2004 Ford F-250 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
546 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Ford F-250, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 34/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 50,500 miles.
Typical
Where 2004 sits among all F-250 years
What owners report
“2004 king ranch, 6.0 diesel, turbo problems, again. Now truck surges at low speeds, in parking lot and at stop light. If my foot is not on the brake, the truck will move forward! Almost hit a lady in the shopping center parking lot. Serviced for problems 8 times over 36 months. Can't fix?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 F-250
“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…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 F-250
“Vehicle loses all power-stalls and loses function when idling. Has occurred when exiting freeway way and in a regular neighborhood streets. Need to restart after stall.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 F-250
“While driving on the freeway the accelerator got stuck causing us to have an accident. As the truck increased in speed my husband stomped on the break and the truck was only gaining speed. We placed the truck on park and the truck eventually came to a stop causing the truck an immediate stop and…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 F-250
“I had replaced drive shaft twice and universals twice. Every couple of months the front end starts to shake and these parts have to be replaced.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 F-250
“Bf goodrich ta km2 tires i have three separate on a trip that started august 14,2015 the tires have 19000 miles on them. The first tire separated on the 14th and i put a spare on it. The other two tires separated on the 16th and now the 4th tire is showing signs of separation. The tires were…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 F-250
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 447 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 14,000 and 110,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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…
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.
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL REPLACEMENT WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES WITH THE BRAND NAMES: NATIONAL, CARQUEST P/NOS. 515020, 515021, 515025, 515053, 515054, 515059, AND 515060, SHIPPED BETWEEN JANUARY 23, 2006, AND DECEMBER 20, 2007, SOLD FOR LIGHT DUTY AND MEDIUM DUTY…
Fix: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE HUB ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 7, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL TOLL-FREE AT 877-489-6659.
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.
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.
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 05V270000.
Technical service bulletins
158 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2004 Ford F-250. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
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 F-250 reliable?
The 2004 Ford F-250 drew 546 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 34/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2004 Ford F-250 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Ford F-250 are engine (185 complaints), electrical (100), and fuel system (53).
At what mileage do 2004 Ford F-250 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Ford F-250 problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 14,000 and 110,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Ford F-250 have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Ford F-250. 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.