2004 Ford E-150 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other E-150 years
- More complaints than other years 8th of 24 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Ford E-150. That ranks 8th out of 24 E-150 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (7 complaints, 21%), typically at around 18,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 2 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 33owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Ford E-150 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 21% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 12% | 105,920 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 12% | 33,900 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 6% | 117,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 6% | 59,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 6% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 3% | 14 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 3% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Ford E-150 recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Problem: Van conversions is recalling 52 my 2004-2007 ford e-150, e-250 e-350 and my 2006 gm savanna 3500 vans built on ford and gm chassis and equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 403, "platform lift system accessible for motor vehicles," the anti-stow interlock may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user. The pressure sensing switch that detects the presence of weight on the platform was not adjusted to the necessary sensitivity level. The lift could stow even though someone or something is still on the lift.
Risk: A lift occupant can be injured should the lift begin to stow unintentionally.
Fix: Van conversions is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or van conversions at 610-837-0707.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Problem: Van conversions is recalling 74 my 2004-2007 ford e-150, e-250 e-350 and my 2006 gm savanna 3500 vans built on ford and gm chassis and equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 404, "platform lift installations in motor vehicles." the threshold warning system may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user in a certain spot within the defined threshold area.
Risk: The user of the lift could be injured should the lift move unintentionally.
Fix: Van conversions is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e095). Owners may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or van conversions at 610-837-0707.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Problem: On certain vans equipped with sure-lok wheelchair securement systems, the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly is out of alignment.
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the wheelchair may not be adequately secured possibly resulting in injuries to a wheelchair occupant.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheelchair securement retractors as necessary. Sure-lok will handle the repairs for this campaign. Owners should contact sure-lock at 1-908-231-1804 or mobilityworks at 1-800-769-8267.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: On certain vans, a diode in the anti-lock braking system (abs) module may experience an electrical short.
Risk: The electrical short may cause an abs malfunction that would illuminate the abs warning light, or the module may overheat resulting in a burning odor, smoke, and/or fire. This condition may occur while the vehicle is being driven or unattended.
Fix: Dealers will install a new fuse in the abs circuit and install a heat shield over the abs module. The recall began on october 15, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. Also ford is extending the limited warranty (for a one time replacement) of the abs module for a total of 10 years or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever occurs first. If your vehicle has already accumulated more than 150,000 miles, this coverage will last until september 30, 2005.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: On certain vans, the air filter element material process resulted in an air filter paper element that can smolder or burn. This change in filter paper composition combined with the configuration of the air induction system, may allow hot carbon particles to contact the air filter element during certain driving conditions that create hot particles.
Risk: These hot particles may ignite the air filter element with the potential for air induction system damage or underhood fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the air filter element. The recall began september 27, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. Also ford is extending the limited warranty (for a one time replacement) of the abs module for a total of 10 years or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever occurs first. If your vehicle has already accumulated more than 150,000 miles, this coverage will last until september 30, 2005.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while parked when the vehicle suddenly rolled backwards downhill the contact's son attempted to get into the vehicle to make it stop. The trailer's jackknife stopped the vehicle from going onto the road. The contact manually moved the…
Viberation in rear and clunking noisr in rear when stopping at light then taking of while making a right turn
2004 ford 4.6l engine: #2 spark plug ejected from cylinder head. ~$700 to repair!!!
There are tons of drivers on public roads using off road led light bars and using amplified hid headlights. They are so bright i have to block the light with my hands when they drive by. I know this is illegal. It is terribly unsafe. Why are there not laws being enforced to prevent their use on the…
At the point i reach 40 mph truck shifts to neutral, have to pull over safely and take truck out of overdrive to get home. Very dangerous when traveling at that rate of speed. Did some of my own investigating and found many website have angry people who also own same vehicles with very low mileage…
Other Ford E-150 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 E-150 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 E-150 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 E-150 | 8 | 1 |
| 2015 E-150 | 8 | 1 |
| 2014 E-150 | 6 | 6 |
| 2013 E-150 | 19 | 6 |
| 2012 E-150 | 12 | 8 |
| 2011 E-150 | 23 | 11 |
| 2010 E-150 | 10 | 7 |
| 2009 E-150 | 7 | 12 |
| 2008 E-150 | 11 | 17 |
| 2007 E-150 | 12 | 18 |
| 2006 E-150 | 17 | 14 |
| 2005 E-150 | 16 | 2 |
| 2004 | 33 | 5 |
| 2003 E-150 | 21 | 5 |
| 2002 E-150 | 28 | 3 |
| 2001 E-150 | 37 | 4 |
| 2000 E-150 | 50 | 6 |
| 1999 E-150 | 83 | 6 |
| 1998 E-150 | 60 | 5 |
| 1997 E-150 | 102 | 6 |
| 1996 E-150 | 59 | 3 |
| 1995 E-150 | 71 | 3 |
See all Ford E-150 problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Ford E-150?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, power train, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 7 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Ford E-150?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Ford E-150 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other E-150 model years, the 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.