IllustrationTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING A STATE INSPECTION, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE HOLES IN THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.
2004 Toyota Tacoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Toyota Tacoma do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 228.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tacoma years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
420–25K
2625–50K
3250–75K
3975–100K
100100–150K
76150K+
315 reports with mileage · 99 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 203 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
27 crash reports3 fire reports15 injury reports
What owners actually said
414 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.
BOTH REAR AXEL SEALS LEAK GEAR OIL ONTO AND INTO THE REAR BRAKE DRUMS WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REAR BRAKES. THIS CONDITION BEGAN AROUND THE 60,000 MILE MARK AND WILL CONTINUE INDEFINITELY UNTIL THE GEAR LUBE IS ALL DRAINED OFF, WHICH THEN WILL MOST CERTAINLY CAUSE SEVERE POWER TRAIN DAMAGE.
FRAME IS COMPLETELY ROTTEN 108000 MILES.
LOWER BALL JOINT BROKE ON BOTH DRIVER SIDE AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER SIDE. VIBRATION/HUMMING SOUND WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS , HAD TIRES AND FRONTEND CHECKED WITH NO ISSUES FOUND. I SPOKE TO TOYOTA ABOUT THIS ISSUE & THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE & HAVE MENTIONED THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER RECALL. COSTS CL…
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LOWER BALL JOINT BROKE ON BOTH DRIVER SIDE AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER SIDE. VIBRATION/HUMMING SOUND WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS , HAD TIRES AND FRONTEND CHECKED WITH NO ISSUES FOUND. I SPOKE TO TOYOTA ABOUT THIS ISSUE & THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE & HAVE MENTIONED THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER RECALL. COSTS CLOSE TO $980.00 TO FIX
FRAME RUST. THE FRAME IS ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED IN HALF. THE LEAF SPRINGS WHERE THEY CONNECT TO THE FRAME HAS SUNK INTO THE FRAME FROM THE ROTTING OF THE FRAME. THE TRUCK WAS GOING 75 MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT HAPPENED. A LOUD BANG AND TERRIBLE JERK BACK.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS SEVERE CORROSION THAT CAUSED A HOLE ON THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE.…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS SEVERE CORROSION THAT CAUSED A HOLE ON THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 115,000.
FRAME ROT NOT COVERED BY TOYOTA
THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN THE TRUCK INSTANTLY BEGAN DECELERATING EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED. THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED AFTER TURNING THE TRUCK OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THE PROBLEM RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE STOPPED AND WHILE DRIVING OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT MONTH. I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED…
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THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN THE TRUCK INSTANTLY BEGAN DECELERATING EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED. THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED AFTER TURNING THE TRUCK OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THE PROBLEM RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE STOPPED AND WHILE DRIVING OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT MONTH. I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE. UPON READING, AND INSPECTION BY A MECHANIC I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE THROTTLE SENSOR HAD FAILED, AND THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS A RESULT. UPON RESEARCHING THIS I DID DISCOVER THAT THIS IS THE CASE THE '03-'04 TACOMA (I HAVE AN 04), FOR WHICH A THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR IS NOT AVAILABLE, AT LEAST IN THE U.S. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT WITH '03-'04 TACOMA TRUCKS. REPLACING THE ENTIRE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY IS AN OBNOXIOUS AND EXPENSIVE CONSEQUENCE FOR A FAULTY ELECTRONIC PART THAT PUTS VEHICLE OWNERS' LIVES AT RISK. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN PARK, THE CONTACT NOTICED CORROSION UNDERNEATH THE RAIL OF THE SUB FRAME AROUND THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 174,000.
Official recalls
312V542000 · Tires:temporary/emergency Spare Tire
Nov 23, 2012
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2004 Tacoma light trucks manufactured from August 28, 2000, through August 27, 2004, and originally sold, or currently registered, in the following cold climate states with high road salt usage: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. The spare tire in the subject vehicles is located underneath the rear of the vehicle and held by a spare tire carrier. A lift plate on the carrier is used to help raise, lower and retain the tire. During its manufacture, the lift plate may not have been sufficiently coated with anti-corrosion materials. If the plate is insufficiently coated and the vehicle is operated in cold climate regions where road salts are frequently used, road spray can reach the carrier assembly and corrode the lift plate.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Corrosion of the plate could cause it to break, which could result in detachment of the spare tire from the vehicle. Detachment of the spare tire could result in a road hazard which may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace the spare tire carrier lift plate as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in February 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
05V225000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
May 17, 2005
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ISSUE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SURFACE OF THE BALL OF THE JOINT MAY HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED. THE BALL JOINT MAY EVENTUALLY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE WEAR AND LOOSENESS, RESULTING IN INCREASED STEERING EFFORT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 5, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
04V214000 · Seat Belts:front
May 5, 2004
CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, 'SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES.' THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT HAS INCORRECT MARKINGS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD.
Remedy: DEALERS HAVE REPLACED THE SEAT BELTS. NO VEHICLES WERE SOLD TO CONSUMERS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.