2004 Toyota Tundra Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
VEHCILE WAS REACLLED AND THE FRAME WAS REPAIRED FOR POTENTIAL ROT. NOW HE REAR DIFFERENTAIL IS ROTTING OUT AND LEAKING OIL. IT APPEARS TO BE AN EXTENSION OF THE RECALL FOR THE ROTTING FRAME. LOOKING TO SEE IF THER HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS SIMILAR
LEAKING OIL OUT OF MY REAR AXLE HOUSING IT IS ON THE MILD STEEL THAT IS WELDED TO THE CAST AXLE VERY POROUS LEAKING A LOT OF OIL
TAKATA RECALL REAR HOUSING HAS MANY PIN HOLES AND IS LEAKING GEAR LUBE
REAR AXLE-HOUSING ROTTED THROUGH . DEALERSHIP KNEW THIS ON INSPECTION OF FRAME ON MAY 20 2014.CORPORATE OFFICE WAS MADE AWARE OF PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO ADDRESS SITUATION. UPDATED 4/24/2015 *JS
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COLUMN SHIFT PROBLEM OF THE 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA TOYOTA TUNDRA. THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COLUMN HOUSING SUPPORT. AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE AND SUBSEQUENTLY ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT THE GEAR INTO REVERSE , THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER BROKE FREE AT THE STEERING COLUMN. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. ABLE TO PARK THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY OTHER GEAR. THE CONSUMER STATED IT APPEARED THE CAST ALUMINUM COMPONENTS SUPPORTING THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER APPEARED TO BE FLAWED. THERE IS ONLY 81 THOUSAND ON THIS TRUCK. UNSAFE !!!!!!!!! THANK GOD IT DIDN'T BREAK AT 65 MPH ! BUT IT COULD HAVE ! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS CORROSION ON THE CASING OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL THAT CAUSED THE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID TO LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR REPAIR SHOP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128,000.
MY WIFE WAS STOPPING BY THE HOUSE. SHE ALREADY HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED W/O WARNING AND WENT THROUGH THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A STAIN IN HIS DRIVEWAY AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A PERSONAL MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND WAS LEAKING FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 57,166. . UPDATED 07/27/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON 06/25/2012. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FOR PREMATURE FRAME RUSTING ON THE 2000-2003 TOYOTA TUNDRA. UPDATED 08/02/2012. *JS
2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA LEAKS GEAR OIL FROM REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVER PLATE. COVER PLATE IS SO THIN A PIN HOLE DEVELOPED. COVER PLATE IS PRESSED ON SO IN ORDER TO CORRECT PROBLEM, A WHOLE NEW REAR AXLE IS NEEDED ACCORDING TO DEALER. WHEN I BROUGHT TRUCK INTO DEALER, DEALER TOLD ME HE SEEN 6 OF THESE LIKE THIS ALREADY. METAL PLATE IS TOO THIN AND DOESN'T HOLD UP TO WINTERS IN NEW YORK AND IS RUSTING OUT DUE TO METAL BEING TOO THIN. COST FOR REPAIR IS $3500 . WHEN I CONTACTED TOYOTA, THEY JUST SAID THERE ISN'T ANY RECALLS ON THIS SUBJECT YET. THEY DID RECALL TOYOTA TACOMAS DUE TO RUST EATING OUT THE FRAMES BUT NO RECALLS ON REAR DIFFERENTIAL COVER PLATE. IF GEAR OIL FOR REAR DIFFERENTIAL LEAKS OUT, DUE TO METAL FATIGUE, TRUCK IS NOT DRIVABLE AND HEAT CAUSED BY FRICTION OF GEARS COULD CAUSE A FIRE. *TR
