2004 Ford F-250 SD Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other F-250 SD years
- Far more complaints than other years 10th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 254 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Ford F-250 SD. That ranks 10th out of 32 F-250 SD model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (101 complaints, 40%), typically at around 30,750 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 12 fires, 14 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 254owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 13complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Ford F-250 SD 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 101 | 40% | 30,750 | “super duty” (24%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 56 | 22% | 80,620 | “super duty” (29%) | — |
| Power Train | 21 | 8% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 18 | 7% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 17 | 7% | 40,200 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 17 | 7% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 15 | 6% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 15 | 6% | 48,566 | — | — |
| Engine | 14 | 6% | 91,750 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 4% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 3% | 73,341 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 2% | 150,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 2% | 60,950 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 2% | 111,100 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 5 | 2% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 1% | 12,169 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 98,345 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 35,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 139,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 60,345 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 0% | 188,358 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Ford F-250 SD recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights; exterior lighting:tail lights
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ranger trucks built from january 25, 2011, through april 25, 2011 at the twin cities assembly plant, and service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004 through 2011 model year ranger trucks, 2002 through 2005 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the multi-function switch was shipped with a subcomponent (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate.
Risk: Non-functioning lights could increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the switches free of charge. The safety recall began on august 15, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: Certain pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans equipped with 6.0l diesel engines may experience stalling without warning while driving and may or may not restart.
Risk: Should the engine stall, a vehicle crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will upgrade the fuel injection control module (ficm) wire harness or replaced, and/or have a new injection control pressure (icp)) sensor connector installed free of charge. The recall began on july 22, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
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.
- Engine stalling (EA05003) — opened Feb 15, 2005, closed Nov 2, 2005, led to recall 05V270000.
- Engine stalling (PE04070) — opened Oct 7, 2004, closed Feb 15, 2005.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD F-250 SD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART. IN OTHER INSTANCES, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED WITH A DELAY AND THE ENGINE WAS SLOW TO GAIN SPEED, BUT LATER ACCELERATED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. DAN COLLINS FORD [redacted]…
Takara recall i was driving down the freeway when the check engine light came on i all the sudden had a loss of power and it was like the motor was sputtering like it had a misfire after that it's very hard to start and barely moves it comes up with multiple injector codes that all failed at the…
2004 ford f250 sd 6.0l sputters, lunges & dies out when idle, waiting in traffic or driving slowly. Luckily, it's been starting right back up. It has been occurring quite often lately. Looked up possible causes and found recall 05v270000 from 2005, which seems to be the exact issue i am having…
Cpsc: heated seat cover was plugged into 2004 ford f250 super duty via the dc 12v. The vehicle was on for 30. *dt *tr
The parking brakes were never very effective and despite being repaired several nothing has been able to improve them. The truck has a manual transmission and disc rear brakes. It is dangerous to park it on a hill even if its left in gear.
Other Ford F-250 SD years
← 2003 F-250 SD · 2005 F-250 SD →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-250 SD | 9 | 6 |
| 2025 F-250 SD | 17 | 7 |
| 2024 F-250 SD | 40 | 4 |
| 2023 F-250 SD | 43 | 16 |
| 2022 F-250 SD | 126 | 17 |
| 2021 F-250 SD | 166 | 12 |
| 2020 F-250 SD | 266 | 14 |
| 2019 F-250 SD | 1,165 | 11 |
| 2018 F-250 SD | 398 | 9 |
| 2017 F-250 SD | 1,155 | 14 |
| 2016 F-250 SD | 290 | 3 |
| 2015 F-250 SD | 296 | 2 |
| 2014 F-250 SD | 26 | 0 |
| 2013 F-250 SD | 21 | 0 |
| 2012 F-250 SD | 57 | 0 |
| 2011 F-250 SD | 122 | 0 |
| 2010 F-250 SD | 32 | 0 |
| 2009 F-250 SD | 23 | 0 |
| 2008 F-250 SD | 141 | 0 |
| 2007 F-250 SD | 54 | 1 |
| 2006 F-250 SD | 274 | 1 |
| 2005 F-250 SD | 295 | 3 |
| 2004 | 254 | 2 |
| 2003 F-250 SD | 178 | 4 |
| 2002 F-250 SD | 245 | 3 |
| 2001 F-250 SD | 288 | 2 |
| 2000 F-250 SD | 233 | 2 |
| 1999 F-250 SD | 249 | 2 |
| 1998 F-250 SD | 1 | 1 |
| 1997 F-250 SD | 39 | 2 |
| 1996 F-250 SD | 11 | 1 |
| 1995 F-250 SD | 9 | 1 |
See all Ford F-250 SD 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-250 SD?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 101 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Ford F-250 SD?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Ford F-250 SD a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other F-250 SD model years, the 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.