Factual error: The animation depicting a car engine at the end of the movie is incorrect. The animation shows a combustion event each time the cylinder reaches TDC (top dead center). A four cycle engine only has one combustion event for every two cycles of the piston. (01:35:30)
Continuity mistake: During the start of the chase in the grey Subaru Impreza, its sidelights vary on and off.
Factual error: There's no way the pickup trucks could haul the stolen tanker trailers, even as modified as the pickup trucks are. The gas engines they are using don't have the necessary torque to haul the probably 30,000 pounds the full trailers weigh, and the trucks do not show a heavy enough suspension to haul the weight either. Besides, no one hooks up the airlines necessary to release the trailer brakes. (00:01:00 - 00:04:00)
Factual error: During the first theft of the tankers, the pickups backing up to the tanks throw an A-frame over the pintle hitches to steal the trailers. Aside from the fact that it is extremely difficult to hook up that type of hitch, even when stationary, there is a closure over the hook that locks the eye of the A frame in place to prevent it from popping out of the hook. It would be impossible to throw the eye over the hook on a normal hitch that way, and the close up shots of the hitch show the top closure missing. If it's missing, the eye would pop out of the hook either braking, hitting a bump or accelerating. (00:02:00 - 00:05:00)
Revealing mistake: Just after the Buick spins around to knock the trailer loose, we see the Buick speeding away backwards alongside the truck. If you look carefully you can see the REAR tires are steering, not the fronts. This car was modified with the body mounted backwards on the chassis because the transmission only has one reverse gear, so to get the speed and handling needed, the car had to be going 'forward' with a 'backward' body. (00:05:30)
Continuity mistake: When Dom steers into the path of the tractor-trailer to slow it down, the actual swerving of the Buick occurs immediately in front of the tractor, just a few feet ahead of it. As the Buick stops wiggling in the next shot, we can see the tractor is far behind the Buick instantly. (00:01:30)
Revealing mistake: When Dom and Brian are racing for the job, there is one point where Brian is seen skidding around a corner. There are already skid marks in the exact place Brian skids.
Factual error: "Fast and Furious" [4th film] takes place after "The Fast & the Furious" and before "2 Fast 2 Furious. However there's an R35 Nissan Skyline in the film, which didn't exist at that time.
Suggested correction: Fast and Furious doesn't take place before 2 Fast 2 Furious. The opening sequence takes place before Tokyo Drift, the rest takes place in 2009.
This entire film (as well as the next two after is) take place before the events of "Tokyo Drift." The beginning of this film, taking place in the Dominican Republic, takes place not too long after the events of the first film, probably around the same time as the events of "2 Fast 2 Furious." The rest of the film takes place quite some time after the events of "2 Fast 2 Furious." It is the 7th film that catches up to and continues after the events of "Tokyo Drift."
Factual error: When Dom emerges from the tunnel driving F-Bomb, he downshifts and presumably hits the throttle, causing the car's front end to lift. The car is on dirt and wearing street tires. It's not physically possible for the car to get the traction required to transfer whatever amount of horsepower we're expected to believe the car has to the ground, so that the front will lift. The only reaction the car would have had was to spin the rear tires wildly, kicking up more dirt and likely causing the car to swerve 'furiously'. (01:35:30)
Revealing mistake: When Paul Walker's Subaru is flipped over by the Torino after emerging from the mine, the propeller shaft linking front and back axles is missing. As both ends are bolted flanges and the car is not compressed lengthwise, this would not happen as part of the crash; it must be deliberate lightening by the film crew.
Continuity mistake: When Phoenix gets Braga out the Subaru at the end, the 2 cars are close together. Dom then appears and crashes into the Subaru, which doesn't move. When the cops show up, the distance between Phoenix's car and the Subaru has increased massively. (01:30:20 - 01:33:15)
Revealing mistake: At the end when we see all the police arrive, there are tyre marks in the sand where they stopped in previous takes. (01:33:15)
Continuity mistake: During the first tunnel sequence we see there are no lights in the tunnel. There is one shot, from the side, of all the cars going past right to left. When the yellow car goes past, a light is reflected in the paint. (00:56:00)
Continuity mistake: When we see Brian running across the roof, his tie is over his shoulder. Camera cuts to a view from behind and the tie is not visible. (00:11:50)
Continuity mistake: When Letty says to Dom they will work something out, her hands are on his face. Camera cuts and they're on his neck. (00:10:20)
Continuity mistake: We see the last fuel tanker split from the lorry and it then explodes on its way down the road. However, just a couple of seconds later, the tractor unit and other tanker are a lot further on. (00:06:20)
Revealing mistake: When the tanker first rams Dom, if you look at the background outside the car it is barely moving. Not even close to the speed we see them traveling at. (00:03:40)
Continuity mistake: When Dom and the woman are talking about going after Braga, her hair is billowing in some shots and not in others. These are instant cuts. (01:20:35)
Continuity mistake: When Brian and Dom are fighting, Dom throws Brian into a table of objects that fall around them. Camera changes and they have disappeared. (01:00:00)
Continuity mistake: Brian's number plate gets shot off at the end in the desert. However it reappears in a couple of shots in the tunnels. (01:28:00)
