Toyota FJ Cruiser (2006-2016) Maintenance Schedule
This is the maintenance schedule for the Toyota FJ Cruiser, made from 2006-2016 in most markets (from 2007 in the US, and discontinued in 2014 in the US, in 2018 in Japan), but still sold in some markets including South Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is an iconic off-roader that Toyota never expected to produce. There’s a lot that’s unusual about it — three windscreen wipers, suicide doors, a sparse interior (designed to be able to be hosed down, though fastidious owners may not want to go that far), and classic looks to die for, inspired by Land Cruisers of old. But the FJ Cruiser has an almost cult following as the package just “works”.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser’s core is a 4.0 litre petrol DOHC V6 engine, the 1GR-FE seen in the older gen Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Prado. It came with VVT-i from 2007-2009, then with dual VVT-i from 2010.
Final drive for the FJ Cruiser is an automatic or manual transmission. You can get automatic and RWD (in some markets), but the most popular FJ Cruisers are 4×4 models (partial or full-time), with either an automatic or manual transmission.
In the US, Toyota stopped making the FJ Cruiser after the 2014 model year, and prices have somehow risen alongside mileage.
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What you need to service your Toyota FJ Cruiser
If you want to do a service on your Toyota FJ Cruiser, you need the following replaceables / consumables.
| Item | Toyota FJ Cruiser Spec |
|---|---|
| Engine oil | Toyota recommends Toyota Genuine Motor Oil 0W-20, or another multigrade engine oil of ILSAC GF-5 rating. |
| Oil filter | The standard part number for the oil filter is 04152-YZZA5 for the FJ Cruiser. |
| Spark plugs | For the V6 engine, Toyota recommends DENSO SK16HR11 spark plugs. |
| Coolant | Toyota recommends Toyota Super Long Life Coolant, an OAT coolant based on ethylene glycol. |
| Engine air filter | Use a K&N air filter 33-2438 (more rectangular) from 2010 onward, or 33-2281 (long and thin) from 2006-2009. |
| Cabin air filter | Try a K&N washable air filter, type VF2002 for the FJ. |
| Differential oil (for rear, or both for 4WD) | Use Toyota Genuine Differential Gear Oil LT 75W-85 GL-5 or an equivalent. |
| (4WD) Transfer case oil | Toyota recommends Toyota Genuine Transfer Gear Oil LF SAE 75W, or an equivalent, e.g. Red Line 75W-85 GL-5. |
| Automatic transmission oil | Use Toyota Genuine ATF WS fluid. |
| Manual transmission oil | Use Toyota Genuine Manual Transmission Gear Oil GL-4 or equivalent, SAE 75W-90. |
| Brake / clutch fluid | Use Toyota DOT 3 brake fluid or another FMVSS No. 116 DOT 3 or SAE J1703 fluid for both brake and clutch fluid. |
| Grease | Use lithium soap-based grease for the chassis. |
Overall service intervals for the Toyota FJ Cruiser
Below are the service intervals for the FJ cruiser from the US / UK manual (in miles)
| Service type | Major items | Every |
|---|---|---|
| Minor inspection | * Check major safety items (wipers, tires, brakes, etc.) * Check undercarriage drivetrain if driving on dirt / dusty roads, or in extreme conditions * Replace oil / filter if driving in any severe conditions | 5000 miles / 6 months |
| Oil change (regular service | Do minor inspection and change oil / filter | 10000 miles / 12 months |
| Regular inspection | Do the minor inspection and * Lubricate and re-torque propeller shaft (4WD) * Inspect all drive train, steering, and safety components | 15000 miles / 18 months |
| Major inspection | Do all above and * Replace air filters * Replace clutch fluid (4WD) * Inspect 4WD drivetrain components | 30000 miles / 3 years |
| Other items | * Replace spark plugs * Replace coolant * Other items | Longer term — check maintenance schedule |
Maintenance schedule for the Toyota FJ Cruiser
Below is the maintenance schedule for the FJ Cruiser.
The US manual (in miles) and the APAC manual (kms) has slightly different items listed and different schedules. They’re listed separately.
Notes:
- The below maintenance schedule goes up to 30000 miles or 36 months (3 years). There are a few more infrequent items — see below.
- Follow the earlier of the time or distance based service intervals. E.g. the first service is due at the earlier of 6 months or 5000 miles.
- Some items only need to be done frequently if you drive your FJ Cruiser in high-stress conditions, e.g. in lots of stop-start traffic, on dirt roads or dusty roads (i.e. off-roading), or below freezing temperatures. See the legend below.
Legend for when maintenance should be performed:
- ✓ = Perform the service
- D: Perform the service if driving a lot on dirt roads or dusty roads.
