Problems with 2004 Toyota Tacoma STRUCTURE

I just wanted to tell how utterly useless i think this administration is. i wrote in with a complaint on my 2004 toyota tacoma which has a rusted frame and too dangerous to drive. there were numerous complaints just like mine and still are all over the internet and you have done absolutely nothing. toyota refuses to fix my truck and i never received a notice for my truck frame as well as a lot of others. if i had kept driving this truck me or others could have been killed. i have a conscious unlike this office and toyota. i contacted my senator and asked him how many complaints do you people need to do something. i guess somebody has to die first which is sinful and sad!!! *tr

December 26, 2013- going east on warner rd. at 45 miles per hour from kyrene and warner. minimal traffic on the road. at warner and bullmoose a car did not stop at the stop sign at bullmoose to pull out onto warner. i hit the camaro, t-boned him. my air bags did not go off, my seat belt tightened, then popped off of me at some point during the crash. i just know that when i stopped and pulled over my seat belt was off. that concerned me a lot. that was the first thing i noticed when i came to a stop! the gentleman that i hit said it was his fault and he had a broken rib, but other than that said he was okay. i hurt and was bruised across my shoulder blade, and chest. i had my toyota tacoma towed to power collision center that toyota uses. i went into to them and told them my concerns about the seat belt popping. they said they did not see anything wrong with it, that maybe my sweater was caught up in it. first of all, i was not wearing a sweater! and i am very strict about my seat belt and others in my vehicle that they are properly seat belted! at times the seat belt did not tighten when i applied the brakes. i think just to humor me they replaced the driver's seat belt. then he said they get worn with being connected and unconnected many times. my question is why do we not know that we should replace our seat belts, like we do our tires. i am very concerned about my seat belts in my toyota tacoma. *tr

My 2004 toyota tacoma was recalled in 2012. the recall letter stated that in certain states where road salt is used to manage winter driving conditions, the potential existed for premature rust/corrosion of the frame. i brought the truck in to the dealership where it was then determined that the frame should be replaced. six months later i noticed that the rear differential housing was leaking. why didn't the recall cover these components, which are located in the same general area and subject to the same corrosive conditions as the frame, leaf springs, control arms, etc., all of which were replaced? if the fluid drains from the housing as a result of rust/corrosion, the potential exists for the drivetrain to lock up, especially at higher speeds, resulting in an obviously dangerous situation. no real options exist to address the issue aside from replacing the differential housing, a repair that costs several thousand dollars. my complaint is that toyota chose not to cover the replacement of all parts necessary in order to insure the safe operation of the vehicle in light of the premature rust/corrosion issue, nor did they raise the issue in any way. i cannot imagine how toyota could be unaware of this condition. *tr

2004 toyota tacoma. consumer writes in regards to brake line rupture. *tgw the consumer stated the dealer would not replace the brake line under warranty, because the frame caused the brake line to rupture. toyota informed the consumer, a recall was issued in 2010, where the frame was supposed to be sprayed and treated. the consumer was informed the extended warranty had expired. *jb

I just traded my harley davidson e-glide for a 2004 toyota tacoma. unfortunately i didn't know about the frame issues! the frame and everything is rusted beyond repair. i called my local toyota dealer and they said that the recall for the frame issues was over. in my opinion toyota should honor the recall as long as their product is out to the public! i love the truck but just don't want to drive because of the safety issues of how bad the frame and all components are! i would appreciate all the help i can get. *tr

2004 toyota tacoma with 147,000 miles failed state inspection and deemed unsafe to drive due to rusted and perforated frame. this frame was one bought by toyota from the dana corporation. toyota won a lawsuit over this poor quality frame, and has bought back all '95-'99 toyotas with this frame, and replaced frames on '00-'04 trucks. toyota is stating that our tacoma does not qualify for the extended warranty put out on these affected frames, as it was not undercoated as part of their prevention program. however, it has been documented that the undercoating was ineffective, and the frames continued to rust out and needed to be replaced. we feel strongly that toyota should offer the extended warranty to all trucks affected by this faulty constructed frame. toyota is reporting that they can do nothing further to help in this case, despite that it is an otherwise well equipped and strongly running truck, which has had ongoing and consistent routine maintenance. they are now indicating that a '04 tacoma with 147,000 is only valued at $500. *tr

