2004 Ford Explorer problems
The 2004 Ford Explorer has 1,647 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (27%) concerns body & structure. Next are transmission (20%) and drivetrain & axles (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,647 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Body & structure 27% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 69 and 21
- Injuries and deaths
- 100 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 65,000 miles 1,363 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 205 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 150 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 247 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 250 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 191 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 112 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 75 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 55 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 38 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 18 |
| 200k+ miles | 22 |
What the data shows
Of the 1,363 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 65,000 miles. For body & structure specifically, the median reported mileage is about 72,000 miles (365 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 69 complaints mention a crash; 21 complaints mention a fire; 100 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 12th most-complained-about out of 36 model years of the Ford Explorer with enough data (929 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
While driving vehicle suddenly started accelerating uncontrollably. Driver applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. Vehicle continued to accelerate excessively. While making a right turn driver hit the curb and flipped four times landing upside down in a ditch. Driver and passenger sustained injuries, and were transported by an ambulance to a hospital. Vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company.
While driving 37 MPH vehicle slipped on a patch of ice, went over an embankment, and dropped fifty feet. Upon impact, dual airbags did not deploy. Passenger's seat belt broke, and passenger suffered from a concussion, and had to get twenty stitches. Driver sustained a broken back.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that when driving anywhere from 30-50 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle would stall. The vehicle would have to be placed in neutral in order to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they advised the contact that they were unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Cracked rear hatch. I had heard about this problem and my hatch didn't crack till after this cold winter. But, this is the first winter that this explorer has been kept outside, not garaged. My garaged is under my house and insulated. It never gets below freezing in the garage. I called ford and asked them if they can help financially with the repairs. They said no.