2004 Ford F-150 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other F-150 years
- More complaints than other years 6th of 33 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 2,029 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Ford F-150. That ranks 6th out of 33 F-150 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility (841 complaints, 41%), typically at around 64,065 miles. Complaints mention 75 crashes, 40 fires, 74 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
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- 2,029owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 75complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Ford F-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility problems | 841 | 41% | 64,065 | “window regulator” (37%) | $610 |
| Power Train problems | 232 | 11% | 35,000 | “rear end” (16%) | $3,700 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 167 | 8% | 76,000 | “spark plugs” (34%) | $2,300 |
| Suspension problems | 118 | 6% | 14,531 | “rear end” (11%) | — |
| Structure problems | 104 | 5% | 72,500 | “window regulator” (9%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 99 | 5% | 55,000 | “window regulator” (13%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 95 | 5% | 13,000 | “pedal went” (12%) | — |
| Engine problems | 92 | 5% | 108,588 | “spark plug” (18%) | $2,100 |
| Air Bags problems | 85 | 4% | 68,500 | “air bag” (41%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 81 | 4% | 78,079 | — | — |
| Steering problems | 75 | 4% | 41,000 | “steering shaft” (12%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 70 | 3% | 39,500 | “cruise control” (24%) | — |
| Tires problems | 58 | 3% | 12,250 | “spare tire” (10%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 40 | 2% | 66,703 | — | — |
| Equipment | 32 | 2% | 38,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 24 | 1% | 101,323 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 24 | 1% | 46,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 24 | 1% | 79,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 23 | 1% | 46,188 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 23 | 1% | 82,750 | — | — |
| Wheels | 21 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 17 | 1% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 17 | 1% | 43,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 10 | 0% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 0% | 8,374 | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 4 | 0% | 8,354 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 3 | 0% | 28,750 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 0% | 6,725 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 0% | 8,005 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Ford F-150 recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:mounting
Problem: Ford is recalling certain 1997 through 2003 model year ford f-150, 2004 model year ford f-150 heritage, 1997 through 1999 model year f-250 less than 8,500 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and 2002 and 2003 lincoln blackwood vehicles manufactured from june 20, 1995, through august 4, 2004, originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Prolonged exposure to road deicing chemicals may cause severe corrosion of the fuel tank straps which secure the tank to the vehicle.
Risk: As a result of the corrosion, one or both straps may fail allowing the fuel lines to separate from the tank, or in some cases, causing the tank to contact the ground. Either scenario may result in a fuel leak presenting a fire hazard.
Fix: Ford will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a ford or lincoln dealer to have the fuel tank straps replaced with straps that have increased corrosion protection. Early in this campaign, if replacement straps are not available, dealers may install a cable support under the strap as an interim repair or a steel reinforcement over the existing strap as a permanent repair. Any repairs will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on september 16, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 11s21
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 f-150 pick up trucks as well as certain model year 2006 lincoln mark lt vehicles. If the clockspring jumper wire comes in contact with the driver side frontal air bag lower horn plate, the wire insulation may become chafed, creating a potential for a short circuit. If this occurs the air bag warning lamp may illuminate indicating that service is required.
Risk: The driver side frontal air bag could inadvertently deploy increasing the risk of injury or loss of vehicle control if occurring while in motion.
Fix: Ford will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a ford or lincoln/mercury dealer to have a new clockspring jumper wire installed that incorporates a protective mesh cover. Repairs will be performed free of charge. This safety recall began on some vehicles in march 2011. The recall campaign on the expanded population is expected to begin on or about may 9, 2011. Owners may contact the ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: This could result in an underhood fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:mounting
Problem: On certain trucks equipped with 4.2l, 4.6l and 5.4l gasoline engines, the fuel tank may have a depression at the seam between the top and bottom halves of the tank. If a depression is large enough, fuel may permeate the fuel tank wall resulting in a fuel odor, illumination, of the "service engine soon" indicator light, or a fuel leak.
Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank. The recall began september 17, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Certain pickup trucks may have a fuel tank with localized depressions in the fuel tank wall at the seam between top and bottom halves of the tank. If a depression is large enough, fuel may permeate the fuel tank wall resulting in a fuel odor, or the "service engine soon" indicator light in the instrument cluster may illuminate.
Risk: If left uncorrected, a fuel leak could eventually develop.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank on these vehicles. Owner notification began on may 6, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-248-0186.
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
- Fuel Tank Strap Failure Due to Corrosion (EA11006) — opened May 4, 2011, closed Aug 19, 2011, led to recall 11V385000.
- Inadvertent airbag deployment (EA10001) — opened Jan 13, 2010, closed Apr 25, 2011, led to recall 11V107000.
- Cng regulator leak (PE08063) — opened Oct 31, 2008, closed Feb 27, 2009.
- 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.
Vehicle was in an accident with major front and damage and none of the airbags deployed
The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the seatbelt pretensioners for all seats failed, and the frontal airbags for the driver seat and front passenger seat were inoperable. The seatbelt warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was…
Rear-end. The rear drivers side tire fell off while driving on a side street. With no noise or wobble or evidence of a problem. 2 days earlier my family and I were going 70 on an express way. Upon shops inspection the bearing was no longer working but wheel kept rolling, it egged out the housing of…
There is a recall on this vehicle
My Teenage daughter was in a car accident and the airbags did not deploy and her seatbelt did not lock , and smashed into her steering wheel.
Other Ford F-150 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 F-150 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 F-150 | 12 | 5 |
| 2025 F-150 | 107 | 13 |
| 2024 F-150 | 193 | 11 |
| 2023 F-150 | 413 | 13 |
| 2022 F-150 | 597 | 23 |
| 2021 F-150 | 1,028 | 29 |
| 2020 F-150 | 736 | 11 |
| 2019 F-150 | 1,336 | 9 |
| 2018 F-150 | 2,318 | 18 |
| 2017 F-150 | 1,449 | 17 |
| 2016 F-150 | 2,074 | 13 |
| 2015 F-150 | 1,729 | 13 |
| 2014 F-150 | 1,537 | 8 |
| 2013 F-150 | 2,989 | 3 |
| 2012 F-150 | 1,783 | 4 |
| 2011 F-150 | 2,191 | 6 |
| 2010 F-150 | 843 | 1 |
| 2009 F-150 | 324 | 2 |
| 2008 F-150 | 369 | 1 |
| 2007 F-150 | 488 | 2 |
| 2006 F-150 | 585 | 4 |
| 2005 F-150 | 1,112 | 3 |
| 2004 | 2,029 | 5 |
| 2003 F-150 | 423 | 4 |
| 2002 F-150 | 821 | 2 |
| 2001 F-150 | 1,236 | 8 |
| 2000 F-150 | 1,075 | 6 |
| 1999 F-150 | 1,044 | 7 |
| 1998 F-150 | 1,381 | 8 |
| 1997 F-150 | 2,758 | 14 |
| 1996 F-150 | 324 | 2 |
| 1995 F-150 | 626 | 2 |
See all Ford F-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 F-150?
Owners most often report visibility, power train, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 841 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Ford F-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 F-150 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other F-150 model years, the 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.