- T: Perform the service when doing a lot of towing, using a car-top carrier, or loading the vehicle heavily.
- F: Perform the service if regularly driving short trips in below freezing temperatures (32 degrees F / 0 degrees celsius)
- L: Perform the service if doing lots of idling or low-speed driving, e.g. heavy traffic time, or driving as a police, taxi, or delivery vehicle.
| mi x 1000 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| months | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 36 |
| Replace engine oil Reset oil replacement reminder light / message on console. | D,T,F,L | ✓ | D,T,F,L | ✓ | D,T,F,L | ✓ |
| Replace oil filter | D,T,F,L | ✓ | D,T,F,L | ✓ | D,T,F,L | ✓ |
| Inspect ball joints / dust covers for looseness or damage. Replace if necessary. | D | D | ✓ | D | D | ✓ |
| Inspect drive shaft boots (4WD) | D | D | ✓ | D | D | ✓ |
| Inspect engine air filter | D | D | D | D | D | – |
| Replace engine air filter | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Replace cabin air filter | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Lubricate propeller shaft | D,T | D,T | ✓ | D,T | D,T | ✓ |
| Re-torque propeller shaft bolt | D,T | D,T | ✓ | D,T | D,T | ✓ |
| Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis and body | D,T | D,T | D,T | D,T | D,T | D,T |
| Inspect steering linkage & boots | D | D | ✓ | D | D | ✓ |
| Inspect steering gear box | – | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Inspect brake lines and hoses for chafing, cracks, or damage. Replace if necessary | – | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Inspect radiator and condenser | – | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Inspect engine coolant | – | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Inspect exhaust pipes and mountings | – | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Inspect front differential oil (4WD) | – | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Replace front differential oil (4WD) | – | – | T | – | – | T |
| Inspect rear differential oil | – | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ |
| Replace rear differential oil | – | – | T | – | – | T |
| Replace clutch fluid (4WD) When doing a lot of off-roading, towing, or using at low speed | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Inspect fuel lines and connections, tank band, and vapor vent hoses | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Inspect fuel tank cap gasket | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Inspect transfer case oil | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Replace transfer case oil (4WD) | – | – | – | – | – | D,T |
| Inspect transmission fluid | – | – | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Replace manual transmission fluid | – | – | – | – | – | T |
| Inspect and adjust all fluid levels | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rotate tyres | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Check wiper blades | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Check installation of driver’s floor mat | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Check brake pads / discs | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Other long-term maintenance items (US schedule)
The below items happen infrequently and don’t really fit into the table above.
| Item | Every |
|---|---|
| Replace auto transmission fluid if driving a lot at low speeds (e.g. as courier or taxi) Note: replace manual transmission fluid as per schedule above | 60000 miles / 6 years |
| Replace engine coolant (Toyota genuine SLLC) | 100000 miles / 10 years |
| Replace spark plugs (SK16HR11) | 120000 miles / 12 years |
| Inspect drive belts | 1. First inspection at 60000 miles / 6 years. 2. Subsequent inspections every 15000 miles / 1.5 years thereafter. |
Toyota FJ Cruiser — APAC Maintenance Schedule
Below is the maintenance schedule for the Toyota FJ Cruiser from the APAC manual (Australia, SE Asia, NZ).
Legend:
- I = Inspect
- R = Replace
- L = Lubricate
- T = Tighten
| months | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 |
| Engine | ||||||
| Drive belts | I | I | I | I | I | I |
| Engine oil | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Engine oil filter | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Cooling and heater system | I | |||||
| Engine coolant (see below for replacement schedule) | I | |||||
| Engine oil cooler hoses and connections | I | |||||
| Exhaust pipes and mountings | I | I | I | |||
| Electrical & Fuel System | ||||||
| Battery | I | I | I | I | I | I |
| Engine air cleaner filter (Include checking pre-air cleaner if equipped) | I | R | I | |||
| Fuel tank cap, fuel lines, connections and fuel vapor control valve | I | |||||
| Charcoal canister | I | |||||
| Chassis and Body | ||||||
| Brake pedal and parking brake | I | I | I | |||
| Brake linings and drums (Include parking brake) | I | |||||
| Brake pads and discs | I | I | I | I | I | I |
| Brake fluid | I | I | I | R | I | I |
| Brake pipes and hoses | I | I | I | |||
| Power steering fluid | I | I | I | I | I | I |
| Steering wheel, linkage and steering gear box | I | I | I | |||
| Propeller shaft grease | L | L | L | L | L | L |
| Tightening bolts for propeller shaft | T | T | T | T | T | T |
| Drive shaft boots | I | I | I | I | I | I |
| Suspension ball joints and dust covers | I | I | I | |||
| Automatic transmission fluid | I | |||||
| Transfer oil | I | |||||
| Front differential oil | I | R | I | |||
| Rear differential oil | I | R | I | |||
| Front and rear suspensions | I | I | I | |||
| Accessory items | I | I | I | I | I | I |
| Tyres and inflation pressures | I | I | I | I | I | I |
| Rotate wheels and balance front wheels | I | I | I | I | I | I |
| Lights, horn, wipers and washers | I | I | I | I | I | I |
| Seatbelt, webbing condition, buckle and retractor mechanism | I | I | I | I | I | I |
| Air conditioner filter | R | R | ||||
| Air conditioner, including refrigerant level | I | I | I | |||
| Road Test | ||||||
| Road Test Vehicle | I | I | I | I | I | I |
Other long-term maintenance (APAC metric manual)
The below items are done very infrequently, so including them above would make the manual cumbersome and repetitive.
