2004 Toyota Tacoma Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Tacoma years
- More complaints than other years 6th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 414 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Toyota Tacoma. That ranks 6th out of 32 Tacoma model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (203 complaints, 49%), typically at around 119,000 miles. Complaints mention 27 crashes, 3 fires, 23 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 414owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 27complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Toyota Tacoma problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure problems | 203 | 49% | 119,000 | “frame rusted” (13%) | — |
| Suspension problems | 84 | 20% | 120,000 | “ball joint” (27%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 32 | 8% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 7% | 54,005 | — | — |
| Steering | 29 | 7% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 22 | 5% | 43,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 17 | 4% | 107,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 15 | 4% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 15 | 4% | 117,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 12 | 3% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 11 | 3% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 3% | 39,750 | — | — |
| Wheels | 11 | 3% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 2% | 88,610 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 2% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 1% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 1% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 0% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | 15,166 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Toyota Tacoma recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Tires:temporary/emergency spare tire
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Seat belts:front
Problem: 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.
Fix: Dealers have replaced the seat belts. No vehicles were sold to consumers.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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.
My 2004 Toyota Tacoma was part of the frame replacement back in the fall of 2018 when Bobby Rahal Toyota in Mechanicsburg, PA has by truck for over 6 months while they replaced my frame. It has been determined that my rear differential is rusted and is now to the point of needing replaced. For…
The frame broke
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma equipped with Toyo Tires, Tire Line: Open Country HT, Tire Size: 265/70/R16, DOT Number: [redacted]. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was shuddering significantly. The vehicle was taken to Walmart for the tires to be…
Other Toyota Tacoma years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tacoma | 10 | 0 |
| 2025 Tacoma | 106 | 5 |
| 2024 Tacoma | 152 | 5 |
| 2023 Tacoma | 54 | 4 |
| 2022 Tacoma | 59 | 3 |
| 2021 Tacoma | 81 | 0 |
| 2020 Tacoma | 90 | 1 |
| 2019 Tacoma | 219 | 4 |
| 2018 Tacoma | 209 | 3 |
| 2017 Tacoma | 242 | 5 |
| 2016 Tacoma | 323 | 4 |
| 2015 Tacoma | 101 | 4 |
| 2014 Tacoma | 93 | 4 |
| 2013 Tacoma | 125 | 6 |
| 2012 Tacoma | 295 | 7 |
| 2011 Tacoma | 186 | 9 |
| 2010 Tacoma | 294 | 13 |
| 2009 Tacoma | 519 | 13 |
| 2008 Tacoma | 447 | 11 |
| 2007 Tacoma | 541 | 10 |
| 2006 Tacoma | 782 | 11 |
| 2005 Tacoma | 707 | 10 |
| 2004 | 414 | 3 |
| 2003 Tacoma | 360 | 3 |
| 2002 Tacoma | 333 | 3 |
| 2001 Tacoma | 396 | 4 |
| 2000 Tacoma | 211 | 0 |
| 1999 Tacoma | 249 | 0 |
| 1998 Tacoma | 300 | 1 |
| 1997 Tacoma | 131 | 0 |
| 1996 Tacoma | 253 | 1 |
| 1995 Tacoma | 177 | 2 |
See all Toyota Tacoma problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Toyota Tacoma?
Owners most often report structure, suspension, unknown or other problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 203 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Toyota Tacoma?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Toyota Tacoma a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Tacoma model years, the 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.