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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
76,985 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Ford F-150 drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2004 Ford F-150 Owner Comments (Page 2 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #68

Jan 142014

F-150

  • 1,000,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Took truck to get tune up but was told I couldn't get warranty to help pay for service badly needed and due to that I lost work and was almost homeless but ended up getting help from my mother for tires that took 5 days and was a big headake at wallmart but that's another thing.its a long story but I'm doing my best to have a decent running truck that I can rely on to keep jobs.I just want it fixed so I had to become a mechanic just to find out there is a recall on theses motercraft 515 spark plugs and would like help to get copinsation and have repairs that is needs attion asap.long story short I love my Ford truck and learned a lot along the way please help.

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #67

Dec 262015

F-150

  • 138,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. After exiting the vehicle with the transmission in park, the vehicle suddenly began to drive in reverse. The contact was able to get back inside to stop the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the shift lever became disconnected. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 138,000.

- Leland, NC, USA

problem #66

Mar 142015

F-150

  • 96,000 miles
Within a few weeks of purchasing my vehicle in February after pulling into a parking lot the check engine light came on. I also noticed it was making a ticking noise like a diesel engine but it's not a diesel. I went to get the codes and found it was a retarded variable valve timing issue code P0022. I looked online and went to multiple shops and mechanics to figure out the problem. After paying to replace the vct solenoids it was apparent that that was not the issue causing the timing problem. For weeks I noticed the truck shaking and at one point it actually stalled as I was pulling out of a parking lot into a busy road and it stalled as I was going into the road which caused the on coming traffic to slow and stop to avoid hitting me in the middle of the road. After spending weeks in the dealership service shop and a large sum of money they found they needed to replace the engine entirely. I have witnessed this issue happening to many many others online and in person who have the same year range with the 5.4L 3 valve Triton engines. This is absolutely unacceptable for so many vehicle to have the same issue especially when it has under 100,000 miles. It is not only very poor quality for such a large price but also a safety hazard to the owner and others around these vehicles.

- Boise, ID, USA

problem #65

Jun 022015

F-150

  • 125,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The rear differential acts up and prevents the truck from accelerating properly. Stutters all of the time and has a mild misfire and what sounds like knocking.

- Plymouth, MN, USA

problem #64

Apr 252015

F-150 4WD 8-cyl

  • miles
I noticed that the cruise control started shutting off without ever touching the brake pedal or off switch. Then sometimes it would work fine for a few minutes then just shut off. When it does that it will not come back on again till the next day. I then checked the console shifter, I was able to shift of park with out pressing the brake pedal and even engine in off position. I am worried that the truck may jump out of park and run off and hit something or someone.

- London, KY, USA

problem #63

Jan 012012

F-150

  • 40,000 miles
Original owner of 2004 Ford F150 FX4. From stop the rear end will vibrate as I accelerate. It's been doing it for quite a while. I believe it started around 40000 miles. I only have 54000 on it currently. So it has been like this for at least 3 or 4 years. It sounds like this is a pretty common issue. Does should definitely fix this known issue.

- Ponca City, OK, USA

problem #62

Apr 012012

F-150

  • 30,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Truck rear end shakes violently upon acceleration at any speed or from a stand still. I had the rear end serviced and had the fluid flushed, but it only corrected the issue for a short amount of time. As time goes on, this issue only worsens. Ford has issued a service bulletin for a defective clutch pack(s) in the rear differential, but not a recall. This makes the vehicle feel unsafe and makes acceleration uneasy, especially when merging into moving traffic.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #61

Mar 022015

F-150

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph, the vehicle decelerated to 30 mph without warning. The contact was able to drive the vehicle. The contact performed a diagnostic and found that the transmission needed to be replaced. The transmission was not replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

- Victorville, CA, USA

problem #60

Dec 012007

F-150

  • 80,000 miles
Officially logging a well known problem with the 2004 F150 driveline. It has done this to the point of transmission replacement due to wear on the shaft. The driveshaft is not serviceable at all and was never lubed from the factory causing binding on the slip yokes which in turn causes swing bearing wear, U joint failure and to the point of transmission stub shaft wear ultimately causing failure. There seriously needs to be accountability for these due to the severity and liability. We owned the truck new and have driven with this problem until now. I hope to see a recall soon as tsbs are no help to the customer and most dealers do not even know that these parts are unserviceable. As a life long customer, thumbs down on Ford to allow this to go on.

