RoadVitals

2004 Ford Thunderbird Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Sep 27, 2021
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
35%
of 34 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2004 Ford Thunderbird submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Sep 27, 2021

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact approached a stop sign and the vehicle stopped as needed; however, after the contact depressed on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle began to misfire and shuddered for several minutes. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that the failure was related to TSB 05-16-2 (moisture build up on the plugs and on the cylinder) that caused the vehicle to misfire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,526.

NHTSA ID
11434577
Incident
Sep 22, 2021
Mileage
40,526 mi
Engine
Filed May 4, 2017

2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS CAUSES ENGINE TO MIS-FIRE, DEALERSHIP REPLACED DEFECTIVE COILS UNDER EXTENDED ONE-TIME WARRANTY REPAIR. CONSUMER STATES ENGINE MIS-FIRE STILL EXISTS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE MISFIRED DUE TO DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS. TWO COILS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE ANY OTHER COILS THAT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. UPDATED 05/4/2017 *JS

NHTSA ID
10905373
Incident
Jun 1, 2016
Engine
Filed Jan 20, 2017

VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY LOST POWER UPON MILD ACCELERATION ON A CITY STREET AND DEVELOPED A ROUGH, SKIPPING AND HESITANT IDLE UPON WARM UP. WE IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR EVALUATION AT THE SARAT FORD DEALERSHIP IN AGAWAM, MA. THEY DIAGNOSED THE DREADED THUNDERBIRD COIL ON PLUG FAILURE IN THIS VEHICLE AT ONLY 33,165 TOTAL MILES. BEING THAT THIS CAR IS NOW OVER TEN YEARS OLD, I WAS TOLD THAT THE FOMOCO EXTENDED WARRANTY (10 YEARS AND 100,000 MILES) ON THIS VEHICLE, FOR THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM, DOES NOT APPLY. WHAT IS EXTREMELY AGGRAVATING AND REALLY MADDENING WITH THIS IS THAT THEY GROSSLY OVER CHARGED ME FOR THE PARTS. MUCH MORE THAN WHAT FORD CHARGES ON THEIR OWN PARTS WEBSITE FOR BOTH THE 8 SPARK PLUGS AND THE 8 COIL COMPONENTS. RATHER THAN TRYING TO HELP A CUSTOMER GET THROUGH THIS UNEXPECTED AND EXPENSIVE MECHANICAL FAILURE (...WHICH THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF AND SHOULD HELP COVER) THEY DECIDE TO ALLOW THEIR DEALERS TO PRICE GOUGE. I HAVE ALL PAPERWORK FROM THE REPAIR.

NHTSA ID
10946735
Incident
Jan 18, 2017
Mileage
33,130 mi
ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 23, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN OVER TO START THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY REPLACED THE FILTER, THE REAR MODULE, THE VAPOR MANAGEMENT VALVE, THE VENT SOLENOID AND THE THROTTLE BODY BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ID
10712474
Incident
Feb 5, 2009
Mileage
60,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 12, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION COILS WERE MISFIRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,200.

NHTSA ID
10632883
Incident
Dec 31, 2009
Mileage
34,200 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 22, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE MISFIRED AND LOST THROTTLE RESPONSE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COIL OVER PLUG ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
10536775
Incident
Aug 8, 2012
Mileage
30,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 5, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE E DRIVING 20 MPH, THE ENGINE MISFIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED FREQUENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THERE WERE TWO IGNITION COILS THAT FAILED. THE IGNITION COILS WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE CONTACT LATER NOTICED OIL ON SEVERAL CYLINDERS IN THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,512.

NHTSA ID
10523307
Incident
Jun 5, 2013
Mileage
97,512 mi
Engine
Filed Dec 20, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE WOULD MISFIRE AND LOSE THROTTLE RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE LATER STALLED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE MISFIRE WAS DUE TO A FAULTY ENGINE COIL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE COIL BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,500. UPDATED 01/18/12*LJ

NHTSA ID
10440568
Incident
Apr 10, 2011
Mileage
18,500 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 15, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS WERE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE SPARK PLUGS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT MODEL SPARK PLUG. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE YET NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

NHTSA ID
10412445
Incident
Jun 24, 2011
Mileage
6,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 7, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A SCREECHING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE MOUNT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART IS UNAVAILABLE. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 48,000.

NHTSA ID
10214046
Incident
Nov 6, 2007
Mileage
48,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Jun 13, 2007

WRENCH LIGHT COMES ON AND VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP.

NHTSA ID
10193156
Incident
Jun 13, 2007
Mileage
55,000 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 11, 2004

WHILE DRIVING A WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. IT WAS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN GEAR. I HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF, THEN RESTART THE ENGINE. AFTER DOING THIS THE CAR RAN OK FOR ABOUT 2 MILES THEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME WHEN RESTARTED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. THE DEALER RESET THE COMPUTER. ON 10-09-04 THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE DEALER NOW HAS THE CAR TRYING TO FIND THE TROUBLE. EACH FAILURE CAME WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING THE POTENTIAL FOR A REAR-END COLLISION, BECAUSE THE CAR COMES TO A DEAD STOP IN TRAFFIC. *NM

NHTSA ID
10095550
Incident
Sep 24, 2004
Mileage
4,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .