Problems with 2004 Toyota Tacoma SUSPENSION

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that upon inspection of the vehicle, it was discovered that the undercarriage showed extensive corrosion to the sub frame of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics who informed the contact that they were unable to fix the sub frame of the vehicle. the manufacturer was contacted and the contact was informed that the prior owner declined to have the corrosion repaired on the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 141,000.

2004 toyota tacoma frame rusted through, hole you can put hand through. toyota never issued recall, claims corrosion campaign was over. i never received any notice, i am the original owner. toyota says i am on my own for replacement. found issue at my brother's had to leave truck unsafe to drive. will add photos after i get back to vehicle.

Right ball joint broke. wheel tucked under vehicle. broke cv axle

Ball joint separated and wheel tucked under car. also broke cv shaft

2004 toyota tacoma, took truck in to be painted was informed that there are multiple baseball size holes in the frame and the leaf spring mounts are rusted and leaf springs are about to pop off. i have called toyota corp, and was told because truck was not sprayed they will not honor the frame. i recently acquired this vehicle and was not aware of the recall that had been issued on this truck. toyota at this point is refusing to replace or repair the frame even though this truck originated and remained in a cold climate state for most of its existence. please advise if there are any options available to have toyota honor this vehicle. thank yo u

Took truck in for inspection and the frame is deteriorating to the point the bed is becoming detached from the frame and separating from the cab. the suspension is coming loose from the mounts. this is not the only one the mechanic has seen with deterioration. these trucks are not safe to drive!!

I recently purchased this 2004 toyota tacoma and took it in for an inspection of the frame for undercoating. the body shop noted severe corrosion of the frame with suspension parts that are also full of corrosion. i was told this vehicle was not safe to drive due to this rust issue. i was told if this vehicle was involved in an accident there would be serious injury or death because of this rust/corrosion. i need the manufacturer to take care of this for some reason this vehicle's frame was not recalled but the body shop stated this should have had a safety recall on this frame due to the amount of rust that is noted under the vehicle on the frame and suspension parts.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. while the contact's son was driving 55 mph, the axle and ball joints detached from the vehicle. the contact's son lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a dirt ditch. the air bags did not deploy. there were no injuries and a police report was not filed. the vehicle was taken to valley hi toyota (14612 valley center drive, victorville, ca 92395, 866-405-5098), but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 178,468.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. while driving approximately 60 mph, the front driver side ball joint fractured. the contact lost the ability to steer and brake, and lost control of the vehicle. the contact was able to pull off the roadway and stop the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to sierra toyota (2596 e fry blvd, sierra vista, az 85635, (520) 458-8880) where it was diagnosed that the ball joint fractured and needed replacement. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 158,000. *tt

Tamara recall, my 2004 toyota tacoma 4 wheel drive chassis has broken on me twice sense i bought the truck from a used dealership, and the chassis is also cracked again on my back drivers side, when i bought the truck i wasn't told that the chassis was rusted and they had covered it up. i need to know if it's still under warranty to get it replaced or what i need to do, my odometer is showing only 118686 on it right now. i'm concerned if i were to be in a wreck that there would be a worse outcome verses the chassis not being rusted. when the chassis broke on the passenger side both times i was driving, the exhaust has broken off as well because of rust. now the truck squeaks really bad and my spare tire is about to break off as well i believe. i would really appreciate it if i could get it fixed. i'm not sure how much of the chassis is rusted or how bad it us due to them covering it up. both times the chassis has broken have been when on a city street i haven't done an insurance claim on it either, the second time it broke i was also braking the truck. i don't know the number of the recall. i bought the truck in march and all this happened in may and june and i'm afraid it's gonna happen again if it's not replaced and due to me making payments on it and it being my daily driver i don't know what else to due sense i cannot sale it. i didn't know about the recall until september, i seen something about it on facebook and just started looking into it to see if there was any possibility of getting it fixed or replaced. the bed has also been replaced before i bought it, but i'm not sure why. thank you for reading this and i hope to hear something soon about my truck. any kind of options available would be very helpful, because i do not trust this truck. it is very unsafe. i would not recommend anyone else to drive my truck because it is so untrustworthy. thank you again.

