I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden my transmission started slipping and the cruise control kicked it because the vehicle started to slow down so it went into high rpms then the transmission grabbed and shot the vehicle forward and I lost control and we spun in circles off the freeway. Had it not of rained all day the SUV would have flipped. Now my transmission is leaking fluid and it must be repaired by dealership or garage only and I cannot afford this repair and I see that there is a major problem these transmissions in these vehicles and me my child or my husband could have been badly hurt if not killed had this been on dry pavement!!!

- Ashtabula, OH, USA

Cannot accelerate, feels like transmission is shifting hard. Scares me to be in traffic with two small children in backseat. Put into reverse it jolts into gear after a few seconds. Makes a loud noise when driving down the road. Sometimes there is almost no acceleration making it impossible to get around town.

- Palm Coast, FL, USA

Traveling with the cruise control set at approximately 58 mph, traffic 100 - 120 feet in front of the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. Pressed the brake to disengage the cruise control and started applying pressure to the brake pedal. The vehicle seemed to initially start to slow, however, as we approached the stopped traffic, the engine continued to rev and we could not stop, causing us to hit the rear-end of the vehicle in front of us. The vehicle we hit moved forward a few feet and we hit the rear-end again as the Explorer's engine continued to rev and drive us forward even with constant pressure applied to the brake pedal. After the second collision, we were able to pull the Explorer off to the side of a road, notify the police, and file a accident report. The Explorer has not yet been taken to the dealership to evaluate what had happened.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

The engine shuts off while using the cruise control.

- Hamilton, OH, USA

There is a long hesitation while attempting to accelerate either from a complete stop or while the vehicle is rolling.

- Brazil, IN, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While parked, the vehicle began to roll backward while the contact was standing outside of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into a gate and then began to roll forward. The contact was able to enter the vehicle and depress the brake pedal causing the vehicle to stop. The contact shut the vehicle off yet the failure recurred a second time. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics or repairs. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000. Updated 9/20/11 updated 2/23/12

- Tampa, FL, USA

Speed control operates only intermittently, disconnects without warning, and occasionally speeds the car up without warning. Rear warning system is also intermittent.

- Paradise, CA, USA

My 2004 Ford Explorer has had a problem since it was new where the cruise control (speed control) would disengage on its own and at the same time kill the engine. The dealerships could not make it happen again and have never been able to fix the problem. It does it much more often at speeds less than 50 mph, so I don't use the cruise at slower speeds; however, it has now started doing it above 50 mph and the ABS light also comes on occasionally. This situation is extremely dangerous because when the engine dies your power-steering no longer works and steering is very difficult. It sounds to me like this should be included in a recall.

- Milton, WA, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact was driving approximately 5 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician replaced the fuel pump, throttle body and several unknown sensors in the vehicle. The failure recurred and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician advised that they would perform extensive diagnostic testing on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure would occur intermittently in cold temperatures less than twenty degrees. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

- Port Mommouth, NJ, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that when the vehicle was in park with the emergency brake engaged, the vehicle would abnormally accelerate without warning. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was contacted who advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. The current mileage was approximately 60,000 and the failure mileage was approximately 59,500.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

My 2004 Ford Explorer caught on fire today. The fire began under the hood. Per the fire department, the fire started around the cruise control and brake master cylinder area. Ford does not have a recall out for this year model, unlike the 2003 and older models, but this is definitely a manufacturer problem. The car was driven to several points, drop the kids of at school, one at daycare, and a stop for breakfast. Nothing was wrong with our car. After arriving to work, my wife got a call that her car was on fire. There were no signs, malfunctions that something was wrong with the vehicle. Regularly scheduled maintenance were always performed.

- Spring, TX, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. When the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would not move. When she depressed the pedal again, the vehicle would suddenly take off at a high rate of speed. The contact called the dealer who stated that the problem was common but there was no remedy. The manufacturer had not been notified. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000. Updated 12/30/10 updated -1/10/11

- Limerick, PA, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the check engine light flashed on the instrument panel and the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact disconnected the battery to reset the computer so the vehicle would start. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to a local repair shop where the contact was told that the transmission did not need to be replaced but the throttle body did. The vehicle was repaired at that time; the contact had not experienced any further problems since the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

- Orlando, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact was driving approximately 55-60 mph when the electronic throttle warning light illuminated. The vehicle independently began to decelerate and before stalling. The contact shifted into neutral and coasted to the side of the road. She was able to restart the vehicle after ten minutes. The failure occurred twice. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer suggested that the throttle be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 93,830 and the current mileage was 93,839.

- Stanford, VA, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact was driving at approximately 20 mph when the throttle body suddenly kicked back. He turned off the ignition and restarted to regain control of the vehicle. The vehicle had not been taken to an authorized dealership and the contact had not called the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. The current mileage was approximately 82,000.

- Aberdeen, MD, USA

I own a 2004 Ford Explorer. Previous models (2002) were recalled for the ABS light and speed control issue (09S09). I have the same problem on the 2004 Explorer. The problem is intermittent, it is ok for a while then the problem shows up again. Could this be a fire problem?

- Laguna Niguel, CA, USA

I have a 2004 Ford Explorer (V8 eddie bauer) I recently ran into a strange situation. I set the cruise control at 35 mph and as I was going down a small hill, the car stalled. I put it into neutral and it started with no problem at all. It is very dangerous when the 2004 Explorer stalls whenever the cruise control is set and it is going at a slow speed.

- Norfolk, MA, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that since the vehicle was purchased it hesitates during acceleration. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was operating normally and may appear abnormal since it has a V8 engine. The contact stated that the vehicle currently is not accelerating at all. A local mechanic stated the vehicle is a safety hazard due to the lack of acceleration. The contact is concerned of the possibility of a crash occurring. The current mileage was 100,000 and the failure mileage was 25,000.

- Gordonsville , VA, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. While parked in the drive-way, she turned on the ignition, and then shifted the vehicle into drive. The vehicle accelerated out of the drive-way for 50 feet, without intention. The vehicle ran over a large roadway curb, and came to a complete stop at the neighbor's property. A police report was filed. The driver sustained no personal injury. The insurance company was notified of the malfunction. The failure and current mileages were 90,000.

- Conyers, GA, USA

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 65 mph on normal road conditions, the engine failed when the speed control switch was activated. The failure occurred without warning whenever the speed control selector was activated. The engine was able to be restarted and resume normal operation. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was excluded from the recall. The NHTSA campaign id number could not be found online. The failure mileage was 73,000 and current mileage was 80,000. Updated 04/15/09. Updated 04/16/09.

- Tioga, WV, USA