U.S. public vehicle records

2004 Ford F-250 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

153 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

39,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 125 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 23 of 153 complaints (15.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Engine operation	55	35.9%
Braking behavior	25	16.3%
Electrical and battery issues	21	13.7%
Steering behavior	21	13.7%
Fuel system concerns	12	7.8%
Transmission and shifting	6	3.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System:Wiring

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel

Fuel/Propulsion System

Steering

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System	23
Engine And Engine Cooling	23
Engine	19
Vehicle Speed Control	13
Electrical System:Wiring	11
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel	11
Fuel/Propulsion System	9
Steering	8

Electrical System: 23; Engine And Engine Cooling: 23; Engine: 19; Vehicle Speed Control: 13; Electrical System:Wiring: 11; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel: 11; Fuel/Propulsion System: 9; Steering: 8

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 54; 25,000 to 49,999: 12; 50,000 to 74,999: 7; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 18; 150,000 and above: 24

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (54). 28 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2003: 1; 2004: 50; 2005: 21; 2006: 5; 2007: 3; 2008: 3; 2009: 2; 2010: 6; 2011: 6; 2012: 7; 2013: 6; 2014: 4; 2015: 7; 2016: 6; 2017: 4; 2018: 2; 2019: 9; 2020: 3; 2021: 2; 2022: 1; 2023: 1; 2024: 1; 2025: 3

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 55 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 25 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 21 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10053371 · 2004-01-05 (January 5, 2004)

VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. CONDITIONS FORCED DRIVER TO PULL THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. UNABLE TO RESTART UNTIL 30-60 -SECONDS LATER. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10053371 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10055973 · 2004-01-28 (January 28, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND RESTARTED VEHICLE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10055973 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10067096 · 2004-05-11 (May 11, 2004)

WHEN ENGAGED IN CRUISE CONTROL ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAILED. *AK CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AT 35 MPH. THEN WHEN VEHICLE WAS RUNNING DOWNHILL, CONSUMER ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO INCREASED SPEED UP TO 40 MPH; HOWEVER, AT THAT POINT THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED WHICH ALSO LED TO THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. ANOTHER INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 52 MPH IN A HAIRPIN CURVE. *LA SEE ODI 10083767 ALSO. *DSY

Owner-reported narrative. 2,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10067096 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10074959 · 2004-06-07 (June 7, 2004)

2004 FORD F250 SUPER DUTY KING RANCH. AFTER REFLASH TO REPAIR AN IDLE PROBLEM TRUCK DEVELOPED THREE VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. 1. CRUISE STALLED - GOING DOWN HILL AT APPROX 55-58 THE TRUCK WILL STALL WITHOUT WARNING. NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. REPRODUCABLE ON DEMAND. 2. DOWNSHIFT LOCKUP - TRUCK WILL LOCKUP REAR TIRES IN EXCESS OF 30 FEET IF TOW/HAUL MODE IS USED. ON FIRST OCCASION IT ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY, CAME WITHIN INCHES OF A HEAD ON WITH A LARGE DUMP TRUCK WHILE TOWING A BOAT. REPRODUCABLE ON DEMAND. 3. COA…

Owner-reported narrative. 800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10074959 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10081091 · 2004-07-14 (July 14, 2004)

VEHICLE SURGES FORWARD WITH NO PRESSURE ON GAS PEDAL. WHILE STOPPED VEHICLE JUMPER FORWARD THEN STALLED. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE WITHOUT ERROR CODE AND RETURNED VEHICLE. AT HIGHWAY SPEED OF 55 AND 1200 RPMS VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD. VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO LURCH AND STALL WEEKLY. UNABLE TO DUPLICATE AT DEALERSHIP. AFTER DEALERSHIP DROVE VEHICLE OVER 100 MILES THEY THINK ITS THE WIRING HARNESS AND ADVISED TO HAVE IT REPLACED. THEY HAD NO PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF ANY SUCH INCIDENTS.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 7,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10081091 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10097155 · 2004-10-19 (October 19, 2004)