Takata recall frame is rusted

Purchased 04 tacoma double cab 4x4 onlynto later find frame rot by the shocks and wheels. i didn't see this initially upon inspection. i thought there was only surface rust until i had the truck on a lift for inspection and was advised of perforations. needless to say it won't pass inspection. did some research and found that toyota's class action settlement only included 05-10 tacoma's. also found that there may have been a warranty extension but according to the dealer, that expired. toyota won't do anything for me so now it's up to me to repair the frame, if it's even repairable. how could toyota put out a product and not stand by it, or at least cover the frame replacement? toyota really needs to cover all vehicles with this problem regardless of age of vehicle and this should never expire. i understand that the cost of a new frame is about $5000, and with labor, runs up to about $15k. toyota needs another class action suit filed against them asap!!!

Truck is unfit to drive due to rusted out frame. please help with recall on toyota tacoma trucks. thanks, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. while making left and right turns, the vehicle made an abnormal noise. the origin of the noise could not be determined. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the frame was rusted, and the stabilizer bar, passenger side steering rod, struts, and shocks needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 141,678.

Took my 04 tacoma to get inspected at toyota the tech sais the vehicle is unsafe . the rust / rotted condition of the frame is excessive and beyond repair . toyota does not want to take responsibility for this problem. they told me that they cant do anything about this .

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the vehicle experienced severe corrosion on the frame. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the frame needed to be coated with an anti-corrosive adhesive. the vehicle was involved in a crash while being operated at 2 mph. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and deemed destroyed. the vehicle was repaired. upon inspection, it was noticed that there were holes in the frame. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the frame needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired due to it having a rebuilt title. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. there were no injuries. the failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

The frame of the tacoma is severely rusted. rust easily falls off the frame of the truck. tacoma models after 2005 received recall notifications and fixes from toyota, but the 2004 models have not received any notice even though they exhibit more frame rot and rusting.

I bought my toyota truck in may 2016. i had the truck serviced at a local shop. the service manager stated the truck had a lot of rust noted on the frame and other parts underneath the truck. i took the truck to my local toyota dealer to have the spare tire hangar recall taken care of. the service manager told me they could not service the truck because of the extensive rust noted. he stated "if you were my family member i would not let you drive it" because the frame and other parts were very rusty. the truck has been parked ever since unable to drive due to safety concerns that the frame will collapse. toyota corporate will not agree to fix the truck.they state the truck frame rust replacement offer has long passed.

The lower ball-joint on the drivers front failed while driving (approx 20mph on a straight, smooth residential road (fortunately unloaded truck and at low speeds) sending the wheel sideways and slamming the suspension arm into the ground, where i skidded for about 40-50 feet. there is a recall in effect for this problem, year, make, model, mileage range, but only the 4 wheel drive models and 4 runners. it needs to be extended to the 2 wheel drive models as well. i had very little indication that something was wrong. it started feeling odd, like the alignment was off, and i was driving about a quarter of a mile to safely park it until it could be looked at, when it suddenly failed.

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

When driving home from having the truck serviced, the front drivers wheel broke and crashed into a curb. after taking it to toyota and calling there help desk, theye confirmed it had a lower and upper ball joint failure. at this time toyota will not honor this recall and will not provide any assistance with the repairs.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the lower ball joints failed causing the passenger side front tire to detach from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lower control arm had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 170,000.

There is frame rot on the vehicle weakening the frame and suspension components. the worst area of rot is on the drivers side of the vehicle where the rear leaf spring attaches to the frame. this area also has the gas tank and fuel lines and rear braking lines. i was never notified of a recall. upon discovery of this hazard i notified the dealer and was told my vehicles recall had ended. i also notified toyota corporate and was told there is nothing they can do. toyota tacomas have had frame rot issues with recalls that have affected the rear brakes fuel lines and tank. i feel it is unfair of toyota to admit an ongoing problem and replace frames on trucks with this issue, yet deny me because i was not made aware of it. having a window of time on a recall that is a huge issue is not fair. now i have an unsafe vehicle, that i am afraid to put my children in, and no where to turn.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for an unrelated service where it was discovered that the leaf spring fractured due to frame corrosion. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

The owner found a recall on 2004 toyota tacomas on the internet. this recall specified that there was a manufacturing defect in the formulation of the undercoating. this manufacturing defect resulted in the rusting of the suspension, and tire plate. upon inspection of the vehicle by a toyota dealer, it was found that the a-frame is rusted through, the leaf springs are failing and are bowed in the opposite direction, gas tank mounts are rusted and the under body of the gas tank housing is rusting through. toyota deemed the vehicle unsafe but refused to do anything because the recall had expired. the owner never received a notice by mail during the recall period. if the owner would have received the recall notice he would have brought the vehicle in for inspection and repair. this vehicle has low mileage and if it were not for these manufacturing defects, could be driven for another 10 years. contact with any common road hazard such as a bump or pot hole could cause the bow springs to fail, and there is a possibility of gas tank rupture, explosion and death.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the rear and front passenger spring chassis were corroded. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the spring chassis needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 99,370.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. while driving 45 mph, the contact heard an abnormal popping noise under the vehicle. the contact discovered that the lower ball joint failed and the wheel went under the vehicle. the contact noticed the frame skidding on the highway. the vehicle was towed away, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 228,000.

A tech was performing an oil change and discovered that the frame on my truck has rusted through at the point that the rear leaf spring attaches on the drives side. i am being told the vehicle is unsafe to drive. i contacted toyota and they tell me that they will not provide a resolution to the problem. *tr

I was at the local tire shop getting two tires installed and i noticed that the right rear of my vehicle was not level with the left. i asked that they do an alignment to even the vehicle out and they notified me that the frame was severly rusted. i was told that there was a campain recall on thi same issue and my vin was in range. when i went to the dealership they notified me that there was another part of this recall, that they did not do, so my frame was not covered. i never received any notice of either recall. i sent a email to toyota and they called back with the same responce "you never did the ani-corrosion part of the recall so you do not qualify". i have heard of countless persons in my area that have just purchased the same age vehicle and had frame rust that got there vehicles repaired. if there is an issue with or without this corrosion spray why are only certain vehicles covered. this spray does not work and this seems like a way to get around repairing vehicles. not to mention i never received any recall notices and they have no record of what adress the recall was even sent to.

Going 35 miles an hour the vehicle will start to pull to the side and the ball joint will come out also the abs sensor cable will brake and you will have to replace it a $2500 dollar spence for a toyota malfunction in the suspension i have a friend in california that has one a year early model than mine a 2003 toyota tacoma and he told me about this problem had happen to him in the freeway about 60 mph to him a had to learn the hard way if you have a toyota tacoma please i am warning you to have the ball joint replace before its to late the new ball joints are warranty for life but i will check in to that if i still have the pick up in four years

Frame slightly bent in accident. when body shop went to pull frame to straighten out they would not do it because how badly rusted the frame was. truck had 88,000 miles on it. toyota will do nothing. this is my second tacoma this has happened too. they recalled my 97 tacoma because of the same issue, at least they treated me fairly on that. i was assured when i bought the second truck rust problem was fixed. *tr

Purchased this vehicle in june of 2014. the carfax report only listed a recent recall dealing with the spare tire hanger. the carfax report did not show any other recalls, including the frame treatment, the frame replacement or the truck buy back offered by toyota. we completely unaware of the recalls. two weeks ago, the rear right shock rotted/completely broke away from the severely rusted frame. toyota says they will do nothing because "we" didn't have it treated. however, we had no knowledge of the recall and had no way of knowing that there was a frame problem because the dealer indicated no issues, the carfax report showed nothing and we have only owned the truck for 6 months. we don't know what to do. are we stuck with this or can we hold someone accountable for help? *tr

