2004 Ford Explorer Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,647 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Ford Explorer, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 40/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 50,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2004 sits among all Explorer years
What owners report
“2004 ford explorer, transmission problems since new, visited the dealer for repairs 3 times with no fix”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Explorer
“Crack suddenly appeared in the rear panel below the window, from the glass to the bottom of the hatch.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Explorer
“While driving down the road the engine will stall. Has happened several times, replaced mass air flow sensor told this would fix it, but it did not. All but once the car has started back up immediatly.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Explorer
“Was driving on the road almost to my parents house when i heard an explosive sound. I look in my mirror to discover that my rear windshield had exploded. At first i thought a rock had hit it but when i got out i discovered that the hydraulic arms had expanded and pushed out the sides of the hatch,…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Explorer
“In 2004 ford explorer with v8, the cruise control turns off engine when traveling 35~45 mph and going down a hill or decline. This affects power steering and brakes making it difficult to control and slow down the vehicle. This has happened repeatedly for the past 10 years, so i am used to this…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Explorer
“Plastice parts are deteriorating, desolving in front inside drive sun visor-lighted visor broke off; centerl rear a/c and heat moon roof light console falls off-plastice clips desolved and will not fasten into roof assembly, causing blocked eyesight and at time on right turn hitting head or eyes .…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Explorer
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,334 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 67,050 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 98,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
CERTAIN CURVED TEMPERED REPLACEMENT GLASS MANUFACTURED BY HANGZHOU SAFETY GLASS LTD AND SUPPLIED TO SAFELITE BY AUTO TEMP INC., IDENTIFIED AS DOT-430, AND SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN VEHICLES MAY NOT BREAK INTO SMALL PIECES AS EXPECTED OF…
Fix: SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS RETAIL CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE GLASS FREE OF CHARGE. RETAIL CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE TOLL FREE AT 1-888-843-2906. SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS AND…
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO…
Fix: CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Ford Explorer reliable?
The 2004 Ford Explorer drew 1,647 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 40/100, scored against the model's worst year (2002).
What are the most common 2004 Ford Explorer problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Ford Explorer are transmission & drivetrain (473 complaints), body & structure (439), and engine (116).
At what mileage do 2004 Ford Explorer problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Ford Explorer problems around 67,050 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 98,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Ford Explorer have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Ford Explorer. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.