2004 Toyota Tacoma Transmission Problems

Your rear differential has developed significant rust and now needs to be replaced. During a frame replacement recall service in 2018, the dealership inspected your truck and should have noticed and replaced the rusted differential at that time, but did not. You've been trying to get the dealership to cover this repair as part of the original recall work, but they've refused since the recall is officially closed. The repair will likely involve removing and replacing the rear differential assembly.

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.

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.

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

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 WAY. I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW TOYOTA COULD BE UNAWARE OF THIS CONDITION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 60 MPH, THE FIFTH GEAR DISENGAGED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 116,000. UPDATED 04/02/13*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING 50 MPH OR MORE IN FIFTH GEAR, THE VEHICLE WOULD SPORADICALLY ENGAGE IN NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE CONSISTENTLY RECURRED IN COLDER WEATHER. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO DECELERATE BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD ENGAGE BACK INTO FIFTH GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE AND THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

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 THE LAST MONTH OR SO. I WANTED TO REPORT THIS BECAUSE MY TRUCK IS A TOYOTA BRAND AND I HAVE READ ABOUT THE RECENT RECALLS RELATED TO ACCELERATOR ISSUES ON SOME OF THE SMALLER TOYOTA PASSENGER CARS, BUT NEVER SAW ANY MENTION OF THIS INVOLVING THEIR TRUCK PRODUCTS. AS AN ENGINEER MYSELF, I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT THIS PHENOMENON IS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL AND/OR COMPUTER MALFUNCTION AND NOT SOME SORT OF MECHANICAL OR PHYSICAL INTERFERENCE ISSUE. I SAY THIS BECAUSE OF MY OWN EXPERIENCE WHEN I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING INTERFERING WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND IT WAS NOT STUCK MECHANICALLY. *TR

FAILURE OF THE DRIVE SHAFT BEARING ON A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA PRERUNNER P/U. REPLACEMENT PART $1,500. VEHICLE MILEAGE 70,700.

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 WAS MAKING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NORMALLY MADE THE CLANKING NOISES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS COMING TO A STOP, AND GRINDING NOISES WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO GO INTO 4-WHEEL DRIVE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000 MILES.*AK UPDATE 4/25/07 *TR

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

DROVE VEHICLE DOWN A PAVED ROAD IN THE SNOW. TRANSMISSION LINKAGE FROZE UP IN DRIVE WHEN VEHICLE WAS PARKED. HAD TO DRIVE VEHICLE DIRECTLY TO DEALER. DEALER ONLY THAWED OUT THE LINKAGE. NOW EVERYTIME IT SNOWS, LINKAGE FREEZES UP. *NM

WHEN COMING TO A STOP, AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE TO MOVE FOWARD THERE IS A JOLT, (SOMETIMES SO SEVERE YOU WOULD THINK YOU WHERE HIT FROM BEHIND) OTHER TIMES IT IS MINOR. IT HAS OCCURRED SINCE WHEN I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE ABOUT A YEAR AGO. HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE DOUBLE CAB, WITH A TWO PART DRIVE SHAFT.