Upon a normal service incident i was informed that the frame on the driver side shows a corrosion problem that has eaten half way thru the frame making the truck unsafe due to the corrosion problem after many attempts to contact toyota their response was sorry nothing we can do for you.they also told me that a recall was issued and expired in 2010 which i was not informed about.it is a response that does not satisfy me or maybe other owners of this type of vehicle and it was there product that they produced and now do not want to be held responsible for. est repair cost to correct the problem = 14000.00 not acceptable. *js

The frame is rusted through.i called toyota they said they sent a recall.i told them i didn't receive one.they said it was not there fault.it was the post office fault.i can't have any work done on the truck because of the rust.i don't have a lot of money i expected this truck to last a while.they knew they were making substandard frames.by just looking at my frame. *tr

My 2004 tacoma has ~127,500 miles and has been subject to frame corrosion and spare tire retainer corrosion recalls. my dealer recently advised that the left rear leaf spring is broken which is resulting in an unpredictable response when driving, especially in 4wd in snowy weather. this lack of steering control is a safety issue. i believe this fracture is directly linked to the corrosion issues in the tacoma frame and suspension design on the tacoma. toyota usa has reviewed the case and is unwilling to cover the cost of the leaf spring repairs. this is despite an extensive recall on 2005+up tacoma's for distressed leaf springs. *tr

Frame is perforated due to rust just in front of rear axle on both sides of vehicle. about a 1.5" x 6" hole on driver's side with a fracture of about 12" going toward rear axle. passenger side has a fracture about 18" long in same area. rear suspension mounts and springs are compromised. toyota had a program to deal with issue but deadline had passed by the time i purchased vehicle. dealer told me toyota had checked out frame issue and it passed. according to toyota i was misinformed. toyota will not fix what is obviously a manufacturing defect that i never had the opportunity to deal with properly. body and bed are rust free and in excellent condition. i paid 11,700 for the truck with 88,000 mi., have owned it for one year and put approx. 9,000 miles on it. it is unsafe to drive and for all intents and purposes totaled. *tr

I purchase my toyota tacoma used in jan. 2013. i noticed last month that the frame was getting holes in it. the information i looked up said that toyota did a recall on this particular truck. i was told by toyota that it is now too late to get it taken care of. i was not aware of the recall or an arbitrary ending date. can you help me get toyota to take care of this problem. the truck is now worth nothing with the frame as it is. [xxx]. thank you for your assistance in this matter. this is the case # that toyota has assigned to my situation: #[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I was driving at around 15-20 mph when the lower ball joint on my 2004 tacoma snapped, causing the upper ball joint to snap, pulling out the axle, and causing some other damage. toyota refuses to accept the claim, denying that my truck was affected by the recall (toyota recall 50j). i never received any notice from them, and the truck was in several toyota dealerships over the years. this could have killed me, and toyota is dismissive of everything. despite the evidence, they continue to deny that anything is wrong and refuse to pay for the parts and labor to fix their defect. *tr

I have a 2004 toyota tacoma pickup truck. this has had a very bad for a year. the other day the mount for the right rear broke and the front end of the rear spring was rusted away from the frame. this is the same problem my 1996 toyota pickup had. that one the bought back and i now have this one. the rest of the truck is pretty good. the rack and pinion steering also rusted away and started to leak fluid. this leak was under the right mount of the rack. this was also fixed by me. this is my work truck and personal way of getting around. these are both very serious safety problems !!! i contacted the ceo of toyota, toyota sales in califorina and girard toyota. they said i slipped through the cracks and i did not get any notices !!! they are putting tons of frames on for other peoples but i have been singled out some how and i cannot get one. this problem has been going on for 20 years !!! this with out question should be a recall and all items concerned should be replaced free of charge. please help with this serious problem. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection when they detected that the entire frame was severely corroded. the manufacturer was notified of the defect and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in a manufacturer's recall however, the recall had expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 118,223.

