2004 Ford Explorer Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 76 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 2004 Ford Explorer, 6% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 73,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (34% of reports).
- 76vehicle speed control complaints
- 73,500median miles at failure
- 10mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 42%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.
- Cruise control: mentioned in 26 of 76 complaints (34%)
- Throttle body: mentioned in 11 of 76 complaints (14%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 64 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 76 complaints, 10 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 4 an injury.
Ford Explorer vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 7 | 7% | 14,177 |
| 2023 Explorer | 2 | 2% | 44,100 |
| 2022 Explorer | 6 | 2% | 9,980 |
| 2021 Explorer | 15 | 3% | 8,800 |
| 2020 Explorer | 29 | 2% | 11,081 |
| 2019 Explorer | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2018 Explorer | 10 | 1% | 22,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 21 | 1% | 29,589 |
| 2016 Explorer | 76 | 3% | 7,820 |
| 2015 Explorer | 16 | 1% | 79,600 |
| 2014 Explorer | 29 | 2% | 30,200 |
| 2013 Explorer | 38 | 2% | 49,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 17 | 2% | 36,666 |
| 2011 Explorer | 18 | 2% | 53,000 |
| 2010 Explorer | 14 | 12% | 9,800 |
| 2009 Explorer | 5 | 15% | 46,250 |
| 2008 Explorer | 7 | 5% | 117,316 |
| 2007 Explorer | 13 | 6% | 72,600 |
| 2006 Explorer | 28 | 4% | 42,000 |
| 2005 Explorer | 44 | 9% | 54,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 76 | 6% | 73,500 |
| 2003 Explorer | 37 | 3% | 51,090 |
| 2002 Explorer | 152 | 5% | 65,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 36 | 10% | 87,508 |
| 2000 Explorer | 113 | 12% | 84,635 |
| 1999 Explorer | 148 | 11% | 99,500 |
| 1998 Explorer | 281 | 14% | 112,500 |
| 1997 Explorer | 202 | 12% | 100,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 148 | 10% | 134,500 |
| 1995 Explorer | 81 | 10% | 137,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists vehicle speed control 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.
Engine dies when driving with cruise control operating and heading down slight hill at speed of around 35 mph. Cruise is designed to maintain driving speed going down the hill (up or down hill for that matter). The tachometer indicates a slowing of engine rpm. At higher speeds, the slowing of rpm…
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While reversing, the contact's vehicle accelerated on its own and crashed into a chevrolet cobalt. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an…
In 2004 ford explorer with v8, the cruise control turns off engine when traveling 35~45 mph and going down a hill or decline. This affects power steering and brakes making it difficult to control and slow down the vehicle. This has happened repeatedly for the past 10 years, so i am used to this…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Ford Explorers have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 76 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 2004 Ford Explorer (6% 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 vehicle speed control?
No recall currently lists vehicle speed control for this vehicle.
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?
The median reported mileage is 73,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 2004 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 26 of 76 complaints, followed by “throttle body” (11).
Other 2004 Ford Explorer problems
See all 2004 Ford Explorer problems or vehicle speed control problems across all Explorer years.