Family: Tacoma · filed with NHTSA as TACOMA
Owner report Immediately after the manufacturer recall requiring full frame replacement (completed November 2017 by the same dealership referenced below), the vehicle developed abnormal handling not present before the repair, including improper tracking and rear end instability. No warning lights/diagnostic messages were present. T…
Owner report Vehicle was taken to dealer with frame rust, crack and holes. Toyota refused to fix , repair or offer parts to repair.
Owner report I was turning into a gas station and all the sudden the vehicle came to a complete stop i was unable to move the vehicle and sat there until the tow truck was able to show up. Looked under the vehicle and on the passenger side front suspension the lower ball joint was no longer where it belongs.
Owner report The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the passenger’s side axle fractured and the wheel detached. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who replaced the ball joints. The local dealer was not contacted. On a…
Owner report WHILE IN REVERSE, IDLING SLOWLY TO A STOP TO PICK UP A HOT WATER HEATER, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A PLUMBING SUPPLY WAREHOUSE, SENDING THE VEHICLE THROUGH AN OVERHEAD DOOR AND THROUGH EXPENSIVE …
Owner report WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE THROTTLE SUDDENLY STOPS RESPONDING FOR ABOUT 3-5 SECONDS, THEN RETURNS. WHILE IT IS UNRESPONSIVE, IT SEEMS TO RETURN TO A FULLY CLOSED POSITION AS THE VEHICLE STARTS SLOWING, THEN SUDDENLY REOPENS TO WHERE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS BEING DEPRESSED, AND QUICKLY STARTS ACCELERATING. IT DOESN…
5% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.
To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 66.
| Model year | All complaints | First three years | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 253 | 70 | |
| 1997 | 134 | 30 | not compared |
| 1998 | 302 | 112 | most complaints |
| 1999 | 256 | 75 | |
| 2000 | 211 | 63 | |
| 2001 | 403 | 30 | not compared |
| 2002 | 339 | 52 | |
| 2003 | 360 | 43 | not compared |
| 2004 | 415 | 51 |
Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Defect: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2004 Tacoma light trucks manufactured from August 28, 2000, through August 27, 2004, and originally sold, or currently registered, in the following cold climate states with high road salt usage: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. The spare tire in the subject vehicles is located underneath the rear of the vehicle and held by a spare tire carrier. A lift plate on the carrier is used to help raise, lower and retain the tire. During its manufacture, the lift plate may not have been sufficiently coated with anti-corrosion materials. If the plate is insufficiently coated and the vehicle is operated in cold climate regions where road salts are frequently used, road spray can reach the carrier assembly and corrode the lift plate.
Risk: Corrosion of the plate could cause it to break, which could result in detachment of the spare tire from the vehicle. Detachment of the spare tire could result in a road hazard which may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace the spare tire carrier lift plate as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in February 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Defect: CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Risk: LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.
Defect: CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
Defect: ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DUE TO A MANUFACTURING ISSUE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SURFACE OF THE BALL OF THE JOINT MAY HAVE BEEN SCRATCHED. THE BALL JOINT MAY EVENTUALLY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE WEAR AND LOOSENESS, RESULTING IN INCREASED STEERING EFFORT.
Risk: THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 5, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Defect: CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, 'SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES.' THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT HAS INCORRECT MARKINGS.
Risk: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD.
Remedy: DEALERS HAVE REPLACED THE SEAT BELTS. NO VEHICLES WERE SOLD TO CONSUMERS.
None on file.
| Version | Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Combined | Fuel cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma 2WD | 2.4L 4cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 19 | 23 | 21 | $2950 |
| Tacoma 2WD | 2.4L 4cyl | Manual 5-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 20 | 25 | 22 | $2850 |
| Tacoma 2WD | 2.7L 4cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 17 | 20 | 18 | $3450 |
| Tacoma 2WD | 3.4L 6cyl | Automatic 4-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 15 | 19 | 16 | $3900 |
| Tacoma 2WD | 3.4L 6cyl | Manual 5-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 17 | 22 | 19 | $3300 |
| Tacoma 4WD | 2.7L 4cyl | Automatic 4-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 16 | 19 | 18 | $3450 |
| Tacoma 4WD | 2.7L 4cyl | Manual 5-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 16 | 20 | 17 | $3650 |
| Tacoma 4WD | 3.4L 6cyl | Automatic 4-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 14 | 18 | 16 | $3900 |
| Tacoma 4WD | 3.4L 6cyl | Manual 5-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 15 | 18 | 16 | $3900 |
Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.
| Variant | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Toyota Tacoma Regular Cab | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | ★★★☆☆ |
| 2004 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | ★★★☆☆ |
| 2004 Toyota Tacoma Extended Cab | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | ★★★☆☆ |
Toyota issued 143 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about equipment.
A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.
| Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-06 | STRUCTURE:BODY | Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood… |
| 2024-12-06 | STRUCTURE:BODY | To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in… |
| 2024-12-06 | STRUCTURE:BODY | The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl… |
| 2024-12-05 | STRUCTURE:BODY | Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure … |
| 2024-12-03 | STRUCTURE:BODY | Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can be identified by the … |
| 2024-07-12 | STRUCTURE:BODY | Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood… |
| 2024-07-12 | STRUCTURE:BODY | To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in… |
| 2024-07-12 | STRUCTURE:BODY | The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl… |
| 2024-07-12 | STRUCTURE:BODY | Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood… |
| 2024-07-12 | STRUCTURE:BODY | To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in… |
Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.
Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.
Every model year of this Tacoma, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota Tacoma model page.
MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.