Problems with 2004 Toyota Tacoma POWER TRAIN

Vehicle has 113,000 miles on it but is undriveable because frame is rusted through.

Problem with the electronic throttle control on acceleration, the throttle drops off like i let my foot off the pedal, the dealer replaced the throttle body per customer request (me) and it fixed the problem, only to happen again several months later, this happened one time again, a total of 2 new throttle bodys were replaced, now a few years later it failed again trying to pass a car and i almost caused an accident because the throttle failed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. the contact stated that the transmission rear differential was corroded and leaking transmission fluid while the local mechanic performed routine maintenance. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 190,000. updated 7/14/15*cn

Oil changed at toyota dealer, mechanic discovered rear differential leak. took the vehicle to private mechanic and discovered the rear differential leak was caused by rust to the body. the 2004 tacoma had only 27,000 original miles which was brought new. web search discovered 20 complaints at least on the differential rusting thru. talking to the mechanic reveal this can be a catastrophic event on a highway with the wheels locking up causing fatalities. toyota dealers contacted provided no help or did not return phone calls. *tr

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

Both rear axel seals leak gear oil onto and into the rear brake drums which substantially reduce the effectiveness of the rear brakes. this condition began around the 60,000 mile mark and will continue indefinitely until the gear lube is all drained off, which then will most certainly cause severe power train damage.

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 ...

On several occasions my truck has completely lost power. a few times it happened while pulling into traffic resulting in me almost being hung out in a busy intersection. when i push the gas pedal, it starts to move forward, then suddenly loses power. i believe the problem is somewhere in the throttle body. i also get some hesitation when lightly hitting the accelerator at highway speeds. *jb

After driving approximately 10 miles in a heavy, wet snow, shifter on automatic transmission could not be moved past reverse into park. parking brake could not be pulled. blockage of both components felt quite solid. because vehicle could not be put into park, ignition could not be turned off and key removed. vehicle could not have been left on a slope without a chock block. after snow fell out/melted all systems returned to normal operation. *tr

Extremly loud lifters(valve noise). *tr

I was driving my truck to a work location and stopped at a t-intersection to yield to the normal traffic flow. while stopped, the engine began to rev up for no apparent reason. i was not touching the accelerator pedal, but had my foot firmly on the brake. at first, i heard the engine noise but did not realize that it was my vehicle making the noise. then when i looked down at my instruments, i saw that my engine rpm's were above 1800 and staying steady. there was an audible clunk noise and the truck suddenly lurched forward (transmission engaging i would guess) and i pressed the brake with increased force to keep from rolling forward. then the engine rpm's returned to a normal idle just as suddenly. this occurred with a warm engine after several miles of normal driving. while the same exact thing has not occurred since this incident, i have had at least one other episode where the truck's engine rpm's increased for no reason while i was stopped at a red light. the latter occurrence was not as severe as the first incident and happened within ...

After driving in wet/heavy snow i cannot shift into reverse or park. without shifting into park the ignition key cannot be turned all the way off or removed. i had to disconnect the battery cable to prevent the battery from dying while the snow melted. *nm

Tl* - the contact has a 2004 toyota tacoma truck. the contact lived in a rural area and she needed to be able to go into 4-wheel drive, but when she attempted to go into 4-wheel drive the vehicle made a grinding noise and would not go into 4-heel drive. the dealer attempted to repair the vehicle once before unsuccessfully. the unsuccessful repair was done under warranty. she took the vehicle back to them to let them know that it was still not working because they didn't fix it correctly. the service manager refused to fix the vehicle even though it was still under warranty. the service manager suggested that she put the vehicle into park and then shift into 4-wheel drive instead of following the owner's manual method which stated that the vehicle should be put in neutral when shifting into 4 wheel drive, and the service manager suggested that the vehicle owner put the vehicle into park and then shift into 4 wheel drive. every 3,000 miles when she went for an oil change she complained about the operation of the transmission and the grinding and clanking noises that it ...

#1. 2004 tacoma dbl cab trd: i'm on my 3rd set of rotors and drums at just 40,000 miles. each set of rotors warped at just over 10,000 miles causing the expected pulsing and bouncing. i'm expecting the 3rd set to do the same. #2. since about 10,000 miles, i have experienced a "thumping" with a corresponding jolt of the gear shift upon finishing a breaking cycle. this also happens occasionally when releasing the foot brake. sometimes it is quite loud and violent. i am aware that all the late model automatics do this. the factory has acknowledged that there is a problem because their "fix" was to drill a hole in the two-piece drive shaft to "vent" the trapped air. this very temporarily solved the problem. again today, the dealer acknowledged the "thump" and told me that this is "the way the truck is supposed to operate" and that i should "change my braking habits". on a 15 minute test drive it probably doesn't seem too bad. but i have to drive the vehicle all the time and it is very annoying (and ...

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.