2004 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

1) NORMAL DRIVING, ON ROAD AND OFF OF HIGHWAY ON DIRT ROADS 2) LOOSE STEERING SHAFT, RATTLES ON ROUGH ROADS OR WHEN HITTING OBSTACLES IN ROAD. 3) DEALER CLAIMS SUSPENSION MODIFICATIONS HAVE VOIDED MY WARRANTY ON STEERING COMPONENTS. DEALER REFUSES TO DO WARRANTY WORK ON VEHICLE FOR NON RELATED COMPONENTS.

PURCHASED NEW 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA ON 1/24/05. AT 1,577.8 MILES, RIGHT REAR BRAKE DRUM AND WHEEL COVERED WITH GEAR OIL. REPAIRED AT TOYOTA OF GREENFIELD, MA. 01302, PHONE 413-772-0231 2/17/05. BEGAN LEAKING AGAIN ON 2/21/05, AT 1844.6 MILES. RETURNED TO GREENFIELD ON 2/28/05 AT 2284 MILES. CONTACTED DEALER AGAIN ON 4/8/05 AT 67345.9 MILES BRAKE DRUM AND TIRE STILL COVERED WITH OIL. DEALER SAID KEEP DRIVING IT AND THE LEAK WILL GO AWAY. CONTACTED TOYOTA CONSUMER SERVICE ON 4/14/05 CASE #[XXX]. RECEIVED NO FOLLOW UP CORRESPONDENCE FORM FABIOLA. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LEAK GEAR OIL AND HANDLE POORLY WHEN BRAKING. CONTACTED NEW DEALER(TOYOTA OF COLCHESTER, CT.) ON 5/27/05. VEHICLE REPAIRED ON 6/2/05 AT 8,188 MILES. CONTACTED DEALER AGAIN ON 6/29/05 AT 9085.1 MILES. VEHICLES WAS PICKED UP ON 7/11/05. TRIES ROTATED ON VEHICLE ON 9/26/05 AT 17,266.4 MILES. FOUND OIL ON BRAKE SHOES AND INSIDE OF BRAKE DRUM SEVERELY GLAZED. NEW CASE FILED ON 7/28/05 CASE # [XXX] WITH SALVADORE. I AM STILL DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS COMPROMISED. AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED A REASONABLE RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM FROM TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY. IS IT A COMMON PRACTICE FOR AN AUTO MAKER TO LET A CONSUMER KNOWINGLY DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. UNFORTUNATELY I AM STILL PAYING ON A BRAND NEW VEHICLE THAT I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING. THE REGIONAL FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIAN, JOE LACEFIELD FROM TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY HAS BEEN UNAVAILABLE BY PHONE FOR THE LAST WEEK 1-973-464-0938. I WOULD LIKE MY MONEY RETURNED FOR THIS VEHICLE IN FULL. I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN MORE THAN PATIENT IN TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER WITH TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY. V.I.N. # [XXX]. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ALARM AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA DOUBLE CAB PRERUNNER SR5 PICKUP. ALARM SYSTEM ACTIVATED ON ITS OWN AT 5:30 AM SEP 18-05 AND COULD NOT DISENGAGE IT. LOUD ELECTRICAL CLICKING NOISES EMITTED FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD AROUND THE ASHTRAY THAT COULD BE HEARD FROM OVER 100 FEET AWAY, EVEN THROUGH WALLS INSIDE A HOUSE (CLICKING/POPPING NOISE) LIGHTS FLICKERING INSIDE TRUCK. LEFT TRUCK WITH TOYOTA IN SAVANNAH ALL DAY MONDAY. (THEY HAD TOLD ME WHEN I DROPPED IT OFF THAT THEY WOULD CHECK THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR SHORTS OR FAULTS.) WHEN I PICKED IT UP I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRUCK, AND NOTHING HAPPENED ALL DAY WHILE IT WAS THERE. WHEN I WENT TO GET INTO THE TRUCK, AND PUSHED THE BUTTON TO DISENGAGE THE ALARM AND UNLOCK THE TRUCK, THE HORN BEEPED 4 TIMES (INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL 2 TIMES) SO I WENT BACK IN AND TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER. HE REASSURED ME IT WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, AND SAID SOMETIMES THESE THINGS HAPPEN, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER THE HORN BEEPS TWICE, OR 4 TIMES, THAT AGAIN, THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I DROVE THE TRUCK BACK HOME TO CHARLESTON,SC AND 30 MINUTES AFTER I PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE ALARM WENT OFF ON IT'S OWN AGAIN, EVERY 6 MINUTES THE ALARM WENT OFF ON ITS OWN AGAIN SO I NEEDED TO DISCONNECT THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE AGAIN, IT WAS MAKING THE LOUD CLICKING ELECTRICAL SHORT NOISES AGAIN. CALLED TOYOTA HQ TO SEE WHAT WOULD BE DONE, AS THIS VEHICLE IS ALSO UNDER A MAJOR RECALL FOR THE LOWER BALL JOINTS AND THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THEM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, EXPLAINED THAT I HAVE TRIED REPEATEDLY AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT TOYOTA DEALERS AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THEIR HANDS ARE TIED UNLESS I HAVE THE RECALL LETTER FROM HQ IN HAND. AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS LEMON AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY UNSAFE WITH THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT PROBLEM ESPECIALLY, AND NOW WITH THIS POSSIBLE MAJOR ELECTRICAL FAULT, DON'T WANT THE TRUCK TO CATCH FIRE AND BURN UP.

CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTION WHEN DRIVING IN HILLY TERRAIN. CRUISE CONTROL WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO OVER SPEED BY SEVERAL MILES AN HOUR FASTER THAN DESIRED WHILE GOING UPHILL OR DOWNHILL. *JB

STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE CLAIM #06-5795-637 REGARDING A REAR END COLLISION TO A TRUCK IN WHICH THE FRAME WAS BENT.*MR THE REPAIRMAN INFORMED THE CONSUMER THERE WAS NO NEED TO REPAIR THE FRAME DAMAGE BECAUSE IT WAS WITHIN THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS WHICH WAS LESS THAN 5 MILLIMETERS. *JB

THROTTLE BODY RELATED AND RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM. WHERE THE ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR MAL-FUNCTIONS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. TOYOTA DOES NOT SELL THE SENSOR BUT DOES SELL THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY AT A COST OF OVER $700. WARRANTED VEHICLES WITH CALIF. EMISSIONS, GOES FOR 5 YEARS OR 60K MILES. BUT FED EMISSION VEHICLES ONLY HAVE A 3 YEAR 36K MILE WARRANTY ALTHOUGH IT IS THE SAME EXACT PART NUMBER IN QUESTION.*JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. HAD TRUCK LIFTED ON 6-7-04 FOR $3700 , AND ON 6-24-04 GOT THE TRUCK RETORQUED WHICH TIGHTENED AND ALIGNED IT. AROUND FEBRUARY 2005 HEARD A CLANKING NOISE FROM THE BRAKE SYSTEM, AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK. WHILE PRESSING ON THE BRAKES AND THE TRUCK SHOOK AND IT TURNED TO THE RIGHT, SUSPENSION WAS LOOSE. ON 3-7-05 TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER TO INSPECT VEHICLE AND FIX IT. CONSUMER REFUSED TO DEAL WITH THE OTHER COMPANIES BECAUSE THEY WERE RUDE AND INTIMIDATING. VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER A WARRANTY BECAUSE ANOTHER COMPANY TIGHTENED THE BOLTS AND CHARGED CONSUMER $80. THE TOYOTA DEALER REPLACED REAR:AXLE:SPINDLE. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. WITH A REAR FACING INFANT SEAT LOCATED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE IN THE CAB THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WILL NOT LOCK BECAUSE THE CHILD SEAT WAS PUSHING IT FORWARD. THE CHILD SEAT INSTALLATION STATION STATED THEY WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE WAY THE FRONT SEAT WOULD NOT LOCK. THE CHILD SEAT COULD NOT GO BEHIND THE DRIVERS SEAT BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM. *AK

MY 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA DOUBLE CAB PRERUNNER V6 SR5 HAS 18,000MILES AND HAS HAD THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM FOR A WHILE. I DID NOT NOTICE IT UNTIL ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WHICH TELLS ME THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE A PROGRESSIVE ISSUE. THE TRUCK CONTINUES TO SHOW AN INCREASE IN THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: WHEN DRIVING THE TACOMA DOWN THE ROAD THE TACOMA DRIVES FINE. BUT WHEN APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION WHERE THE VEHICLE IS BROUGHT TO A COMPLETE STOP IS WHEN THE FOLLOWING OCCURS. THE VEHICLE WILL SHIFT TO THE REAR AND A JERK SOUND IS HEARD AND FELT. WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE ON THE VEHICLE YOU WILL FEEL AND HEAR ANOTHER MORE INTENSE JERK. WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE THROTTLE PEDAL TO MOVE FORWARD FROM AN INTERSECTION THE VEHICLE DISPLAYS YET ANOTHER JERK. ALL OF THESE FEELS AS IF IT IS COMING FROM THE REAR. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR IT'S REGULAR MAINTENCE AND QUESTIONED THE SERVICE ADVISOR ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I WAS TOLD IN A VERY "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOU MANNER" IT'S A TACOMA IT WILL ALWAYS DO THAT. I CAN'T NOR WILL I ACCEPT THAT ANSWER.

WHEN COMING TO A STOP, AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE TO MOVE FOWARD THERE IS A JOLT, (SOMETIMES SO SEVERE YOU WOULD THINK YOU WHERE HIT FROM BEHIND) OTHER TIMES IT IS MINOR. IT HAS OCCURRED SINCE WHEN I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE ABOUT A YEAR AGO. HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE DOUBLE CAB, WITH A TWO PART DRIVE SHAFT.