IllustrationABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO IVE TAKEN MY TRUCK TO PRICE TOYOTA IN NEW CASTLE DE FOR A FRAME INSPECTION. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CALL THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURE ABOUT THE FRAME RECALL ISSUE BUT THEY NEVER GOT BACK TO ME AND JUST RECENTLY IVE HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE AND FOUND A CRACK IN THE FRAME.
2004 Toyota Tacoma
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Toyota Tacoma do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 228.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Tacoma years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
420–25K
2625–50K
3250–75K
3975–100K
100100–150K
76150K+
315 reports with mileage · 99 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 203 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 84 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
27 crash reports3 fire reports15 injury reports
Structure complaints
203 reportsFRAME 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 ?
VERY RUSTED FRAME
BOUGHT A 2004 TACOMA NOT KNOWING ABOUT THE FRAME RECALL. THE DEALER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM HAD PUDDIED THE FRAME TO MAKE IT LOOK SOLID. NOW I'VE GOT AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. SOMETHING THAT COULD KILL PEOPLE SHOULDN'T EXPIRE.OR TOYOTA SHOULD BUY IT BACK SINCE WHOEVER OWNED IT BEFORE NEVER TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE PROBABLY…
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BOUGHT A 2004 TACOMA NOT KNOWING ABOUT THE FRAME RECALL. THE DEALER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM HAD PUDDIED THE FRAME TO MAKE IT LOOK SOLID. NOW I'VE GOT AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. SOMETHING THAT COULD KILL PEOPLE SHOULDN'T EXPIRE.OR TOYOTA SHOULD BUY IT BACK SINCE WHOEVER OWNED IT BEFORE NEVER TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF THESE ON OUR STREETS TODAY LIKE THIS!
2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEALERSHIP/CORPORATE REFUSAL TO HONOR EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR VEHICLE CORROSION REPAIRS. *LD *JS
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE FELL OFF, WHILE STATIONARY. I GRABBED HANDLE TO OPEN DOOR LIKE NORMAL, AND PART OF IT CRUMBLED IM MY HAND AND THEN FELL TO THE GROUND. IT COULD NOT BE PUT BACK ON DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THIS IS A HUGE SAFTY RISK OF SOMEONE GETTING TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE IF SOMETHING HAPPENED AND THE HANDLE FELL OFF …
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DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE FELL OFF, WHILE STATIONARY. I GRABBED HANDLE TO OPEN DOOR LIKE NORMAL, AND PART OF IT CRUMBLED IM MY HAND AND THEN FELL TO THE GROUND. IT COULD NOT BE PUT BACK ON DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THIS IS A HUGE SAFTY RISK OF SOMEONE GETTING TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE IF SOMETHING HAPPENED AND THE HANDLE FELL OFF AT THE MOST IMPORTUNED TIME, IT COULD EASILY CAUSE FATALITIES. WHILE SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMET PART I MET SEVERAL OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE FACT THAT TOYOTA IS CHARGING AND EXUBERANT ABOUT FOR THE HANDLE ASSEMBLY'S ($4251
WHILE DRIVING I HEARD AN UNUSUAL NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. UPON SELF INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THE FUEL TANK STRAP HAD BROKE. I NOTICED ALSO THAT THE FUEL TANK SHIELD LOOKED LIKE SWISS CHEESE FROM CORROSION. I HAD A TIE DOWN STRAP THAT I WAS ABLE TO USE TO STRAP THE SHIELD AND TANK UP WITH. I AM IN THE PROCESS…
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WHILE DRIVING I HEARD AN UNUSUAL NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. UPON SELF INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THE FUEL TANK STRAP HAD BROKE. I NOTICED ALSO THAT THE FUEL TANK SHIELD LOOKED LIKE SWISS CHEESE FROM CORROSION. I HAD A TIE DOWN STRAP THAT I WAS ABLE TO USE TO STRAP THE SHIELD AND TANK UP WITH. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING TO REPAIR IT. I FEEL SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE TOYOTA SHOULD FIX IT FREE OF CHARGE. A FUEL TANK STRAP SHOULD NEVER FAIL LIKE THIS.
MY TOYOTA TACOMA FRAME BROKE DUE TO RUST. THE LEAF SPRING MOUNTING BRACKET BROKE LOOSE FROM THE FRAME AND HE FRAME ITSELF BROKE DUE TO SEVERE RUST. THE TRUCK IS NOW INOPERABLE. THERE AS A RECALL ON SOME TOYOTA FRAMES, BUT APPARENTLY THE RECALL ONLY APPLIES TO "COLD" STATES, NOT HAWAII. MANY OF MY FRIENDS HAVE TACOMAS AND THEY…
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MY TOYOTA TACOMA FRAME BROKE DUE TO RUST. THE LEAF SPRING MOUNTING BRACKET BROKE LOOSE FROM THE FRAME AND HE FRAME ITSELF BROKE DUE TO SEVERE RUST. THE TRUCK IS NOW INOPERABLE. THERE AS A RECALL ON SOME TOYOTA FRAMES, BUT APPARENTLY THE RECALL ONLY APPLIES TO "COLD" STATES, NOT HAWAII. MANY OF MY FRIENDS HAVE TACOMAS AND THEY ALL HAVE RUST ISSUES. I ALSO HAVE A 2010 TACOMA WITH LESS THAN 6000 MILES AND I HAVE ALREADY NOTICED THAT THE FRAME IS RUSTING BY THE LEAF SPRING MOUNTS.
9/8/2017, WHILE WORKING ON MY 2004 TACOMA I FOUND A 3 INCH AND A 1 INCH RUST HOLES IN THE FRAME NEAR THE LEFT REAR WHEEL. NEAR THE RIGHT WHEEL I FOUND A 1 INCH HOLE. ALL IT TOOK WAS A TAP WITH A HAMMER. HOW SAFE IS THAT?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH OVER A SPEED BUMP, THE SPARE TIRE LOCATED ON THE TRUNK DETACHED AND ROLLED INTO THE STREET. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (CHECKERED FLAG TOYOTA IN VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO SEVERE RUST AND …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH OVER A SPEED BUMP, THE SPARE TIRE LOCATED ON THE TRUNK DETACHED AND ROLLED INTO THE STREET. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (CHECKERED FLAG TOYOTA IN VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO SEVERE RUST AND CORROSION ON THE SUBFRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 263,000.
Official recalls
312V542000 · Tires:temporary/emergency Spare Tire
Nov 23, 2012
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
05V225000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint
May 17, 2005
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
04V214000 · Seat Belts:front
May 5, 2004
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD.
Remedy: DEALERS HAVE REPLACED THE SEAT BELTS. NO VEHICLES WERE SOLD TO CONSUMERS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.