2004 Toyota Tacoma

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.

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

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH THE CONTACT APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A METAL POLE AND CAME TO A STOP. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THEY WOULD HAVE AN INSPECTOR INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,100. DS

VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOSES ENGINE POWER. SOMETIMES HAPPENS AT CRUISING SPEED, SOMETIMES HAPPENS WITH A SLIGHT DEPRESSING OF THE ACCELERATOR (WHEN MAKING TURNS, AT RISK OF GETTING STRUCK WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS). DEALERS HAVE TRIED TO FIX SEVERAL TIMES AND USUALLY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM (NO CHECK ENGINE CODES). ABUNDANCE OF REPORTS ONLINE OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. OFTEN REPORTED AS THROTTLE BODY PROBLEMS. HOW CAN A COMMON PROBLEM BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEORETICALLY WELL TRAINED DEALER EMPLOYEES TO DIAGNOSE? IF IT IS A ROUTINE PROBLEM, WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL, OR AT LEAST A SERVICE BULLETIN? *TR

WHEN I WAS 16 YEARS OLD MY PARENTS GOT MY A NEW 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA, WHICH WAS BOUGHT IN SEPTEMBER 2004. HOWEVER, I DID NOT GET MY LICENSE UNTIL DECEMBER 21, 2004. I DID NOT START DRIVING RIGHT AWAY. I STARTED DRIVING THE TRUCK IN JANUARY. I ONLY DROVE TO SCHOOL AND BACK, WHICH WAS ABOUT 7 MILES AWAY. ON DAY AFTER SOFTBALL PRACTICE, WHICH WAS HELD AFTER SCHOOL, ON FEBRUARY 24 2005, I WRECKED THE TOYOTA TACOMA. I WAS NOT GOING VERY FAST DOWN THE ROAD, BUT ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE TRUCK SPED UP AND I FELT LIKE I DID NOT HAVE CONTROL OVER THE TRUCK. I RAN OFF THE ROAD AND OVER CORRECTED TWICE. THE WHOLE TIME I WAS HITTING THE BRAKE BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. AFTER I OVERCORRECTED THE SECOND TIME, I HIT A MAIL BOX AND WHEN ABOUT 65 FEET OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE, THE WHOLE TIME TRYING TO HIT THE BRAKE WITH NOTHING HAPPENING. I WAS INJURED ON THE WRECK AND I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO MAKE THE TRUCK TO DO. I WAS TOLD IT WAS PROBABLY JUST ME BEING AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER, BUT LOOKING BACK NOW I DO NOT THINK THAT WAS IT. I HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT THE INJURIES WERE NOT LIFE THREATENING. ALSO, BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE BRAND NEW TRUCK WAS TOTALED AND MY FAMILY AND I GOT DROPPED FROM OUR INSURANCE. AFTER ALL THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE TOYOTA AND THE GAS PEDAL, I WANTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO GET THIS PROBLEM LOOKED INTO SO THAT IT WILL NOT HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. I WAS LUCKY BUT THE NEXT PERSON MAY NOT BE AS LUCKY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT HAS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE VEHICLE WAS PRE-OWNED AND PURCHASED IN APRIL 2009. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN ACCELERATING WITHOUT PLACING PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON FIVE OCCASIONS. THE FAILURE IS RELATED TO THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE AND MOST RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED AT 74,000 MILES.

VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOSES ENGINE POWER, USUALLY WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, STARTING FROM A STOPLIGHT OR ATTEMPTING TO PASS ON THE FREEWAY. IN ALL CASES RESULTING IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE ISSUE ONCE, ACKNOWLEDGING IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLES THROTTLE BODY SYSTEM. AFTER $1000 WORTH OF PARTS THE PROBLEM IS BACK, THEY REFUSE TO WARRANTY ANYTHING PAST THE 3YEAR/36MILE PERIOD. IN RESEARCHING ONLINE THIS APPEARS TO BE AN EXTENSIVE ISSUE WITH SIMILAR TACOMAS. I'VE CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM, THEY REFUSE TO LOOK AT IT CITING THE NEED FOR ANOTHER $1000 WORTH OF PARTS NEEDED. *TR