2004 FORD EXPLORER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
1,647
Owner Complaints
4
Recalls
19
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2004 FORD EXPLORER
The 2004 FORD EXPLORER has received a total of 1,647 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 4 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS, VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR, EXTERIOR LIGHTING. 19 technical service bulletins have been issued by Ford Motor Company for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Power Trainautomatic Transmission (308 complaints), Structurebody (209 complaints), and Power Train (108 complaints).
Recalls for the 2004 FORD EXPLORER
NHTSA has recorded 4 recalls for the 2004 FORD EXPLORER, potentially affecting up to 133,317 vehicles.
Recall 09E025000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
| 42,540 vehicles affected
Defect: 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 STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
Consequence: DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: 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.
View full details →Recall 07E104000 — VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
| 1,657 vehicles affected
Defect: 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 TEMPERED GLASS AND FAILS TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 205, "GLAZING MATERIALS."
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT(S) MAY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED BY SHATTERED GLASS.
Remedy: 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 REIMBURSE WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS FOR CURRENT INVENTORY AND AT A SPECIFIED RATE...
View full details →Recall 06E049000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
| 27,176 vehicles affected
Defect: 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 FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Consequence: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: 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.
View full details →Recall 06E026000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
| 61,944 vehicles affected
Defect: 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 SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Consequence: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: 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.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2004 FORD EXPLORER
1,647 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2004 FORD EXPLORER. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
on [XXX] brought to local shop on power steering leak. Week before, Paid $50 for inspection. on [XXX] appointment was line and replaced. But tech said get pass brake line was rotted and was bad leak of brake fluid. On [XXX] my wife's Explorer was reinspected and rear driver side brake copper line also reported rotted after paying $539.95 for power steering low pressure and brake line. Wife's Eddie Bauer 2004 v8 was reported to FORD Motor Co. Case# [XXX] defective copper brake lines on suv. No good will offered no warrantee fue to latent defective brake line copper tubing coming from ABS modular. ABS LIGHT COMES ON AT TIMES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I need a new gas tank for my vehicle and Ford stopped making the gas tank for my vehicle. That is a very big safety issue. I called Ford and they were helping to find one from junkyard's I don't want one from a junkyard that I have to repair. I asked for Ford to make a gas tank or pay for them to have mine fixed right at a Ford dealership, no help. That's a big safety problem. Ford provided the contacts phone number to the junkyards but the contact doesn't want the gas tank from a junkyard who probably put holes in them to drain the gasoline out of the tank.
Smoke for a good 5 mins under the hood oil leeking
Back windows fell off track and windows fell down, cannot roll them up. AC and Heater broke and won't work at all. Fuel system is too lean. Transmission is going out Timing Chain and tensioners making loud knocking noise. Burning oil.
Back windows fell off track and windows fell down, cannot roll them up. AC and Heater broke and won't work at all. Fuel system is too lean. Transmission is going out Timing Chain and tensioners making loud knocking noise. Burning oil.
Safety Rating for the 2004 FORD EXPLORER
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2004 FORD EXPLORER in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2004 FORD EXPLORER
Ford Motor Company has issued 19 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2004 FORD EXPLORER. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
05213 — FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH PCM DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0463 AND/OR IC DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE B1201 - FUEL GAUGE DROPS TO EMPTY OR SLOW TO UPDATE AFTER REFUELING. *TT
042115 — FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL GAUGE SLOW TO UPDATE AFTER REFUELING. *EH
051016 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
NO START/HARD START ON COLD SOAK - 4.0L ENGINE. *TT
0527 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
5R55S TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKS FROM CONVERTER HOUSING AREA. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1783 ON VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO 12/12/2004. *TT
18381 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
OPEN FUSE F2.20 (5 AMP) AND/OR F2.1 (30 AMP) WHICH MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF FUNCTION OF SEVERAL SYSTEMS INCLUDING POWER SEATS, ADJUSTABLE PEDALS AND POWER DOOR LOCKS. *TT
05262 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MIL ON WITH DTC P0191 WITH OR WITHOUT VARIOUS DRIVABILITY SYMPTOMS AND/OR ADDITIONAL DTCS. *TT
04225 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
THROTTLE PEDAL RESPONSE ON TIP IN VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE 10/4/2004 EQUIPPED WITH A 4.0L ENGINE. *EH
04268 — POWER TRAIN
INCREASED EFFORT DURING LOW SPEED SHARP TURNS ON 4X4 VEHICLES. *TT
04195 — VISIBILITY
FRONT WINDOW CLUNK NOISE. *TT
18202 — POWER TRAIN
UNINTENDED 4X4 ENGAGEMENT DURING LOW SPEED PARKING LOT TURNS. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING THE 2005 EXPLORER AND MOUNTAINEER. *TT
Showing 10 of 19 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2004 FORD EXPLORER
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the FORD EXPLORER
- 1999 FORD EXPLORER — 1,737 complaints
- 2000 FORD EXPLORER — 1,203 complaints
- 2001 FORD EXPLORER — 503 complaints
- 2002 FORD EXPLORER — 4,096 complaints
- 2003 FORD EXPLORER — 1,369 complaints
- 2004 FORD EXPLORER (current)
- 2005 FORD EXPLORER — 604 complaints
- 2006 FORD EXPLORER — 788 complaints
- 2007 FORD EXPLORER — 271 complaints
- 2008 FORD EXPLORER — 215 complaints
- 2009 FORD EXPLORER — 49 complaints
Other FORD Models
- FORD F-150 — 45,660 total complaints
- FORD ESCAPE — 34,654 total complaints
- FORD FOCUS — 29,539 total complaints
- FORD FUSION — 28,243 total complaints
- FORD TAURUS — 23,867 total complaints
- FORD WINDSTAR — 19,456 total complaints
- FORD EDGE — 17,247 total complaints
- FORD MUSTANG — 11,551 total complaints