REQUEST NHTSA & FORD ISSUE RECALL TO CORRECT ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS ON FORD 2004 F-250. *BF THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIME AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL FORD DEALERSHIPS FOR REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WHERE THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED FRAYED WIRING IN THE WIRING HARNESS. THE TECHNICIAN RE-INSULATED THE WIRING AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED. *NM SEE ALSO ODI 10099269 & 10099937. *DSY

Owner-reported narrative. 10,268 miles reported. Look up ODI 10097155 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10065246 · 2004-03-30 (March 30, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WANDERED FROM SIDE TO SIDE, AND HAD ALMOST HIT A GUARD RAIL. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT VEHICLE 0WAS IN NORMAL OPERATION. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A VEHICLE SPECIALIST, WHO MADE A MINOR ADJUSTMENT TO THE STEERING SYSTEM, BUT SUGGESTED THAT VEHICLE WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 16 miles reported. Look up ODI 10065246 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10064675 · 2004-05-20 (May 20, 2004)

THE CONSUMER OWNED A NEW 2004 FORD, F250 WITH A 6.0 LITER DIESEL ENGINE. ON MARCH 7, 2004 WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE VEHICLE LOST PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE FUEL INJECTORS MALFUNCTIONED. TWO DAYS LATER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ANOTHER FUEL INJECTOR FAILED, WHICH CAUSED WATER TO LEAK ONTO ONE OF THE PISTONS, THEREFORE THE ENGINE WAS BURNING WATER. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK *SC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 38,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10064675 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10099937 · 2004-11-05 (November 5, 2004)

POTENTIALLY FATAL FLAW WITH 2004 FORD F-250. CONTINUALLY SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH MISSING, STUTTERING AND STOPPED. LOOSE PLUG TO THE INJECTOR MODULE. *BF ONE OF THE WIRING HARNESSES MAY BE BADLY CHAFFED INSIDE THE CABLE COVERING. A VISUAL INSPECTION WOULD NOT DISCOVER THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE HARNESS HAD GONE BAD WHEN IT WAS INSTALLED. THE CONSUMER ALSO ADDED THAT THERE LIVES WERE IN SERIOUS DANGER NUMEROUS TIMES AND SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THIS PROBLEM AND STRESS. *SC SEE ALSO 10099269 AND 10097155. *DSY

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10099937 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10082997 · 2004-07-30 (July 30, 2004)

2004 F-250 KING RANCH FX4 WITH 6.0L DIESEL ENGINE, ALL STOCK CONDITION AS ORDERED AND RECEIVED ON FEBRUARY 11, 2004. DEALER MADE PROGRAMMING CHANGE TO THE PCM ON JULY 12, 2004, BUT VEHICLE HAS NOT RUN CORRECTLY SINCE PROBLEMATIC SYMPTOMS BEGAN ON 7/10/04. SYMPTOMS INCLUDE: (1) LACK OF POWER AND STUDDERING FROM 600 RPM TO 1,200 RPM FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN AND UNPROVOKED INCREASE IN POWER. (2) RHYTHM TIC INCREASES AND DECREASES (SURGING) OF APPROXIMATELY 2,000 RPM IN THE TURBOCHARGER AT CRUISE (EVEN WHILE ON CRUISE CONTROL). (3) CHECK ENGINE …

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10082997 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10120109 · 2005-06-10 (June 10, 2005)

CONSUMER STATES: THEY WERE TRAVELING TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND GOT BACK ON THE ROAD. DRIVING LESS THAN 1000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AGAIN. BEFORE BEING REBUILT THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE, AND THEN AFTER BEING REBUILT SHIFTED HARD AND THEN EVERYTHING WENT OUT.*AK A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED AND NOW THE VEHICLE RUNS PROPERLY. *TT

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10120109 at NHTSA ↗