| Infrequent service items | Every |
|---|---|
| Fuel filter | Replace every 4 years or 80000 km |
| Spark plugs (SK16HR11) | Replace every 5 years or 100000 km |
| Bolts and nuts on chassis and body | Tighten every 5 years or 100000 km |
| Engine coolant | Replace at 8 years or 160000 km, then every 4 years or 80000 km |
About the Toyota FJ Cruiser
Tomes could be written about the Toyota FJ Cruiser — why it’s a classic off-roader, why it should never have been killed off, and why it should come back. But that’s unlikely, at least in petrol-powered format… though an electric FJ Cruiser has been rumored.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is one of Toyota’s off-road mid-size SUVs. There are other vehicles in the line-up that perform this function, though they mostly have more of an on-road bias. Therein lies the FJ Cruiser’s charm — it has a much more off-road focus, but without sacrificing too much in terms of on-road driveability.
OK, well, don’t expect luxury. The FJ Cruiser isn’t a silent ride, for example, thanks to the near-vertical windscreen that collects almost as much errant gravel as it does wind. And the infotainment system is mostly just -tainment, with little info — the US market never got the digital version that made it to some other markets (but those who did get it tend to like it). And the FJ cruiser doesn’t have heated leather seats. They’re fabric, and they’re not heated, other than by yourself.
But the minimalism of the Toyota FJ Cruiser is its charm. Here’s an off-road fun vehicle that you can modify as you wish and take on adventures without worrying about scratching up that paint (although it does look good, particularly in yellow!)
The heart of the FJ Cruiser is the V6 petrol (or “gasoline”) engine. It’s not a diesel, no. But it is a V6.
The original 2007 FJ Cruiser was an instant hit. It was powered by a 4.0L V6 with a 24-valve dual overhead cam engine, which in base trim made 239 hp (178 kW) at 5200 rpm, and and 278 ft-lb (377 Nm) of torque at 3700 rpm
Toyota improved the FJ Cruiser in later years with Dual VVT-i and roller rocker arms, increasing peak power to 259 hp (193 kW) at 5600 rpm, and improving peak torque to 270 ft-lb (366 Nm) over a wide RPM range, and increasing fuel efficiency at the same time. Toyota increased those figures slightly in 2011 again.
The addition of dual VVT-i didn’t affect the maintenance schedule.
Mostly, though, the FJ Cruiser remained the same. After it left the US market, Toyota did improve the audio / entertainment system, replacing the ageing CD player with a touch screen display.
In terms of reliability, many Toyota FJ Cruiser owners on fjcruiserforums.com report having had their vehicles for over 200000 miles with just oil and other fluid changes before needing major service.
Typically, CV boots, belts, and hoses wear out. They’re made of rubber, and rubber wears out with time and exposure to elements.
If repairs are needed it is often to a normal item that may wear out on a car, like an alternator or water pump. You may have to rebuild a differential if you do a lot of heavy off-roading, according to a couple of users, but all that is to be expected.
But generally, all of the above is not news or cause for concern. People own their FJ Cruisers until they rust away, and if anything, rising prices should attest to the fact that these are keepers.
The only caveat — since they’re getting expensive even for high-mileage machines, so you may want to put your hard-earned dollars into a later-model Toyota Tundra.
References — Manual Screenshots for the Toyota FJ Cruiser
The above maintenance schedules came from the US and APAC warranty & maintenance guides for the Toyota FJ Cruiser.
We compared the warranty & maintenance guides for 2014 and 2007 (the last and first years the FJ Cruiser was imported into the US) and found no significant differences. You can see screenshots below.
You can find manuals directly at Toyota’s website here.
The below screenshot comes from the Australian maintenance schedule for the Toyota FJ Cruiser.
