2004 Ford Explorer Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 460 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2004 Ford Explorer, 35% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 50,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “shifting reverse” (10% of reports).
- 460power train complaints
- 50,000median miles at failure
- 17mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,950typical repair cost reported by owners
- 24%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Shifting reverse: mentioned in 44 of 460 complaints (10%)
- Transmission fluid: mentioned in 26 of 460 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2004 Ford Explorer at $2,950, and half of them between $1,550 and $5,500.
Based on 49 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 381 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 460 complaints, 17 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 5 an injury.
Ford Explorer power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 15 | 15% | 8,967 |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 12 | 11% | 10,600 |
| 2022 Explorer | 61 | 23% | 22,000 |
| 2021 Explorer | 126 | 29% | 46,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 495 | 40% | 42,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 35 | 12% | 82,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 50 | 7% | 86,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 123 | 7% | 55,425 |
| 2016 Explorer | 215 | 9% | 47,075 |
| 2015 Explorer | 86 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 79 | 5% | 75,207 |
| 2013 Explorer | 119 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 46,740 |
| 2011 Explorer | 64 | 5% | 50,500 |
| 2010 Explorer | 28 | 24% | 80,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 3 | 9% | 78,000 |
| 2008 Explorer | 36 | 24% | 84,325 |
| 2007 Explorer | 57 | 27% | 69,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 296 | 47% | 60,460 |
| 2005 Explorer | 99 | 20% | 75,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 460 | 35% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 335 | 30% | 77,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 1,502 | 46% | 80,173 |
| 2001 Explorer | 42 | 11% | 108,700 |
| 2000 Explorer | 133 | 14% | 77,500 |
| 1999 Explorer | 115 | 9% | 91,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 103 | 5% | 102,157 |
| 1997 Explorer | 104 | 6% | 95,594 |
| 1996 Explorer | 120 | 8% | 138,579 |
| 1995 Explorer | 119 | 14% | 103,310 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2004 Ford Explorer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My 2004 ford explorer has recently and quickly began shifting very badly. I always come to a complete stop and shift into neutral before shifting into reverse or drive because when shifting into reverse from p or d, it always takes a while, then clunks aggressively into place. While driving…
My steering column broke right off! Trying to put it in drive @99,735 mi. Had to tow it to shop, and replace the steering column. I see other people had this same problem. There should be a recall for this!!! I also had to replace the transmission @ 103,000 miles it would skip 3rd gear. Seems…
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving and attempting to shift gears, the contact's son pulled too hard and fractured the gear shifter. The contact stated that the gear shifter was currently too loose and would not shift into any gear. The dealer and manufacturer were not…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Ford Explorers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 460 owner complaints about power train for the 2004 Ford Explorer (35% of the 1,304 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Ford Explorer power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 50,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2004 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,950 (half paid between $1,550 and $5,500), from 49 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2004 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “shifting reverse”, in 44 of 460 complaints, followed by “transmission fluid” (26).
Other 2004 Ford Explorer problems
See all 2004 Ford Explorer problems or power train problems across all Explorer years.