10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
101,974 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

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2004 Toyota Tacoma body / paint problems

body / paint problem

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2004 Toyota Tacoma Owner Comments (Page 1 of 7)

problem #124

Nov 012022

Tacoma

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Bought the vehicle in May 2022 from a dealer. By November of 2022 it was discovered that the frame was totally rusted. The dealer won't help so I paid $10,000 for a truck that lasted 6 months. I then found out this was a common problem that Toyota knew about so I called them for assistance. They would not help. I have been renting a vehicle at a cost of $800 a month because I don't have the money to buy another vehicle.

- Stratford, CT, USA

problem #123

Jan 102023

Tacoma

  • miles
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" The whole frame, the chassis, it is rusty specially in the front How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? when the rusty becomes worse, it will compromise the entire vehicle estructure, even the suspension and wheel parts. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, I can see Toyota run a recall process until 2019 Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, just regular shop service, on which they reported high damage for the suspension and frame parts. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear". It is making bad noises and suspension parts are difficult to replace

- San Jose, Costa Rica, IN, USA

problem #122

Dec 012022

Tacoma

  • miles
Frame is badly rusted as a result truck is not driveable..

- East Schodack, NY, USA

problem #121

Aug 232022

Tacoma

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Excessive Corrison through out the frame.Was informed bu certified mechanic really it is unsafe to drive. What can I do I still owe money on this vehicle.

- Hustle, VA, USA

problem #120

Aug 012022

Tacoma

  • miles
Financed a 2004 Toyota Tacoma and found that frame of truck is rusted out and not sure what to do, can't afford new frame and still owe a little over 9 grand for it....please advise what to do next. Thank u

- Wallace, WV, USA

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problem #119

Jun 202022

Tacoma

  • miles
The frame has rusted and broke behind the cab

- Stevenson , AL, USA

problem #118

Jan 242022

Tacoma

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Frame rust

- Menasha, WI, USA

problem #117

Nov 152021

Tacoma

  • miles
This vehicles frame has rusted and broken. I feel lucky to have made it home just as the frame cracked wide open on one side making the truck un-drivable. Had this happened on the freeway or somewhere out in a rural setting I may have been killed, caused a problem for other drivers or been stranded away from any help. I have sent a photo of the damage to a frame shop but an independent inspection is not, in my opinion, needed since the rusted, broken member is clearly visible to any lay person. There were no warning lights or anything associated with this problem. What I did feel was some serious shaking and bumping as I moved down the road toward my house.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #116

Mar 032021

Tacoma

  • miles
Frame rot on the mid chassis up to the front chassis where the frame begins to curve inward towards the engine. Frame rot is on left and right side of the vehicles inner frame. Failed state inspection.

- Towson, MD, USA

problem #115

Dec 172020

Tacoma

  • 185,000 miles
Called Toyota 2 years ago about rust on my trucks frame near the rear leaf spring mounting area. Was blown off by Toyota customer care. In December was driving and the frame rails literally snapped an bowed, the only thing that saved my life while driving 70mph, on the interstate 70 between hagerstown md and hancock md, home from work was the bed contacting the cab of the truck and miraculously holding holding it up and allowing me to get it safely off the road and call my mechanic. The sheet metal of the truck is rust free and in good condition. The frame is a total loss. The truck was at Toyota in 2010 and 2011 for frame inspections. This is a known issue with these trucks and now im told that Toyota wont do anything about it. If they would have fixed it or addressed my concerns in 2018 or even 2019 I wouldnt have nearly crashed my truck. The idea of a safety campaign is that they know there is an issue, their was a class action suit, they have frames available and they need to replace my frame on my truck and make it safe again. It is the only truck I have I used it to take care of my dogs and my the roads to my home are very steep and a 2wd or front wheel drive will not make it in snowy or rainy weather. Toyota's case # is 2102242008, phone number to call is 1800-331-4331.

- Artemas, PA, USA

problem #114

Jan 192021

Tacoma

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Re: defective frame on 2004 Toyota Tacoma extend cab dear sir or madam: I am reaching out to you for assistance regarding the defective frame on my 2004 Toyota Tacoma extended cab. I purchased this vehicle used in 2012 from a private owner. I did not know at the time, nor did the previous owner advise me that he received a manufacturer's recall on the truck from Toyota in 2010 regarding a cracked frame because the vehicle was not treated during manufacturing to prohibit rust corrosion. Please see attached letter.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #113

Nov 272020

Tacoma

  • miles
2004 Tacoma frame so rotted that upon hitting a large hole would finish off the rusted frame. This type of rust and erosion is not from normal wear.. this is due to the manufacturing of the vehicle and they will not replace. They say they are aware of it.. but time lapsed to get it fixed"? so what now I am out $15K on a 16 year old truck. Since when did recalls have an experation date?"