I brought my 2004 toyota tacoma in to toyota of nashua new hampshire for concerns about my frame. they told me the frame is so badly rotted it is not safe to drive. they told me they could not do anything under warranty due to the fact that i did not have the frame undercoated by toyota. the frame undercoating recall ended 10/11. i was not aware of this recall. i have contacted toyota corporate in torrance california. i was told they could not help me and any further escalation of the matter would need to be "outside" of toyota. the truck is nine years old with 75k miles on it with a value of about 8,000 with a good frame. it is worthless in the current condition and cannot be driven. thank you [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Frame rusted completely unsafe to drive never rec'd any notice of rust problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 12v542000(suspension). the contact took the vehicle to cumberland toyota (1540 interstate dr, cookeville, tn 38501, (931) 272-3719) and was informed that her vehicle did not need a remedy and was safe to operate. the contact took the vehicle back to the same dealer a few years later and was informed that the vehicle would not be serviced due to the corrosion that had accumulated. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that they could not assist. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was unknown. *pm*jb

Excessive rust. recall twice.

Frame: i had my tacoma in for work (the clutch would not return fully to the up position) and the dealer (tj toyota, potsdam, ny) said there were holes in the frame. there was one on the left side near there sway bar and two on the right side just in front of the passenger door. the dealer called toyota and toyota said the program for undercoating the frame ended in december and they would not do anything. i bought this truck in january 2011 from the dealer (tj toyota, potsdam ny) and they did not undercoat the frame before they sold the truck to me (with 77,500 mi). i am currently fighting with toyota and because my truck cant pass inspection (which expires today) i can not legally drive my truck to work and there for cant work because i am a mechanic and work out of my truck. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that while driving 3 mph, the driver's side lower ball joint fractured. the contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the ball joint failed due to defective material, insufficient lubrication and the press fit of the ball join assembly was not correct. the contact replaced the lower ball joint assembly himself. the manufacturer was contacted and advised that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 05v225000 (suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint). the failure and current mileage was 116,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated was at a complete stop and when the brake was released, the contact heard a thumping sound and noticed that the driver side front tire was bent abnormally. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who inspected the vehicle and located the failure at the front driver side upper control arm, in which the bolt failed due to dirt and dust penetration. as a result, the bolt was separate from the frame. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 32,752.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that while driving 13 mph, the front driver's side wheel detached from the vehicle. the wheel detached due to a fracture at the ball joint. an authorized dealer had not been notified. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but failed to offer any assistance because the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 05v225000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). no repairs were performed. the failure and current mileages were 153,000.

Upon inspection from toyota ,from the dealer bert wolfe toyota in charleston, wv, the frame on my tacoma was failed. the result was perforations from rust. i had previously received a letter stating the there was a recall on my truck. the letter stated that it necessary to be inspected for frame corrosion, and that three possible outcomes would arise: 1) upon the passing of the corrosion test an anti-corrosion treatment would be applied and a replacement vehicle would be extended until the treatment was complete. 2) upon the failure of the test (meaning the frame had corrosion) the frame would be replaced, and a replacement vehicle would be rendered. 3) upon failure of the test toyota may repurchase my vehicle at a price of 150% of the kelly blue book value. none of these outcomes were instituted upon failure of my frame corrosion test. bert wolfe toyota failed the frame, stated they would replace the frame , but it would take six months. they placed me back in my truck which failed the test, without a temporary replacement. my complaint is that a) my truck will never be the equivalent, all of the parts that will be taken off and/or replaced and then reinstalled on the new frame, causes for safety concerns. there is a high probability that something will be overlooked in the process of reinstallation. b) that the parts that connect to the frame or located in it's vicinity will corrode eventually causing safety concerns. c) my vehicle failed a test in which the frame is considered unsafe, and i was sent off in that same vehicle without a provisional replacement.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact was driving 15 mph in a residential driveway when the ball joint fractured in half and the front passenger wheel completely fractured from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed then to a local repair facility where it was diagnosed that the ball joint was defective and would need replacing. the manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 110,000.