2004 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

I BROUGHT MY TRUCK TO A TOYOTA DEALER TO LOCATE AN EMISSIONS SYSTEM LEAK. TWO OTHER MECHANICS HAD SPENT HOURS TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE LEAK. THE TOYOTA TECH FOUND THE LEAK IN LESS THAN 20 MINUTES. THAT WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE HE HAD DEALT WITH THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. THE LEAK TURNED OUT TO BE CORROSION IN THE FUEL TANK, WHERE THE FILLER NECK MEETS THE TANK. I WOULD NOT EXPECT A RUSTED GAS TANK IN AN 8 YEAR OLD TRUCK. THE REPAIR ESTIMATE WAS OVER $1400, THE PART ALONE WAS $750. THIS IS A TRUCK THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN RECALLED FOR A RUSTED FRAME (WHICH TOYOTA REPLACED AT NO COST TO ME) AND IS SHOWING CORROSION IN THE REAR BUMPER AND TAILGATE. I SUSPECT TOYOTA SAVED MONEY BY BUILDING THE TRUCK WITH INFERIOR MATERIALS. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, A LEAKING FUEL TANK IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, NOT COMMON IN A VEHICLE THIS RECENT. *TR

2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BRAKE LINE RUPTURE. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE THE BRAKE LINE UNDER WARRANTY, BECAUSE THE FRAME CAUSED THE BRAKE LINE TO RUPTURE. TOYOTA INFORMED THE CONSUMER, A RECALL WAS ISSUED IN 2010, WHERE THE FRAME WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SPRAYED AND TREATED. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. *JB

I JUST TRADED MY HARLEY DAVIDSON E-GLIDE FOR A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. UNFORTUNATELY I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE FRAME ISSUES! THE FRAME AND EVERYTHING IS RUSTED BEYOND REPAIR. I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE RECALL FOR THE FRAME ISSUES WAS OVER. IN MY OPINION TOYOTA SHOULD HONOR THE RECALL AS LONG AS THEIR PRODUCT IS OUT TO THE PUBLIC! I LOVE THE TRUCK BUT JUST DON'T WANT TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY ISSUES OF HOW BAD THE FRAME AND ALL COMPONENTS ARE! I WOULD APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP I CAN GET. *TR

2004 TOYOTA TACOMA WITH 147,000 MILES FAILED STATE INSPECTION AND DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO RUSTED AND PERFORATED FRAME. THIS FRAME WAS ONE BOUGHT BY TOYOTA FROM THE DANA CORPORATION. TOYOTA WON A LAWSUIT OVER THIS POOR QUALITY FRAME, AND HAS BOUGHT BACK ALL '95-'99 TOYOTAS WITH THIS FRAME, AND REPLACED FRAMES ON '00-'04 TRUCKS. TOYOTA IS STATING THAT OUR TACOMA DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PUT OUT ON THESE AFFECTED FRAMES, AS IT WAS NOT UNDERCOATED AS PART OF THEIR PREVENTION PROGRAM. HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED THAT THE UNDERCOATING WAS INEFFECTIVE, AND THE FRAMES CONTINUED TO RUST OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT TOYOTA SHOULD OFFER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY TO ALL TRUCKS AFFECTED BY THIS FAULTY CONSTRUCTED FRAME. TOYOTA IS REPORTING THAT THEY CAN DO NOTHING FURTHER TO HELP IN THIS CASE, DESPITE THAT IT IS AN OTHERWISE WELL EQUIPPED AND STRONGLY RUNNING TRUCK, WHICH HAS HAD ONGOING AND CONSISTENT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THEY ARE NOW INDICATING THAT A '04 TACOMA WITH 147,000 IS ONLY VALUED AT $500. *TR

WITH STEADY PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY HICCUPS (AS IF FOOT WAS TAKEN OFF THE PEDAL) AND VEHICLE CHANGES SPEED AND THEN SURGES BACK TO ACCELERATE. I BELIEVE IT TO BE THE THROTTLE BY WIRE THROTTLE BODIES WHICH WAS PLACED IN THE TACOMA MODEL FOR 2003-2004 AND THEN LATER REVISED IN 2005-PRESENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP AND WHEN THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED, THE CONTACT HEARD A THUMPING SOUND AND NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE WAS BENT ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE UPPER CONTROL ARM, IN WHICH THE BOLT FAILED DUE TO DIRT AND DUST PENETRATION. AS A RESULT, THE BOLT WAS SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,752.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE VEHICLE LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE HAD RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS, BUT THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT RECREATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY KNEW IT WAS A THROTTLE BODY FAILURE BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET THE FAILURE CODES TO APPEAR ON THEIR COMPUTER TO VALIDATE THEIR SUSPICIONS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 147,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT APPLIED EXTREME PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNTIL CRASHING INTO A BRICK BUILDING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES TO HER HEAD AND NECK. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED.THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 164,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA SR5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FUEL FUMES WERE EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE FUEL TANK. AS A RESULT, THE FUEL TANK AND SENDING UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 111,000.

WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE SPEED DROPPED AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STOPPED RESPONDING. AFTER TOWING THE TRUCK HOME I READ THE SCAN CODES AND THERE WERE MANY THAT RELATED TO THE THROTTLE BODY SENSORS. IN ORDER TO DEBUG THE SYSTEM I CLEARED THE PROBLEM. WITH THE KEY ON AND THE ENGINE NOT RUNNING I TESTED THE DRIVE-BY-WIRE SYSTEM MANUALLY. IT RESPONDED CORRECTLY AND SHOWED NO PROBLEMS. NO MORE CODES WERE THROWN. I STARTED THE TRUCK AND PUT IT IN GEAR AND ENGINE WENT TO FULL THROTTLE IMMEDIATELY. I TURNED THE TRUCK OFF QUICKLY AND RECHECKED THE DRIVE BY WIRE SERVO SYSTEM. IT STILL WORKED CORRECTLY WITH NO CODES THROWN. I AM AN ENGINEER AND HAVE WORKED A GREAT DEAL WITH SERVO SYSTEMS INCLUDING WRITING A BOOK ON THE HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT THESE SYSTEMS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE DESIGNERS DID NOT BUILD ANY REDUNDANCY INTO THE FEEDBACK AND CONTROL DEVICES. THIS DEVICE IS CONSIDERED A MAJOR RISK IN A FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS. IF I DID THAT TYPE OF WORK IN MY POSITION I WOULD BE FIRED AND HAVE AND UNENDING LIST OF LAWSUITS BROUGHT AGAINST ME. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE IN TERMS OF RELIABILITY HOWEVER I AM VERY SURPRISED THAT A COMPANY AS LARGE AS TOYOTA WOULD LEAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO CHANCE. THIS DEVICE CAN EASILY FAIL IN A WAY THAT WOULD CAUSE A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE IT FAIL AT LOW THROTTLE AND NOT FULL THROTTLE AS IT DID WHEN I TESTED IT AT HOME. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS IT. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY "COULDN'T HELP" ME. IT COST $1200 TO REPAIR. IT'S NOT THE MONEY, IT'S THE RISK THAT THIS FAILURE IMPOSES. THE TRUCK NOW BELONGS TO MY 16 YEAR-OLD SON AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HIS SAFETY. I ALSO HAVE A VIDEO THAT SHOWS THE METHODS I USED TO TEST THE SYSTEM AND THE FAILURE HAPPENING RIGHT IN MY DRIVEWAY!...UPDATED 05/15/12 * BF *JS