2004 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, EXPERIENCED A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM BEHIND THE DASHBOARD. THE STEREO, CLOCK, AND AUTO ALARM CEASED WORKING. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE DOME FUSE WAS THE WRONG SIZE AND REPLACED IT WITH THE CORRECT SIZE. FIXED THE PROBLEM, BUT NOW THE STEREO NO LONGER WORKS. THE FUSE IN QUESTION WAS FROM THE FACTORY. *TR

PURCHASED 2004 TACOMA FOR $18,000, FROM RIGHT TOYOTA IN SCOTTSDALE, AZ IN JUNE 2006, RECEIVED BILL FOR $25,000+!! SO MUCH FOR AGREEING ON A PRICE! I ALSO PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR $2200 (INCLUDED IN THE $25,000). WEEKS AFTER GETTING THE TRUCK I NOTICED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEEMED TO GIVE WHEN TURNING CORNERS. I ASSUMED I NEEDED TO ADJUST TO DRIVING A TRUCK WITH HARD SUSPENSION. UNFORTUNATELY IT PERSISTED SO I TOOK IT INTO CAMELBACK TOYOTA AND HAD THEM CHECK IT OUT. THEY ASSURED ME THAT EVERYTHING WAS IN TIP TOP SHAPE, I GOT THE FEELING THEY NEVER REALLY CHECKED ANYTHING OUT. THEY JUST ASSUMED THAT IT WOULD BE UNUSUAL TO SEE THIS STUFF BREAKDOWN, A VALID THOUGHT, BUT THEY WERE OF NO HELP. HERE IT IS NOW, A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, AND ITS JUST GETTING WORSE! SO I TOOK IT INTO EARNHARDT TOYOTA AND THE FIRST 2 VISITS THEY PERFORMED NEEDED FRONT END ALIGNMENTS AND TIRE BALANCING. THEY LOOKED AT IT RECENTLY AFTER ME YELLING AT THEM, AND TOLD ME THAT MY ENTIRE SUSPENSION SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. APPARENTLY MY LEAF SPRINGS ARE BAD ($1700 PURCHASE AND INSTALL), AND FRONT STRUTS ($650), AND REAR SHOCKS ($450) AS WELL! SO $2800 TO REPAIR A TRUCK THAT I PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM TOYOTA NOT 1.5 YEARS AGO, AND EVEN PURCHASED A WARRANTY. THEY ASSURED ME THAT EVERYTHING WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THEY LIED. NOW I OWE $18000 ON A $14000 TRUCK! STEER CLEAR OF RIGHT TOYOTA, THEY TOTALLY SCAMMED ME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD DRAMATICALLY DECELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE UNLESS THE PEDAL WAS COMPLETELY DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MAFF AIR SENSOR WAS CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE DEALER CLEANED THE SENSOR. THE CONTACT RETURNED TO THE DEALER A WEEK LATER AND THEY STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS MELTED AND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. AFTER CAREFUL INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CONVERTER WAS NOT MELTED. A PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SUPERCHARGER HEAT OUTPUT EFFECTED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITIONING SENSOR AND WAS CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000. *DSY

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN SHAKING AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FELT ROUGH AND WAS VIBRATING. THE CONTACT HEARD METAL RUBBING AGAINST METAL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND A BRAKE INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND THE REAR BRAKES FAILED BECAUSE THEY WERE IMPROPERLY ADJUSTED. THE CONTACT LATER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA AND THEY COULD NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE CONTACT INFORMED TOYOTA THAT THE REPAIR WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE HAS RECURRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,500. UPDATED 01-11-08. *KB UPDATED 12/12/07

TOYOTA TACOMA-TRD- 2004. HEAD ON COLLISION, SERVERED FRONT DAMAGED. BOTH AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

TL* - THE CONTACT HAS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCK. THE CONTACT LIVED IN A RURAL AREA AND SHE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO 4-WHEEL DRIVE, BUT WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO GO INTO 4-WHEEL DRIVE THE VEHICLE MADE A GRINDING NOISE AND WOULD NOT GO INTO 4-HEEL DRIVE. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE ONCE BEFORE UNSUCCESSFULLY. THE UNSUCCESSFUL REPAIR WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THEM TO LET THEM KNOW THAT IT WAS STILL NOT WORKING BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FIX IT CORRECTLY. THE SERVICE MANAGER REFUSED TO FIX THE VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED THAT SHE PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND THEN SHIFT INTO 4-WHEEL DRIVE INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING THE OWNER'S MANUAL METHOD WHICH STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE PUT IN NEUTRAL WHEN SHIFTING INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED THAT THE VEHICLE OWNER PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND THEN SHIFT INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE. EVERY 3,000 MILES WHEN SHE WENT FOR AN OIL CHANGE SHE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE OPERATION OF THE TRANSMISSION AND THE GRINDING AND CLANKING NOISES THAT IT WAS MAKING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NORMALLY MADE THE CLANKING NOISES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS COMING TO A STOP, AND GRINDING NOISES WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO GO INTO 4-WHEEL DRIVE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000 MILES.*AK UPDATE 4/25/07 *TR

AFTER DRIVING IN WET/HEAVY SNOW I CANNOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR PARK. WITHOUT SHIFTING INTO PARK THE IGNITION KEY CANNOT BE TURNED ALL THE WAY OFF OR REMOVED. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLE TO PREVENT THE BATTERY FROM DYING WHILE THE SNOW MELTED. *NM

HEAVY SNOWS IN COLORADO DURING DECEMBER,2006 FORCED MANY VEHICLE DRIVERS TO DRIVE IN UNUSUALLY HEAVY DRIFTS. THE REAR SKID PLATE ON NEWER TOYOTA TACOMA 4X4 TRUCKS CAN BEND AND PEEL AWAY FROM THE FRAME WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN DEEP DRIFTS IN REVERSE. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS THEN DRIVEN FORWARD, THE BENT SKID PLATE ACTS AS A BAFFLE AGAINST SNOW, CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SWERVE AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND CONTROL. THE SKID PLATE IS POORLY DESIGNED FOR DEEP SNOW DRIVING. IT IS HELD ONTO THE FRAME BY TWO SMALL BOLTS IN THE FRONT AND BY NOTHING IN THE REAR. THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE REMOVED THE BENT SKID PLATE AND HAS INFORMED TOYOTA. THE PART IS AVAILABLE. *JB

DECEMBER 16, 2006 - CLEAR SUNNY DAY, GREAT ROAD CONDITIONS. I WAS 40 FEET BEHIND A VEHICLE GOING 35 MPH WHEN A SUV SLAMMED ON BRAKES. MY 2004 TOYOTA PRERUNNER BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR AND MY TRUCK WOULD NOT STOP. AFTER HITTING THE SUV AND COMING TO A STOP, I RELEASED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND THE PEDAL WENT BACK TO IT'S NORMAL POSITION. *NM

DURING A 23000 MILE SERVICING, CAMELBACK TOYOTA INFORMED ME I WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE BRAKES SERVICED, BECAUSE 95% OF THE PADS HAVE WORN DOWN. I AM AWARE OF A RECALL ON THESE TRUCKS LOWER BALL JOINT, BUT THE SERVICE AGENT DID NOT TELL ME THAT AT THE TIME I BROUGHT IT IN. I WAS NEVER INFORMED BY THE DEALER OF THIS RECALL. NOW, I AM BEING CHARGED FOR REPAIRS, WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, FOR BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE (EXCESSIVE/PREMATURE PAD WEAR), AND I BELIEVE THIS DAMAGE IS BECAUSE OF THE RECALL SUSPENSION ISSUE. *JB