I don't know if i am in the right dept. but please guide me to the correct dept. my 2004 tacoma truck had a recall on the frame of vehicle. it is rusting or corroding away. recall notice was never received by me as i have had financial problems and moved 3 times. i asked toyota if they sent notice registered and their answer is no. recently i have put my truck for sale and anyone that looked at it loved it but asked about the frame recall. i was dumbfounded as this vehicle was garage kept, no body rust, and has 47,000 orig. miles. i am the original owner. i have spoken to toyota dealers, toyota customer reps. and all say nothing can be done at this stage of vehicle. how do i now knowingly sell this truck to anyone? what if the new buyer is killed in this vehicle because of a frame collapse while driving. will toyota be responsible for the death? i have found a dealer that is replacing these frames. why not mine? *js

I took my truck in for the yearly inspection and it failed for a hole in the frame. i contacted toyota and was informed that i missed a customer care service to inspect the frame and there was nothing that they would do for me. i repaired the hole and the vehicles passed inspection for the frame the past two years.i was driving today and found that the bed of my truck crooked. i checked the other side of the frame to find that it is completely rotted and the truck is now unsafe to drive. will this frame rust issue ever become a recall? its a shame that a perfectly good running truck is now garbage. *tr

Frame needs to be replaced. requested toyota replace frame within a ten years of mfg. toyota said i was to late on the frame replacement recall . truck body is like new. truck only has 64000 miles on it. i misplaced frame replacement recall notice. can you request / require toyota replace my frame ?

There was nothing that led up to this event. i was just driving down the highway and the bracket that attaches the front axel of my truck to the frame just snapped off. this is a relatively new vehicle and has not seen too rough a road! it is quite pampered and well maintained. this is obviously a defect due to the many complaints of the exact thing happening. i searched online and discovered that i am not alone in this event as it seems to be it occurs quite frequently to (from what i hear), 2 wheel drive toyota tacoma's, that have installed a lift. i cannot imagine how many lives have been lost let alone how many accidents and injuries this has resulted in as you loose complete control of where the vehicle goes. and in some instances it also severs the brake line leaving the vehicle out of control with no brakes. i imagine that most crashes are not blamed on this due to the vehicle experiencing a large accident with impact to the front of the vehicle. and the bracket that holds the front axel to frame is mangled. therefore, leaving one to believe that the accident caused the damage. when the fact is that the damage or defect if you will is what caused the accident which in turn damaged the vehicle, driver, passenger(s). not to mention that accidents often involve other vehicles as well. it seems to be more prevalent on the driver's side so that usually means that the vehicle travels into oncoming traffic! ie: head on collisions! how many survive a headon collision in a light duty truck? few i would imagine. well it almost became a reality for me as well as my passenger. we were just lucky that we live where we do and there was light traffic coming the opposite direction. i have heard that this happened to several others in the area and toyota tells them to go to "rocky's offroad", to get it fixed. no offer of explanation or reason why but that it seems to happen alot?! doesn't that scream "manufacturer defect!" it's a ...

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact had a repair for a recall on the frame performed (recall information not available in nhtsa database). the dealer undercoated the frame which turned into an oil base that dripped in the contact's garage and damaged it. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who advised her to contact the manufacturer. the vehicle had not been repaired again. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 81,000 and the current mileage was approximately 90,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact received notification of a manufacturer's recall pertaining to possible frame corrosion. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and to have rust inhibitor sprayed on the frame of the vehicle. the dealer did not locate a corrosion failure in the frame and the vehicle was not serviced. the manufacturer was contacted and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to a different dealer for repairs. the second dealer discovered holes and corrosion on the frame. the dealer deemed the vehicle as unsafe to drive and advised that the frame would need replacing. the dealer would have to rebuild the entire truck. the contact stated that he no longer wanted ownership of the truck and believed that the manufacturer should take the liability for the vehicle. the failure mileage was 47,500.

