What Went Wrong with the Toyota FJ Cruiser?

Not everyone’s into classic design. From what I know, Toyota made the FJ Cruiser to bring back the spirit of the old Land Cruiser FJ but with a modern twist—and it seems like not everyone was a fan. Back in the early 2000s, there were a lot of modern-retro cars, but it was kind of a niche thing. Plus, the FJ Cruiser wasn’t exactly cheap, and in some ways, it wasn’t much different from other Land Cruisers, which were arguably better—or at least had more universally accepted designs. I guess the retro look just isn’t for everyone.

That said, the FJ Cruiser did have its fans. The design stood out, and Toyota gave it a solid engine. That 4-liter V6 was more than enough for daily driving and off-roading. Toyota’s known for building super reliable vehicles, and bringing that reliability into a capable 4x4 seemed like a win—but it didn’t always play out that way, especially because of its limited market; not everyone likes the design.

On some sides, there are those who say that the FJ Cruiser is not economical so that kills its market, although I don't think that is a good reason; you don't need economy when buying an SUV. If that's your thought, then stick to sedans.

I think Toyota eventually realized that the market for retro-styled SUVs—especially ones built for serious off-roading—is pretty small. The thing is, they already had plenty of options in the Land Cruiser lineup, so adding another one probably didn’t feel necessary in the long run.

On top of that, the timing couldn’t have been worse. The FJ Cruiser launched for the 2007 model year—right before the stock market crashed in October 2007. That kicked off the Great Recession, and people suddenly didn’t have money to spend, especially not on pricey vehicles. Even though the FJ Cruiser was moderately priced at around $22,755 (which is about $35,450 today), that was a lot of money during a time when cash was tight. I think that financial pressure was the real nail in the coffin.

I think the FJ Cruiser didn’t sell too well because people just didn’t really like it. The market for a truly off-road-capable SUV is pretty small, especially in the U.S., where most people use SUVs for daily driving. A pure off-roader like the FJ Cruiser isn’t super practical for that—its suspension is stiffer and not as comfortable for everyday use since it’s built for hitting trails, not traffic.

These days, most people buy SUVs for comfort and commuting, so something like the FJ Cruiser doesn’t really fit the bill. Plus, if someone does want a serious off-roader, there are plenty of other options out there. And not everyone’s into the retro design Toyota went with. Yeah, it looks cool in a nostalgic kind of way, but a lot of folks just prefer something more modern. There were a bunch of retro-inspired cars in the early 2000s that didn’t really take off, and maybe the FJ Cruiser just got lumped into that group.

Honestly, I think the FJ Cruiser came out at the wrong time. If it had dropped in 2012 or later, it might’ve done better. By then, the economy was picking up and there was more demand for that kind of vehicle. Jeep launched the JK around 2006, and it did really well, which shows there was a market. But Toyota launched the FJ in 2007, and people just didn’t really get it—or maybe they weren’t looking for something like that yet.

So, in the end, I think it just came down to bad timing. If they’d waited a few more years, it might’ve actually had a shot at sticking around.