturer is selling them. They continued selling them in Australia, Philippines, South Africa and the Gulf States after 2014 and they still are in some of those places! There wasn't enough profit in it for them in the US for the risks, period. Kudo's to Ford this time, although I'm still a Toyota customer.

Personally if I could find one that's in good shape out here in Puerto Rico I would love to get it but they're extremely overvalued and nowhere near as reliable as my 1988 Jeep Cherokee Pioneer 4x4 for off roading as well as daily commute.

Because the steering wheel shakes violently at 55mph

The reason was they had too many problems and Toyota didnt want this bad mark against there name.

Toya still makes them/ sales in Philippines and Dubai .. America is DEAD !! that is why.!!

Number one thing you got wrong is, they are not making the FJ at all. Final production stopped in 2016 in Japan. Ie he Hino Hanumura plant DOES NOT make them anymore. The ones that exist are new old stock, ie 2016 build 2021 compliance. Toyota Japan released a statement about this years ago. It IS NOT still MADE. One big impact was the cry from people who had never owned or driven a petrol v6 fj and had only driven the well underpowered slow 4/6/8 cylinder diesels. For example, here in Australia, all the knucledragging sister fckers ignored the Fj because of that fact, now they are gone and they are finally getting into them they realise the massive diference and how much more enjoyable and refined the petrol v6 was compared to the hilux for example. Toyota never offered diesel because it was garbage in the FJ. The fj was designed to be a fun, enjoyable reliable and capable off road vehicle. Similar to the Yaris GR, toyota really worked hard on the development and design of the FJ, they wanted a vehicle that you could roll off the lot and smash the trails straight away. It could do this with zero modifications, it had market leading innovation such as higher wading class, everything was thought thru from the waterproof dilectric grease on all the essential connectors.