I own a 2004 toyota tacoma 4wd. i purchase it new. the frame is rotting out terribly and the muffler system has to be replaced due to excessive corrosion and rot flaking off of the muffler system. i am afraid to drive the tacoma on the highway due to safety issues. i live in massachusetts and i have been advised that toyota may recall this year and model for frame rot. i am facing a $500+ bill to replace the muffler system. please advise. *tr

I got a letter from toyota motors stating that certain model years of tacomas had rust damage to the frame and i was informed to bring it to the dealership where they would perform a rust test on it. mine is a 2004. they said the rest wasn't bad enough to replace the truck,of course and kept it to spray on a rust preventative on the frame. within one year the coating they applied began to fall off peel off and obviously didn't work like planned. my sister had a 98 tacoma with the same issue and you could put your finger through the frame. they bought her truck back at the corporate office at 150% of bluebook value. that's what should happen now also. i've paid 20k$ for the vehicle brand new and a major reason was everyone likes the tacoma and its fairly easy or lets say was easy to resale before all the problems they are having. now i've gotten another letter saying there is more than one recall and now have problems with the spare tire holder plate possibly rusting and falling off. its pretty obvious to me and all the customers who have had the problems, that toyota must be forced into actually replacing the vehicle or pay the 150% book value without argument. is anyone going to make this right? i have had 2 mechanics tell me the truck is unsafe and not road worthy. luckily i have a company vehicle otherwise i would be very challenged. the bumper all the way to the front is totally rusted out and i don't wanna hear lip service saying its due to salt or something i just want a billion dollar company to be responsible for their product. i haven't driven the truck but 10 times since getting the coating applied and the sad thing is i love the truck and cant drive it. please help us. *tr

We own a 2004 toyota tacoma. after receiving a letter from toyota about frame rust, we took our vehicle to the dealer for the requested inspection. the dealer told us that the frame has soft spots and that toyota recommended replacing the frame. we are seriously concerned about the safety of this vehicle given the fact that the structural integrity of the vehicle has been compromised. however, we question this kind of invasive repair. we want toyota to buy the truck back given the nature of this safety defect. toyota has a defined history of defective frames in the tacoma: they bought back many 1995-2000 tacomas for the same reason. since the 2001-2004 tacomas are experiencing the same defect -- a very serious one -- toyota needs to take responsibility and properly compensate owners like us by buying them back. we request that the nhtsa do what is necessary to require toyota to take responsibility in this matter by recalling all affected tacomas so these vehicles can be taken off the road before injury and death results. thank you for your attention to this very serious matter. *tr peter spangenberg

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). 2004 toyota tacoma [xxx] rusted rear step bumper,rusted inside out,no fault of owner toyota refuses to replace the bumper to date 02/2010 frame is slowly rusting out also/inspected by dealer/ok for now! *tr

I have a rust problem in the bed of my 2004 toyota tacoma and i have a 5 year warranty against manufacture defects that toyota will not honor and this is clearly a defect. *tr

Very rusted frame

Heavy snows in colorado during december,2006 forced many vehicle drivers to drive in unusually heavy drifts. the rear skid plate on newer toyota tacoma 4x4 trucks can bend and peel away from the frame when the vehicle is driven in deep drifts in reverse. when the vehicle is then driven forward, the bent skid plate acts as a baffle against snow, causing the truck to swerve and become difficult to maneuver and control. the skid plate is poorly designed for deep snow driving. it is held onto the frame by two small bolts in the front and by nothing in the rear. the owner of the vehicle removed the bent skid plate and has informed toyota. the part is available. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that he received a manufacturer's recall for the frame. after having the repairs completed, he noticed that the frame was separating from the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken back to the dealer for further inspection. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. the current mileage was approximately 70,000. *tr updated 6/17/13 *cn the consumer stated the 02 sensor was replaced three times, the catalytic converter was also replaced three times. the shroud that covered the gas tank, rotted and fell of the truck, and the check engine light illuminated several times. updated 06/25/13

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that there was rust on the frame of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they confirmed that the vehicle exhibited a rust issue. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but did not provide any assistance. the failure mileage was 45,000.

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.

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

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

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that when he entered the vehicle he noticed that the seat belts on both driver and passenger side were wet. the contact stated that the failure occurred whenever it rained. there was no water visible inside the vehicle and the windows were closed. the manufacturer was contacted and advised him to contact to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 48,000.