2004 Toyota Tacoma Engine Problems

I HAVE READ MANY, MANY OTHER PEOPLE ONLINE ARE HAVING THIS IDENTICAL ISSUE AND IS CAUSING CARS TO STALL OUT AND HAVE TO NEARLY REBUILD THE ENGINE. CYLINDER NUMBER 6 IS MISFIRING CONSISTENTLY AFTER 175,000 MILES AND TO FIX IT, THE HEADS HAVE TO BE SHAVED AND IS COSTING THE CONSUMER AROUND $4500 MINIMUM TO FIX THE ISSUE. THE STALLING OF THE ENGINE PUT MYSELF IN DANGER ON A PUBLIC ROAD WHEN IT HAPPENED.

WAS IN PARKING LOT OF STORE. STARTED ENGINE AND PUT IN GEAR AND VEHICLE SHOT FORWARD AND IT SEEMED AS IF I HAD NO CONTROL OF IT SIDESWIPING ANOTHER VEHICLE AND HEADED FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT I WAS ABOUT TO BROADSIDE WHEN I WAS ABLE TO STOP MY VEHICLE. WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE HOME WHICH WAS A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY BUT AM NOW TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT. NOTIFIED INSURANCE COMPANY. I CALLED DEALERSHIP WHERE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BUT UNABLE TO SPEAK TO ANYONE. LEFT MESSAGE BUT NO ONE HAS RETURNED MY CALL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ABOUT 55MPH MY TRUCK STALLED ON ME TWICE DOE A SECOND. ALSO PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVE I HAD A HESITATION IN ACCELERATION AND ALMOST GOT HIT FROM A ONCOMING VEHICLE. THEY ARE NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT COMES ON. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND THEY COULDN'T FIN A ISSUE. *TR

CRANKSHAFT PULLEY THAT DRIVES ALTERNATOR HAS BECOME LOOSE AND MAKES SQUEAKING SOUNDS.. CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY COULDN'T HELP....WHAT SHOULD I DO SINCE A RECALL OF 4000+ HAS BEEN INITIATED FOR THIS FAILURE AND MY VIN NUMBER ISN'T INCLUDED?? *TR

LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE (V6 3.4) LEFT BANK HEAD GASKET IS LEAKING AND REQUIRES A REPLACEMENT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET, WITH A VALVE RECONFIGURATION, AT THE ESTIMATED COST OF $2,762.00. SINCE TOYOTA HAS HAD PREVIOUS VEHICLE RECALLS FOR V6 SERIES ENGINE/GASKET RELIABILITY ISSUES AND THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION ONLY HAS 51,559 MILES, WITH EXCELLENT MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE, THAT THE CYLINDER GASKET HEAD LEAK MAY BE A PRODUCTION DEFECT AND OTHER OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME ISSUE. *TR

