AI Damage2004 Toyota Tundra: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Toyota Tundra filed 466 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 466
- involving a crash
- 25
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 43% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 33% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 2% of all complaints
- Structure: 200 complaints (43% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 152 complaints (33% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 50 complaints (11% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 46 complaints (10% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 35 complaints (8% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 4.7 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 466 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 200 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 152 | 6 | 0 |
| Air bags | 50 | 7 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 46 | 5 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 35 | 6 | 0 |
| Steering | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 6 | 0 |
| Tires | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The driver's side air bag failed to deploy, causing the driver's chest to strike the steering wheel. A bystander assisted the contact out of the vehicle and called an ambulance and the Police. The contact was transported to the emergency room by ambulance.
The vehicle was in drive and proceeding down an incline, travelling about 30mph when the unintended acceleration occurred.
Had to wait 30n minutes for ems/fire rescue to arrive. Extrication took another 25-30 minutes. Transported to trauma center, york, pa.
The contact stated that a year go while driving 25 mph and was going around a corner, the front end of the vehicle jerked, the contact lost control as a result, the vehicle collided with a tree. The contact did not sustained injuries and was able to continue driving. No police report was filed.
Unit 2 was considered totaled and the airbag never deployed. Our son did not go to the hospital that day but did a few days later because of some shoulder stiffness and neck issues. We were blessed he was able to walk away.
In addition, the front fuel tank strap completely rusted and the fuel tank exhibited a hole. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was repaired, but the repairs were unknown. The contact also mentioned that the gear shifter cable fractured due to rust and corrosion.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota tacoma. The contact stated that the vehicle was shifted into reverse when it abnormally accelerated. The brakes had become unresponsive and the contact crashed into two vehicles, injuring one bystander. The contact was able to shift into neutral to stop the vehicle.
There was an unintended acceleration. The brake pedal was engaged and the vehicle continued without slowing down. The ignition key was removed from the ignition and the vehicle crashed into a wall. There were two passengers in the vehicle that sustained injuries. The air bags failed to deploy with the impact involved.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 814 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Tundra has 248 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 466, above average.
What to check before buying
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
- Tundra 20001,011 sources
- Tundra 2001415 sources
- Tundra 2002482 sources
- Tundra 2003399 sources
- Tundra 2005377 sources
- Tundra 2006545 sources
- Tundra 2007390 sources
- Tundra 2008327 sources
- Tundra 200938 sources
- Tundra 2010163 sources
- Tundra 2011134 sources
- Tundra 2012156 sources
- Tundra 201385 sources
- Tundra 201493 sources
- Tundra 201551 sources
- Tundra 2016258 sources
- Tundra 2017182 sources
- Tundra 2018219 sources
- Tundra 2019190 sources
- Tundra 2020185 sources
- Tundra 2021158 sources
- Tundra 2022664 sources
- Tundra 2023594 sources
- Tundra 2024500 sources
- Tundra 2025193 sources
- Tundra 202672 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Toyota Tundra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, suspension, air bags. Total complaints: 466. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (48%), steering or power steering problems (3%), oil leak or consumption (2%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Toyota Tundra?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2004 Toyota Tundra from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2004 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.