2004 Ford F Series Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2004 Ford F Series, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Visibility342.9%
- Engine228.6%
- Electrical114.3%
- Powertrain (other)114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE DRIVERS WINDOW FOR NO REASON JUST FELL DOWN CAUSING A LOAD CRASHING NOISE I NEARLY WENT INTO DITCH. TWO DAYS LATER THE DRIVERS REAR WINDOW DID SAMETHING. I WAS NOT ROLLING WINDOWS UP OR DOWN THEY JUST FELL CAN FORD ADMIT THEY HAVE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH,WITH CHILDREN IN BACK SEAT,WINDOW ON PASSENGER SIDE IN BACK FELL DOWN,ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE OTHER BACK WINDOW DID THE SAME THING .SCARED MY WIFE AND KIDS BECAUSE IT FELL SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. COULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO SWERVE INTO ONCOMING VEHICLE.I REPORTED TO FORD BUT THERE ONLY RESPONSE WAS THEY SENT ME BROCHURES TO BUY A NEW TRUCK[HA HA}.I RESPONDED BY TELLING THEM THAT MY NEXT NEW TRUCK WILL BE CHEVY OR CHRYSLER. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 F150 AND APPROACHING A RED LIGHT OR TURN MY TRUCK WILL INTERMITTENTLY SHUT OFF AND NEED TO BE RESTARTED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS I HAVE HAD TO PUT BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL AND CRANK (NO POWER STEERING) OR BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES (NO POWER BRAKES) BECAUSE THE TRUCK TURNED OFF AND I LOST ALL POWER FUNCTIONS. IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AS BIG OF A DEAL IF THE DEALER IN MY AREA HADN'T TOLD ME THIS WAS "NORMAL" FOR F150S AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. SINCE THAT DEALER I HAVE DEALT WITH 2 OTHERS IN MY AREA WHO SAY ITS NORMAL AND TO JUST DRIVE MY TRUCK UNTIL IT FIXES ITSELF. I WASN'T AWARE THAT FORD MADE SELF DIAGNOSING/FIXING VEHICLES. IN EITHER CASE I AM EXTREMELY UPSET THAT THIS PROBLEM IS FOR SOME REASON NOT CONSIDERED A PROBLEM AND THAT THERE IS NO CURRENT FIX FOR THIS ISSUE. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE IN MY TRUCK AND HAVE RESORTED TO DRIVING MY PARENTS VEHICLES UNTIL I CAN RID MYSELF OF THIS DEATH TRAP. ON ANOTHER NOTE I HAVE ALSO HAD THE VEHICLE FLASH DASH BOARD LIGHTS AT ME AFTER GOING OVER SMALL BUMPS AND THEN SHUTTING OFF 1/4 OF A MILE LATER. WHEN THIS PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT UP THE DEALER SAID IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE (IT'S HAPPENED TWICE) AND THAT I HAD TO BE IMAGINING IT. *TR
I BOUGHT A FORD F450 NEW AND FROM DAY ONE I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE 6.0 DIESEL ENGINE. THE LATEST WAS A BLOWN INTERCOLLER AND TO ENGINE CYLINDERS. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE DRIVERS WINDOW FOR NO REASON JUST FELL DOWN CAUSING A LOAD CRASHING NOISE I NEARLY WENT INTO DITCH. TWO DAYS LATER THE DRIVERS REAR WINDOW DID SAMETHING. I WAS NOT ROLLING WINDOWS UP OR DOWN THEY JUST FELL CAN FORD ADMIT THEY HAVE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS LAST YEAR WITH TRANSMISSION. OVERDRIVE WOULD GO OUT AND SOMETIMES TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. JULY OF THIS YEAR WAS AT A STOPLIGHT TRUCK WOULD NO MOVE , AFTER RACING ENGINE TRUCK MOVED , FAULT CODE SHOWED ON DASH. WHEN GOT TRUCK HOME REVERSE WOULD NOT ENGAGE, I FINALLY GOT IT TO ENGAGE INSTEAD OF GOING BACKWARDS IT WENT FORWARD. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .