2004 Ford F-150 Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2004 Ford F-150, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 76,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “spark plugs” (34% of reports).
- 167engine and engine cooling complaints
- 76,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 40%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.
- Spark plugs: mentioned in 56 of 167 complaints (34%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 2004 Ford F-150 at $2,300, and half of them between $940 and $3,250.
Based on 30 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2014), 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 engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 147 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 167 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 12 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford F-150 engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 1 | 1% | 1,000 |
| 2024 F-150 | 4 | 2% | 15,135 |
| 2023 F-150 | 1 | 0% | 9,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 3 | 1% | 30,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 19 | 2% | 44,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 11 | 1% | 81,557 |
| 2019 F-150 | 62 | 5% | 75,567 |
| 2018 F-150 | 88 | 4% | 71,662 |
| 2017 F-150 | 70 | 5% | 80,000 |
| 2016 F-150 | 30 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 24 | 1% | 107,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 10 | 1% | 131,300 |
| 2013 F-150 | 20 | 1% | 92,500 |
| 2012 F-150 | 17 | 1% | 13,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 33 | 2% | 8,250 |
| 2010 F-150 | 31 | 4% | 17,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 10 | 3% | 58,000 |
| 2008 F-150 | 22 | 6% | 26,670 |
| 2007 F-150 | 41 | 8% | 56,000 |
| 2006 F-150 | 77 | 13% | 58,507 |
| 2005 F-150 | 111 | 10% | 64,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 167 | 8% | 76,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 69 | 16% | 93,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 196 | 24% | 82,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 234 | 19% | 92,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 135 | 13% | 87,000 |
| 1999 F-150 | 219 | 21% | 85,250 |
| 1998 F-150 | 174 | 13% | 94,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 529 | 19% | 99,250 |
| 1996 F-150 | 23 | 7% | 119,967 |
| 1995 F-150 | 71 | 11% | 138,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2004 Ford F-150. 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.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle shuddered and failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and was…
I went to start the truck and the check engine light came on so i took it in for service and it pulled a cylinder 6 misfire code ,turns out that the spark plugs that were not supposed to be changed for another 20000mi needed to be changed and i was informed at the ford dealer that labor would be…
Replaced fuel pump driver module (fpdm) mounted on a support above the spare tire on a 04 ford f150.first engine code was p0191 for the fuel rail pressure sensor, engine would crank but not start. Ran scan tool and found code p1237 for the fuel pump driver module. The cast housing of the fpdm is…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Ford F-150s have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 167 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2004 Ford F-150 (8% of the 2,029 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 F-150 engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 76,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 2004 Ford F-150?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,300 (half paid between $940 and $3,250), from 30 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2004 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “spark plugs”, in 56 of 167 complaints.
Other 2004 Ford F-150 problems
- Visibility problems (841)
- Power Train problems (232)
- Suspension problems (118)
- Structure problems (104)
- Electrical System problems (99)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (95)
- Engine problems (92)
- Air Bags problems (85)
See all 2004 Ford F-150 problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all F-150 years.