2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA WITH A LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL. ON WET PAYMENT, IF BOTH WHEEL SPIN AT THE SAME TIME ( LOOSE TRACTION), THE TRUCK BED WILL KICK LEFT AND PUT THE TRUCK INTO A SPIN. THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER SAID THE LSD (LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL) WAS FUNCTIONING. HE ASKED ME WHICH SIDE THE TRUCK KICKED. I TOLD HIM LEFT. THE DEALER HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE WITH THIS TRUCK KICKING LEFT. THE DEALER STATED I HAD TO CONTACT TOYOTA MOTOR SALES AND FILE A COMPLAINT. THIS WAS DONE AND I WAS REFEREED TO TOYOTA REGIONAL OFFICE IN FL. I WAS CONTACTED BY THEM AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE LSD WAS FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY AND THAT TOYOTA HAS NO INTENTION OF FIXING THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM NEED TO BE FIXED! *JB
PURCHASED A TOYOTA TUNDRA BRAND NEW WITH 16 MILES IN AUGUST 2004. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER I NOTICED A HIGH-PITCHED SCRAPING NOISE OCCURRING FROM THE ENGINE. AFTER TWO TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NO RESOLUTION THEY CONTACTED TOYOTA IN FLORIDA AND SENT A SOUTHEAST REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT. THE NOISE WAS OCCURRING WHEN THE TRUCK SHIFTED INTO OVERDRIVE WHILE DOING APPX. 30 MPH AND 1100 RPMS. LETTING OFF THE GAS CAUSED THE NOISE TO CEASE. GIVING GAS ALSO CAUSED THE NOISE TO CEASE. THE NOISE ONLY OCCURRED WHEN THE SPEED WAS MAINTAINED AT 30 MPH. THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE STATED THE HE THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH. HE ALSO STATED THAT THIS WAS THE ONLY REPORTED CASE THAT HE WAS AWARE OF. I TOLD HIM I WAS NOT GOING TO PAY $25,000 FOR A VEHICLE THAT WAS MAKING A STRANGE NOISE AND THAT HE COULD EITHER REPLACE THE TRUCK OR ELIMINATE THE NOISE. HE STATED HE WAS NOT GOING TO REPLACE THE TRUCK BUT THAT HE WOULD "CONSIDER" REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. *JB
WHILE DRIVING TRACKING DEVICE CAME ON AND OFF ON ITS OWN. VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO STOP. THEN, CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK
THE 2004 TUNDRA IS AVAILABLE WITH A FULLY EXTENDED CAB, WHICH I OWN. THIS MODEL USES A DIFFERENT ELECTRONIC/MECHANICAL MECHANISM TO SHIFT GEARS THAN OTHER MODELS. WITH 1200 MILES ON THE 2004 TUNDRA I REALIZED THERE WAS A PROBLEM IF YOU SHIFT FROM OVERDRIVE TO 3RD GEAR TO SLOW DOWN WHILE GOING DOAN A HILL, THEN SHIFT BACK TO OVERDRIVE, THE TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL TO SWITCH. THERE IS A BUTTON YOU DRPRESS ON THE STEERING SHIFT KNOB THAT ELECTRONICALLY SHIFTS IN AND OUT OF OVERDRIVE. IF THIS BUTTON IS BRIEFLY TAPPED TO SWITCH GEARS, THIS WILL CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION NOT TO SHIFT BACK. INSTEAD, IT WILL REVERSE SO THAT WHEN THE DASH LIGHT SAYS YOU ARE IN OVERDRIVE YOU ACTUALLY ARE IN 3RD GEAR. WHEN THE LIGHT SAYS ARE OUT OF OVERDRIVE YOU ARE IN OVERDRIVE. THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS PROBLEM. THEY CHECKED WITH FACTORY AND THERE WERE NO OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS. THE DEALER DID NOT KNOW WHY THEY USED A DIFFERENT SHIFTING MECHANISM FROM ONE CAB DESIGN TO THE OTHER (EXTENDED). THE SERVICE REPORT WAS WRITTEN AND STATES THIS CONDITION AS BEING A NORMAL OPERATING CONDITION AT THIS TIME.*AK
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Quick Summary
The 2004 Toyota Tundra has 13 Power Train complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.