AFTER THE TRUCK HAS REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURE, OR AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE AFTER IT HAS BEEN PARKED AND THE ENGINE IS STILL WARM, THE ENGINE LOSES POWER RANDOMLY WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. IT HAPPENS EITHER FROM A STANDSTILL, IN TRAFFIC, OR REACCELERATING AFTER CRUISING. MOST PREVALENT IN 4TH AND 5TH GEAR. NEED TO JOCKEY THE THROTTLE TO GET IT MOVING AGAIN. FLOORING WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO "BUCK" WHEN ENGINE REGAINS POWER. IT'S NOT DRIVABLE FOR ANYONE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE AND I'M THEREFORE THE ONLY DRIVER OF THE TRUCK. I'M ATTEMPTING A REPAIR AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR THE SECOND TIME SINCE I COULDN'T RECREATE THE FIRST TIME. I SUSPECT WE TEST DROVE IT AND ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS WERE PERFORMED WITH A COLD ENGINE AND IT DOESN'T DO IT THEN. THE CONDITION IS GETTING WORSE SINCE IT STARTED DISPLAYING THESE SYMPTOMS TODAY WITH A COLD ENGINE FOR THE FIRST TIME. I CAN NO LONGER SIMPLY PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC LIKE I USED TO AND CONSTANTLY HAVE TO JOCKEY THE THROTTLE TO NOT GET REAR ENDED, SINCE THE SPEED DECREASE IS SIGNIFICANT WHEN THIS HAPPENS. IT SEEMS CURIOUS TO ME THAT THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS NOT TO HAVE HEARD OF THIS ISSUE BEFORE, YET IT SEEMS PRETTY COMMON SEARCHING FOR "TACOMA THROTTLE PROBLEMS." *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA HAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH A LOSS OF POWER, I.E. WHEN I STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR, IT FAILS TO RESPOND FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME. IT IS A PROBLEM WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, AS THE LOSS OF POWER HAS LED TO SEVERAL NEAR COLLISIONS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER TWICE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, WITHOUT A CLEAR CAUSE, ACCORDING TO THE DEALER. RESEARCH THROUGH AN INDEPENDENT SERVICE SHOP POINTS TO A PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR. RESEARCH ON TOYOTA TACOMA FORUMS ONLINE ALSO SEEM TO SUPPORT THIS. THE ONLY VIABLE FIX SEEMS TO BE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY, SINCE THE SENSORS ARE NOT AVAILABLE SEPARATELY. THIS COST IS OVER $1200, AS OPPOSED TO A $70 SENSOR. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, AND CAN HAPPEN MANY TIMES A DAY, OR BE ABSENT FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. THREE TIMES IT HAS RESULTED IN A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, WITH A TPS FAULT RECORDED (THE TPS AND APPS ARE READ AS A UNIT BY THE ECU). THE PROBLEM HAS NOT YET BEEN ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL FOR THE FRAME. AFTER HAVING THE REPAIRS COMPLETED, HE NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. *TR UPDATED 6/17/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE 02 SENSOR WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS ALSO REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE SHROUD THAT COVERED THE GAS TANK, ROTTED AND FELL OF THE TRUCK, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED SEVERAL TIMES. UPDATED 06/25/13

I PURCHASED MY TACOMA IN 2004 WITH 6000 MILES ON IT. EVERY SINCE I BOUGHT IT, IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HIGH ON GAS, ONLY GETTING BETWEEN 240-260 MILES ON A TANK. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. IT FEELS AS IF IT HAS A SKIP IN IT. I NOW HAVE 20,789 MILES ON IT AND WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY RECOMMENDED A FUEL INJECTION FLUSH SO I HAD THAT DONE BUT IT STILL FEELS AS THOUGH IT STILL HAS A SKIP. THIS IS ONLY A 4 CYLINDER MOTOR SHOULDN'T I BE GETTING BETTER GAS MILEAGE? *NM

HARD START WITH 2004 TOYOTA TACOMA. THIS PROBLEM BEGAN THE DAY I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE STARTS RIGHT UP AND OTHER TIMES IT TAKES 3-5 ATTEMPTS AT STARTING. THIS NONCONFORMITY USUALLY HAPPENS AFTER ITS BEEN DRIVEN AND SITS FOR 1-2 HOURS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN FOR THIS INTERMITTENT STARTING PROBLEM 5 TIMES. WITH 870 MILES ON THE VEHICLE I BROUGHT IT IN AND TOYOTA SAID THE SPARK PLUGS WERE FOULED AND CHANGED THEM. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR 2-3 TIMES PER WEEK. WITH 1500 MILES WE BROUGHT IT IN AGAIN AND TOYOTA SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE ELECTRO MAGNETIC CURRENT INTERFERING WITH THE INJECTOR CIRCUIT. THEY REMOVED THE GROUND WIRE CABLE OUT OF THE WIRE HARNESS AND SAID THE ENGINE STARTED JUST FINE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE THIRD TIME I BROUGHT IT IN WITH 9087 MILES. THEY PERFORMED A TSB EG042-04 FPN-8122-04052, 0P EG4016. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FOURTH TIME I BROUGHT IT IN WITH 9901 MILES THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS IN SPECIFICATIONS. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FIFTH TIME I BROUGHT IT IN IT HAD 11.700 MILES. TOYOTA REPLACED THE UBE SUB-ASSMBLY E. THE ENGINE STILL HAS PROBLEMS STARTING.*AK