- Wake Village , TX, USA

problem #59

Jan 202015

F-150

  • 150,027 miles
I have a problem it pops up saying transmission fault and I want to fix it so help me please!!

- Greenville, TX, USA

problem #58

Sep 062014

F-150 4WD 8-cyl

  • 23,351 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Heard an exhaust leak and thought is was a muffler. Mechanic looked at problem and alerted me to the fact the driver side exhaust manifold was rusted and warped. There is also some damaged bolts being rusted or broken off. Truck is a Ford F150 heritage 2004, with 23,531 miles. Dealer will not repair due to out of time warranty.

- Newark , DE, USA

problem #57

Apr 102013

F-150 8-cyl

  • 68,000 miles
While starting from a dead stop noticed a rumbling sound coming from the rear end. I had the rear differential fluid replaced, U-joints checked, and brakes inspected. (have had this done 3 times in the last 18 months at a cost of several hundred dollars)I mentioned this problem during a casual conversation with a friend who happened to be a retired Ford mechanic. He told me that while he was with Ford as a mechanic he replaced or rebuilt numerous rear slip differentials, and that it was a major problem especially with the 2004 F-150, and that I should investigate it further. I went on-line and found many many complaints about the 2004 F-150 regarding rear slip differential \with very expensive repair problems. Obviously Ford has known about this problem for a very long time, and has done nothing about except to offer lame excuses and charge exorbitant prices for repairs. I am concerned about the rear end locking up at highway speed and causing a fatal accident. Why hasn't a recall been required?

- Medford, MN, USA

problem #56

Sep 022014

F-150

  • 87,600 miles
Experiencing shudders and shakes when accelerating.

- Denham Springs , LA, USA

problem #55

May 012014

F-150 8-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
Malfunctioning differential- when starting from a stopped position, (especially from a turn) vibrations occur and posses a risk of a potential failure when pulling into oncoming traffic.

- North East , MD, USA

problem #54

Jan 152014

F-150

  • 112,000 miles
This is a recurrence, paid for it the 1st time. After driving a few miles and coming to a stop the rear differential chatters really bad until the vehicle has finished cornering.

- Buffalo , ND, USA

problem #53

May 022014

F-150

  • 94,000 miles
My rear end differential - axle went out and it's making a noise and feels like my rear end is lose when I drive down the highway almost feels unsafe but it is too pricey to fix I feel I should be something Ford should fix or recall.

- Kansas City , MO, USA

problem #52

Apr 242014

F-150

  • 146,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the driver was exiting a parking area when a loud noised was heard from underneath the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that the drive shaft was fractured in half and caused damage to the fuel tank and muffler. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure and current mileage were 146,000.

- East Fultonham , OH, USA

problem #51

May 012014

F-150 8-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
Had a loud whinning noise I could hear when driving, but when I let off the gas it wouldn't be as loud and pretty much go away. It was not tire noise or hum. Just hit a 100,000 miles and the noise had gotten a lot louder. I read lots information online and found it to be the pinion bearing. Took it to local repair shop and they confirmed that the pinion bearing had gone bad. This is very surprising that so many 2004 and newer F150 owners are having this same problem and nothing is being done by Ford. I think they are turning a blind eye because of the cost of parts and amount of time of labor. Besides the pinion bearing, also had to do other bearings and seal. Truck is not driven hard at all.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #50

Apr 252014

F-150 8-cyl

  • 121,100 miles
Had the same problem as mentioned multiple times in this list. Accelerating past 40 mph, the truck slipped out of gear and rev'd up to about 4000rpm. Did the same thing repeatedly after the first incident. Apparently a broken snap ring. Hard to believe this is not considered a safety hazard, and something that should be fixed via recall??

- Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA

problem #49

Oct 252011

F-150

  • 88,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the vehicle started to shake violently as the transmission fault warning lamp illuminated. The failure was recurring. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,000 and the current mileage was 120,000.

- Cathedral City, CA, USA

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