2004 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON UNEVEN PAVEMENT, A LOUD BANGING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT WHEN MAKING TURNS, THE VEHICLE WOULD BECOME UNSTABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR SUB FRAME WAS CORRODED AND RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000. UPDATED 7/7/14*CN UPDATED 07/11/2014 *JS

FRAME IS PERFORATED DUE TO RUST JUST IN FRONT OF REAR AXLE ON BOTH SIDES OF VEHICLE. ABOUT A 1.5" X 6" HOLE ON DRIVER'S SIDE WITH A FRACTURE OF ABOUT 12" GOING TOWARD REAR AXLE. PASSENGER SIDE HAS A FRACTURE ABOUT 18" LONG IN SAME AREA. REAR SUSPENSION MOUNTS AND SPRINGS ARE COMPROMISED. TOYOTA HAD A PROGRAM TO DEAL WITH ISSUE BUT DEADLINE HAD PASSED BY THE TIME I PURCHASED VEHICLE. DEALER TOLD ME TOYOTA HAD CHECKED OUT FRAME ISSUE AND IT PASSED. ACCORDING TO TOYOTA I WAS MISINFORMED. TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT I NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEAL WITH PROPERLY. BODY AND BED ARE RUST FREE AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I PAID 11,700 FOR THE TRUCK WITH 88,000 MI., HAVE OWNED IT FOR ONE YEAR AND PUT APPROX. 9,000 MILES ON IT. IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES TOTALED. *TR

ATTEMPTED TO TRADE VEHICLE IN. INSPECTION BY DEALER REPORTED HOLE IN FRAME. DEALER REFUSED TO TAKE MY TRUCK. ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE FRAME AT $9,000-$10,000. *JS

I WAS DRIVING AT AROUND 15-20 MPH WHEN THE LOWER BALL JOINT ON MY 2004 TACOMA SNAPPED, CAUSING THE UPPER BALL JOINT TO SNAP, PULLING OUT THE AXLE, AND CAUSING SOME OTHER DAMAGE. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACCEPT THE CLAIM, DENYING THAT MY TRUCK WAS AFFECTED BY THE RECALL (TOYOTA RECALL 50J). I NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE FROM THEM, AND THE TRUCK WAS IN SEVERAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS OVER THE YEARS. THIS COULD HAVE KILLED ME, AND TOYOTA IS DISMISSIVE OF EVERYTHING. DESPITE THE EVIDENCE, THEY CONTINUE TO DENY THAT ANYTHING IS WRONG AND REFUSE TO PAY FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR TO FIX THEIR DEFECT. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2004 TACOMA AS THE SECOND OWNER. THE VEHICLE HAD THE FRAME REPLACED. UPON MY INITIAL INSPECTION PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE, EVERYTHING UNDERNEATH LOOKED FINE ASIDE FROM WHAT I CONSIDERED NORMAL RUST ON OTHER PARTS SUCH AS THE SKID PLATES. TODAY WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE GAS TANK FELL OUT OF THE BOTTOM, RAN INTO AND DRIVE-SHAFT, AND CAME 3 INCHES FROM SCRAPING ACROSS THE PAVEMENT. A LINE SPLIT ON THE TOP OF MY TANK, LEAKING GAS ALL OVER. I'VE CONTACTED TOYOTA, AND THEY SET ME UP WITH A CASE NUMBER, INFORMING ME THAT SOMEONE WILL BE IN TOUCH TOMORROW TO DISCUSS FURTHER. *TR

OIL CHANGED AT TOYOTA DEALER, MECHANIC DISCOVERED REAR DIFFERENTIAL LEAK. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PRIVATE MECHANIC AND DISCOVERED THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL LEAK WAS CAUSED BY RUST TO THE BODY. THE 2004 TACOMA HAD ONLY 27,000 ORIGINAL MILES WHICH WAS BROUGHT NEW. WEB SEARCH DISCOVERED 20 COMPLAINTS AT LEAST ON THE DIFFERENTIAL RUSTING THRU. TALKING TO THE MECHANIC REVEAL THIS CAN BE A CATASTROPHIC EVENT ON A HIGHWAY WITH THE WHEELS LOCKING UP CAUSING FATALITIES. TOYOTA DEALERS CONTACTED PROVIDED NO HELP OR DID NOT RETURN PHONE CALLS. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA PICKUP TRUCK. THIS HAS HAD A VERY BAD FOR A YEAR. THE OTHER DAY THE MOUNT FOR THE RIGHT REAR BROKE AND THE FRONT END OF THE REAR SPRING WAS RUSTED AWAY FROM THE FRAME. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM MY 1996 TOYOTA PICKUP HAD. THAT ONE THE BOUGHT BACK AND I NOW HAVE THIS ONE. THE REST OF THE TRUCK IS PRETTY GOOD. THE RACK AND PINION STEERING ALSO RUSTED AWAY AND STARTED TO LEAK FLUID. THIS LEAK WAS UNDER THE RIGHT MOUNT OF THE RACK. THIS WAS ALSO FIXED BY ME. THIS IS MY WORK TRUCK AND PERSONAL WAY OF GETTING AROUND. THESE ARE BOTH VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS !!! I CONTACTED THE CEO OF TOYOTA, TOYOTA SALES IN CALIFORINA AND GIRARD TOYOTA. THEY SAID I SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS AND I DID NOT GET ANY NOTICES !!! THEY ARE PUTTING TONS OF FRAMES ON FOR OTHER PEOPLES BUT I HAVE BEEN SINGLED OUT SOME HOW AND I CANNOT GET ONE. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 20 YEARS !!! THIS WITH OUT QUESTION SHOULD BE A RECALL AND ALL ITEMS CONCERNED SHOULD BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. PLEASE HELP WITH THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FRAME RUST RECALL. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE RECALL, WHEN HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. AN INSPECTION REVEALED, SEVERE RUST ON THE BOTTOM PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE FRAME RAIL. ALSO, HOLES WERE FOUND IN THE FRAME. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED, THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO VERIFIED THAT THE FRAME WAS PERFORATED DUE TO CORROSION ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND HIT A POTHOLE. THE TRUCK MADE A VERY LOUD METALLIC CRUNCHING SOUND UNDER THE CAB BEHIND ME. AFTER THAT, WHEN I HIT A BUMP, A SIMILAR LOUD METALLIC CRUNCHING SOUND OCCURS. I WENT TO MY MECHANIC, AND HE SAID THAT A BODY-FRAME MOUNT HAD RUSTED THROUGH, AND THAT THERE WAS ALSO EXCESSIVE RUST IN MANY OTHER PLACES. I HAD EARLIER REPLACED A SHIELD OVER THE GAS TANK THAT HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY AND WAS BANGING AGAINST THE DRIVE SHAFT. I CHECKED WITH TOYOTA ON MY MECHANIC'S ADVICE, AND THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON MY TRUCK FOR EXACTLY THIS PROBLEM (EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST), BUT IT HAD EXPIRED IN DECEMBER OF 1012. MY MECHANIC SAYS THAT MY TRUCK MAY BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK IN JULY, 2012 FROM A SUBARU DEALER, RUGE'S IN RHINEBECK, NY. I WAS NOT TOLD ABOUT THE RUST CONDITION, OR ABOUT A RECALL. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY COMMUNICATION FROM TOYOTA ABOUT THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IF ANY OPTIONS I HAVE HERE. *TR