- Salt Lake City, UT, USA

problem #112

Mar 032017

Tacoma

  • 119,000 miles
Purchased 2004 Tacoma in 2016. Dealership of purchase said vehicle was not affected by frame recall and did not inform me that it was under warranty for frame related issues. Since purchasing vehicle I've encountered countless frame related issues and have put thousands into frame related repairs. I contacted Toyota in 2018 on several occasions to ask about frame warranty. Toyota said vehicle was not covered. Did not look up VIN or any other information related to vehicle. I contacted Toyota again this year to see if there's anything that can be done as frame issues were becoming significant and beyond my financial means to keep fixing. Toyota notified me at this time that the vehicle had in fact been under warranty but that now the warranty had expired 6 months prior (which was within the timeframe that I had initially contacted Toyota). Toyota told me that frame had been undercoated with corrosion resistance treatment in 2010 and warranty was good for 10 years (until 2020). Because dealership of purchase failed to comply with a warranty letter and Toyota also failed to notify me as I was not the original owner, I was not aware that I could have had the frame fixed. Which I would have if I had known. Now because of no fault of my own, the warranty window has closed and Toyota is not willing to rectify the situation. I still owe over $3K on a vehicle I paid over $11K for and have put $4K-$8K into for repairs. Frame is rotting faster than I can fix it and is now unsafe to drive and ineligible for trade-in or sale because the vehicle is essentially worthless at this point. Frame bolts are now rotted, tailpipe and exhaust fell off just this morning due to corrosion, suspension is corroded, brackets are rotting off frame, flakes of corroded metal are in piles beneath vehicle- and these are just the most recent issues.

- Hubbardston, MA, USA

problem #111

Sep 102020

Tacoma 6-cyl

  • 120,165 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that approximately 12 years the vehicle was treated with a rust inhibitor however, the subframe was severely rusted. Additionally, there were several rust holes to the subframe. The contact contacted Toyota of vineland (650 N delsea dr, vineland, NJ 08360, (856) 559-7690) who stated that they were unable to provide the repair under a recall. The dealer also stated that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 120,165. The consumer submitted photos.

- Vineland, NJ, USA

problem #110

Mar 102020

Tacoma 6-cyl

  • 141,000 miles
My 2004 Toyota Tacoma has frame damage underneath (picture enclosed) I learned of a 15 year manufacturer extended warranty on the frame of my truck within the last few months. I put in a complaint to Toyota (I lost claim number) and was told the warranty had expired in may of 2019 and was out of luck, he also said that 15 year warranty extension were mailed out in the past but, trouble is my wife and I do not recall seeing this information do to this I was unable to get my frame fixed under the warranty and I cannot afford out of pocket fee to fix myself. What issue I do have is I had my vehicle at a Toyota dealership being worked on for a "safety recall " July of 2018 and I was wondering at least as a customer courtesy why I wasn't made aware of this frame recall while under repair for the safety recall, I would have got the work done had I known and as stated earlier known by receiving information in the mail about this. The Toyota rep said since it expired I was out of luck and that is why I'm reaching out to you about this matter.

- Sterling, VA, USA

problem #109

Apr 012020

Tacoma

  • miles
Tacoma purchased Feb.2019 with some rust found on frame.truck sent to body shop Apr. 2020 to address rust.truck had become unrepairable due to "severe rust in multiple locations on frame","rust holes and cracking bad on driver side frame near fuel tank" and "frame is rusting bad from inside out"(quotes from mechanic). Truck will not pass inspection.

- Boyertown, PA, USA

problem #108

Feb 122020

Tacoma

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while in for inspection it was discovered that the front driver side sub frame of the vehicle had sustained severe rusting and corrosion. The vehicle was deemed unsafe to drive and failed the state inspection. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 150,000.

- Macedon, NY, USA

problem #107

Jan 092020

Tacoma

  • 141,000 miles
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.

- Springfield, MO, USA

problem #106

Jan 152005

Tacoma

  • 140,000 miles
Frame and some associated components are rusted almost thru. Truck appears to be very unsafe. Toyota does not show it in recall list. Please help.

- Springfield, MO, USA

problem #105

Mar 012017

Tacoma

  • 180,000 miles
2004 Toyota Tacoma frame issue frame was inspected and passed they said they would contact me when it was time to seal it but never did when I went back they said I was too late and only fixed tire carrier recall. Now frame is rusting out had to be repaired and Toyota said it's my problem and they won't give me the extended 15 year warranty I contacted them last year and again this year

- Meriden, CT, USA

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