WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, IN INCLEMENT WEATHER THE BRAKES FAILED. THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP COMPLETELY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. THIS INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY THE CONSUMERS DAUGHTER. *JB *ER
2004 Toyota Tacoma complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2004 record →
WHILE DRIVING AND AFTER STRIKING A BUMP IN THE ROAD VEHICLE BECAME HARD TO CONTAIN, CAUSING IT TO GO INTO ANOTHER LANE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNDETERMINED.*AK
AFTER RUNNING THE VEHICLE AND SHUTTING IT OFF FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS THE VEHICLE DID NOT WANT TO START, THERE WAS ONLY ABOUT 2,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK. THE STARTER IS CRANKING THE ENGINE, BUT THE ENGINE IS NOT STARTING UP. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE SAME THING HAPPEND SEVERL TIMES AFTER I HAD TAKEN IT TO TOYOTA. THE ONLY WAY TO START THE VEHICLE WOULD BE TO CRANK IT UP FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES, THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD RUN ROUGH FOR ABOUT A MINUTE. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT AGAIN AND THIS TIME THEY WORKED ON IT. THEY SAID THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, AND THE FUEL INJECTORS. NO OLD PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. PROBLEM HAS STILL NOT BEEN CORRECTED. VEHICLE NOW HAS ABOUT 6,000 MILES AND EVERY 3-4 DAYS IT STILL DOESN'T WANT TO START UP. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH PASSENGER'S SIDE UNDER BODY CAUGHT ON FIRE. NO INJURIES REPORTED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. *AK
CONSUMER EXPERIENCED HESITATION WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AND WHEN COMING TO A STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL SUNK TO THE FLOOR. SHE THEN HAD VEHICLE SERVICED, AND WAS TOLD THAT WHAT SHE WAS EXPERIENCING WAS NORMAL.*AK
WHILE RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS PRODUCE FROM THE REAR. DEALER STATED THAT WAS NORMAL BECAUSE IT WAS A NEW PART. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, DUAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PASSENGER SUFFERED FROM A BROKEN WRIST. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE BRUCKNER BY-PASS I EXECUTED A 90 DEGREE TURN TO A SIDE ROAD. WHEN I TURNED THE TRUCK CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP. I INSPECTED THE TRUCK AND FOUND BOTH REAR SPRINGS BROKEN AND THE REAR AXLE SHIFTED TO THE RIGHT JAMMING THE TIRE INTO THE WHEEL WELL. THE TRUCK WAS EMPTY AND NOT USED AS A HAULING VECHIELE. THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED THE SPRINGS. THE ORIGINAL SPRINGS WERE CLEARLY DEFECTIVE AND COULD OF RESULTED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT IF THEY HAD FAILED ON THE MAIN HIGHWAY.
THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE SEAT BELTS WERE OPERATING AS DESIGNED. *JB WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LATCH THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER SHOULDER SEAT BELT, THE SEAT BELTS WOULD HAVE TO BE CROSSED OVER THE CENTER SEAT BELT TO BE USED. THIS APPLIED TO ALL OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS. IN ORDER TO USE THE LEFT REAR SHOULDER BELT, IT WOULD HAVE TO GO OVER OR UNDER THE CENTER BELT TO BE USED. *SC *JB
IT'S THE 5TH TACOMA I'VE OWNED. THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER IN EACH OF THE OTHER TRUCKS ALWAYS CAME OUT 4 INCHES FROM THE DASH. THE "ON" LIGHT CAME ON WHEN AT THE 3" MARK. THIS NEW TRUCK COMES OUT 11.5 INCHES, HITS ME IN THE KNEE, MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IN AND OUT, ALMOST COLLIDES WITH THE STICK SHIFT WHEN ITS IN 1ST GEAR. THE "ON" LIGHT COMES ON BEFORE ITS PULLED A QUARTER OF AN INCH. THE MANUAL DIRECTS THE OPERATOR, WHEN IN STOPPED ON AN INCLINE, NOT TO USE THE CLUTCH TO HOLD THE CAR BUT RATHER PLACE THE CAR IN NUETRAL AND USE THE PARKING BRAKE. AFTER 26 HOURS OWNING THE CAR, IT ROLLED DOWN MY DRIVEWAY. AT THE TIME, THE CAR WAS IN NUETRAL WITH THE BRAKE ON TO THE EXTENT ALL MY OTHER ( 4) TACOMAS WOULD HAVE BEEN. THE "ON" LIGHT WAS ON. I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR FOR JUST A SECOND AND IT ROLLED AWAY. THE INSURANCE MAN RENACTED THE INCIDENT .HE AGREED SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. AS THE CAR BEGAN TO ROLL DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, HE GOT BEHIND IT AND BEGAN TRYING TO STOP IT. I WAS ABLE TO JUMP IN AND STOP IT. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT. BEFORE I APPROACH TOYOTA, I WANTED HIS REPORT DETAILING HOW THE BRAKE FAILED. I'VE YET TO SEE IT. I 'M NOT COMFORTABLE APPROACHING THE DEALER, NOR TOYOTA, WITHOUT SOME AUTHORITATIVE BACKING. THE BRAKE NEEDS TO BE FIXED. THE BUMPER AND SLIGHT BODY DAMAGE NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED . I WAS NEVER "WALKED THROUGH" IT AT THE DEALER. NOR DO I HAVE ANYTHING THAT SAYS THE PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED. I DON'T KNOW IF THE DEALER IS MANDATED TO WALK ONE THR
CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE TIRES ROTATED, AND DEALER HAD PROBLEMS GETTING LEFT FRONT TIRE ROTATED. DEALER STATED THAT WHILE THEY WERE WORKING ON LEFT FRONT WHEEL THE WHEEL BOLTS BROKE. *AK
VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH 4 GOODYEAR WRANGLER TIRES, SIZE P205/75R15, DOT # M6ULF00R1203. THE OUTER SIDEWALL ON THE RIGHT REAR TIRE COMPLETELY EXPLODED. THERE WAS NO PUNCTURE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT. *AK
THE SEATS OF THE 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA HAVE HARD, PROJECTING LUMBER SUPPORTS WHICH ARE NOT ADJUSTIBLE. THESE PERMANENT LUMBER SUPPORTS PLACE ABNORMAL PRESSURE ON THE LOWER BACK OF THE DRIVER. AFTER HAVING THIS VEHICLE FOR A PERIOD OF SEVERAL MONTHS, I FELT LOW BACK PAIN WHEN DRIVING. REDUCING THE PROMINENCE OF THESE LUMBAR SUPPORTS AT A LOCAL UPHOLSTERY SHOP HAS RELIEVED THE PROBLEM. THE COST WAS $50 PER SEAT, BUT TOYOTA REFUSES TO REIMBURSE THIS COST UNDER THE WARRANTY OF THE NEW TRUCK. I AM AN ABIH-CERTIFIED INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST AND A BCPE- CERTIFIED ERGONOMIST ASSOCIATE. I BELIEVE THAT THESE NON-ADJUSTIBLE LUMBER SUPPORTS IN THE TOYOTA TACOMA CAN CAUSE PERMANENT INJURY AND PAIN TO THE LOWER BACK OF DRIVERS, BECAUSE THEY ARE SO PROMINENT AND NOT ADJUSTIBLE. NO OTHER TYPE OF VEHICLE HAS SUCH PROMINENT LUMBER SUPPORTS. I BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE ONLY BEEN INSTALLED IN THE 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA AND NOT IN PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF THIS TRUCK. DRIVERS OF THE 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA MAY NOT REALIZE THE CAUSE OF THEIR LOWER BACK PAIN UNTIL IT CAUSES PERMANENT DAMAGE AND PAIN TO THEIR BACKS.
THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN ON MY 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA DOUBLE CAB V6, 4X4 TRUCK. THE EXTERIOR MIRRORS ON BOTH SIDES FOG UP SO BAD IN COLD WEATHER THEY BECOME VIRTUALLY USELESS. TOYOTA DOES NOT OFFER A HEATED MIRROR OPTION ON THE TRUCK. AT SEVERAL TIMES DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER I'VE BEEN FORCED TO PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO TRY TO CLEAR THE MIRRORS, TO NO AVAIL. THEY WOULD JUST FOG UP AGAIN, ONCE I GOT UNDERWAY. THE CONDITION IS DIFFERENT THEN STARTING OUT AFTER THE TRUCK HAS SAT OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT IN THE COLD. THE MIRRORS MIGHT CLEAR FOR A WHILE THEN, WHILE UNDERWAY, FOG UP FOR NO APPARENT REASON. TOYOTA SAYS DON'T DRIVE IN THAT KIND OF WEATHER. NOT A GOOD REMEDY. THE TRUCK IS BRAND NEW AND TOYOTA SAYS I HAVE NO RECOURSE, THAT IT HAS MET ALL OF THE SAFETY STANDARDS REQUIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT. DRIVING BLIND AT NIGHT, TO ME, IS NOT AN OPTION. I DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES PER YEAR AND HAVE NEVER DRIVEN AN AUTOMOBILE WITH A MIRROR PROBLEM LIKE THIS. IT'S A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN IN MY OPINION AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA. I REGISTERED MY COMPLAINT WITH THE COMPANY BY PHONE AND BY EMAIL. I HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM MY LOCAL DEALER OR TOYOTA TO ANY OF MY EMAIL COMPLAINTS.
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2004 Toyota Tacoma → · Every Tacoma year → · How the figures are calculated →