10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
71,617 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.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Toyota Tacoma engine problems

engine problem

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2004 Toyota Tacoma Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #5

Mar 082006

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 25,000 miles

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

At a stop, vehicle does not accelerate after depressing the gas pedal. 2 occasions nearly caused an accident. Also, at cruising speeds (60-70 mph) vehicle will decelerate without any change in pressure to the gas pedal.

- Fountain Valley, CA, USA

problem #4

Feb 202006

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • 23,405 miles
2004 Toyota Tacoma [xxx] electronic throttle control system (etcs). On 26 Feb 2005, 14 Apr 2005, 17 Apr 2005 and 20 Feb 2005 after prolonged driving at highway speeds when stepping off the gas pedal to make a stop the engine speed would not decrease and I would have to apply both feet to the brake pedal to try to slow down, and swerve to the side to avoid hitting vehicles in front of me. After approximately 5-10 seconds the engine speed would suddenly decrease and I could regain control. While struggling to keep control did not shift from drive to neutral. In each instance no warning lights. Before these 4 events occurred the engine suffered a catastrophic failure on 11 Apr 2004 with only 1,111 miles. Toyota of carson city Nevada effected the repairs to the catastrophic engine failure by replacing the lower block and the cylinder heads among other components. I took the car to Toyota of carlsbad, California on 1 Mar 2005, 20 Apr 2005, 5 May 2005 and 23 Feb 2006 for the speed control problem but they could not duplicate it and would not replace any components. Apparently the computer did not register/store any diagnostic failure codes. I know by having read the Toyota service manual that the electronic control module does not record all failures. I cannot tell if this problem was present when the car was built or whether it was induced by repairs for the catastrophic engine failure. What I do know is that I have a serious safety issue. I am very concerned about not being able to avoid hitting a pedestrian or another vehicle. I have exhausted all consumer support avenues with Toyota. Reference number [xxx] with eloise Toyota customer support 1-800-331-4331 today 24 Feb 2006 indicates that they will not do anything else. I strongly suspect that there are two failures. First, the throttle body is malfunctioning intermittently causing the problem. Second, the ECM is failing to detect and record the event. Updated 07/17/2012

- Carlsbad, CA, USA

problem #3

Dec 302005

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 15,000 miles
2004 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 with 3.4L engine and manual trans. Having throttle body issues. The accelerator position sensor is failing causing the truck to stall for a second and then pick back up. Truck does not throw a check engine code when this occurs, so dealer has informed me on different occasions that nothing is wrong. I was almost ran over the other day trying to pull out into traffic when the throttle body failed. This is a safety concern and Toyota needs to address it immediately!!!!!!!! what's it going to take, someone getting seriously injured or a healthy low suit for Toyota to take action?

- Dothan, AL, USA

problem #2

Dec 232005

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 15,000 miles
I have a 2004 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 with a 3.4 liter V6. I have already filed 1 complaint butt in frustration will try this again. The electronic throttle bodies that come on 2003 and 2004 Toyota Tacoma are flawed and need to be investigated and recalled due to safety concerns. The problem is that the accelerator position sensors on these throttle bodies are going out, causing the accelerator to become useless unless depressed greater than 60%. I have all most been in 2 accidents while pulling out into traffic and having this occur. When the sensor fails the throttle valve closes leaving the person driving the vehicle without enough acceleration to get out of the way of on coming traffic. In vehicles with manual transmission it is especially dangerous when on an incline (very difficult not to role backwards and hit something behind you). Also, no check engine light has came on when this has occurred. I have read hundreds of letters on the internet from people having the same problem. Is it going to take someone getting killed or a healthy law suit to make Toyota take action?

- Dothan , AL, USA

problem #1

Nov 152004

Tacoma 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 2,000 miles
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.

- Abilene, TX, USA

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