Front Suspension Lower Ball Joint problems of the 2004 Toyota Tacoma

Lower ball joint broke on both driver side as well as the passenger side. Vibration/humming sound while driving at all speeds , had tires and frontend checked with no issues found. I spoke to Toyota about this issue & they refuse to acknowledge that there is an issue & have mentioned that my vehicle is not under recall. Costs close to $980. 00 to fix.

Tl- the contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicles lower ball joint failed; causing the passenger side front tire to detach from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lower control arm had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000. Wh.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma. While driving 45 mph, the contact heard an abnormal popping noise under the vehicle. The contact discovered that the lower ball joint failed and the wheel went under the vehicle. The contact noticed the frame skidding on the highway. The vehicle was towed away, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 228,000.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving 3 mph, the driver's side lower ball joint fractured. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the ball joint failed due to defective material, insufficient lubrication and the press fit of the ball join assembly was not correct. The contact replaced the lower ball joint assembly himself. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 05v225000 (suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint). The failure and current mileage was 116,000.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving 13 mph, the front driver’s side wheel detached from the vehicle. The wheel detached due to a fracture at the ball joint. An authorized dealer had not been notified. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but failed to offer any assistance because the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 05v225000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). No repairs were performed. The failure and current mileages were 153,000.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma. The contact was traveling 55 mph when the front passenger wheel came off. Right before the wheel came off, the vehicle started pulling to the right. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic who stated that the vehicle experienced failure in the lower ball joint. The contact spoke with the manufacturer and was told that the vehicle was not included in the recall campaign 05v225000, suspension. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 385000.

This is a long shot in the dark but its worth a try. Toyota has a recall out for the 2004 Toyota Tacoma ball joint. The recall summary : on certain sport utility vehicles, due to manufacturing issue in the front suspension lower ball joint, there is a possibility that the surface of the ball joint may have been scratched. The ball joint may eventually experience excessive wear and looseness, resulting in increased steering effort. Consequence: the lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle causing loss of steering control and a crash could occur. Remedy: dealer will replace the front suspension lower ball joints free of charge. The recall began on July 5, 2005. I own a 2004 Toyota Tacoma and I was coming home from los angeles my steering felt kind of funny felt like I had a flat tire so I pulled off the road and checked the tires but everything seemed to be fine I continued driving I came into town and turned onto vista chino off of the hwy 111 in palm springs all of a sudden the whole front of my truck collapsed and went sliding down the road not being able to stop thank god it didn't do that on the freeway or even in town someone could of lost a life I had it towed to the shell station at the corner I called Toyota and had it taken over to the dealer. I looked online to see if there were any recalls and sure enough there was. I called the recall number corporate Toyota they asked for my VIN# they said that my truck does not fall in under the recall. They had a tech fly out from the factory and said the same thing because my truck was manufactured on a different date. I have done some research and there a lot of consumers that are running into the same problem that I have been through with the VIN#. I could of lost my life or taken someone else's in this collision. Its obvious it is the same problem in the recall, tires just don't break at the ball joint while your driving tires should stay intact to your vehicle.

Feb 6,2010 as I was driving south on figueroa in highland park, the lower ball joint on right front tire completely broke causing my tire to fold under the truck. My vehicle is a 2004 Tacoma Toyota with101,560 miles. Since I was going about 20 mph, since it was raining at the time, there were no injuries, however if the failure had occurred on the freeway at much higher speeds, the failure could have resulted in my losing control and leading to a very serious accident, resulting in serious injury or even death. I had my truck towed to nearest repair shop and had the lower ball joint replaced. I went to the dealer where I originally purchased my truck, and I was dismissed, with service manager saying it was out of warranty, and the failure could happen any time. I did have two more contacts with this dealer (bob smith Toyota in la cresenta) but no help at all. I reported it to Toyota customer assistance in torrance, CA. And was told that this was not covered by any recall and there was nothing they could do (I spoke with dawn and the reference # is 10021153 of my call). I did more research and found that there was a recall on my model and year of my truck for the exact failure that occurred. The NHTSA campaign id# is 05v225000 and covers Toyota model Tacoma from 2001 to 2004. The NHTSA action # is ea04024. The description of the recall is the "component front control arm lower ball joint". Neverthe less I was told twice that my truck was not covered by the recall. Since the recall is listed by NHTSA I don't understand why I was told my truck was not covered. I feel this is very dangerous defect that can result in serious accidents. Also, what other action can I take to have the other lower ball checked to be sure it is safe, or replaced if necessary. I am retired, and I need to use this truck daily but feel very nervous when ever I drive it.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Tacoma. The contact felt that the steering was very tight. While driving 20 mph, the front driver's side tire fell off. The vehicle was taken to the auto shop and repaired. The mechanic stated that the lower ball joint failed. The dealer and manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 05v225000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). The manufacturer took a report and informed the contact that he would be notified by a Toyota representative. The current and failure mileages were 77,000.

During a 23000 mile servicing, camelback Toyota informed me I would need to have the brakes serviced, because 95% of the pads have worn down. I am aware of a recall on these trucks lower ball joint, but the service agent did not tell me that at the time I brought it in. I was never informed by the dealer of this recall. Now, I am being charged for repairs, while the vehicle is still under warranty, for brake system failure (excessive/premature pad wear), and I believe this damage is because of the recall suspension issue.

2004 Toyota Tacoma will not pass inspection due to worn steering rack bushings. According to my mechanic (and confirmed as plausible by dealership service dept), this was caused by defective lower ball joints. Also, there is a current service/recall bulletin for just this problem. However, dealership and manufacturer representatives both insist the bulletin does not apply to my vehicle. This makes no sense as the problem exists. The bumper to bumper does not apply as the vehicle is currently 2k over.