U.S. public vehicle records

2004 Ford F-350 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

159 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

50,047 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 131 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling is the most frequently named component, appearing in 24 of 159 complaints (15.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Engine operation	58	36.5%
Braking behavior	32	20.1%
Steering behavior	21	13.2%
Fuel system concerns	16	10.1%
Transmission and shifting	15	9.4%
Electrical and battery issues	14	8.8%

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Electrical System

Fuel System, Diesel

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Vehicle Speed Control

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling	24
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel	19
Engine	16
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	14
Electrical System	13
Fuel System, Diesel	9
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	9
Vehicle Speed Control	9

Engine And Engine Cooling: 24; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel: 19; Engine: 16; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 14; Electrical System: 13; Fuel System, Diesel: 9; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 9; Vehicle Speed Control: 9

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: 45; 25,000 to 49,999: 19; 50,000 to 74,999: 17; 75,000 to 99,999: 18; 100,000 to 149,999: 14; 150,000 and above: 18

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (45). 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.

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2019

2020

2021

2022

2025

2004: 34; 2005: 31; 2006: 11; 2007: 7; 2008: 8; 2009: 8; 2010: 7; 2011: 8; 2012: 6; 2013: 6; 2014: 14; 2015: 3; 2016: 2; 2017: 6; 2019: 2; 2020: 3; 2021: 1; 2022: 1; 2025: 1

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 58 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 32 complaint narratives. Steering behavior 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 10052287 · 2004-01-23 (January 23, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 62 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DROVE TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 23,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10052287 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10054178 · 2004-02-26 (February 26, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSED LOST OF STEERING AND BRAKES. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT HE WAS USING THE WRONG GAS BUT THE CONSUMER IS USING HIGH DIESEL OCTANE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH STATED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH WIRE CHAFFING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10054178 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10052327 · 2004-01-04 (January 4, 2004)

WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT MY DIESEL TRUCK SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD. I WAS ABLE TO STEP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL FIRMLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10052327 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10079953 · 2004-06-25 (June 25, 2004)

WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WAS HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 8,251 miles reported. Look up ODI 10079953 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10073590 · 2004-06-24 (June 24, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING, T HE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONSUMER WOULD RESTART THE VEHICLE WHILE IN MOTION. THE BRAKES WOULD GO OUT WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR. *AK THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE RESOLVED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE EGR VALVE (EXHAUST GAS-RECIRCULATION). THE VEHICLE IDLED ERRATICALLY. THE INJECTOR PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED. THE EBP SENSOR AND THE EGR VALVE DID NOT WORK PROPERLY AND BOTH WERE REPLACED. THE EBP SIGNAL REMAINED TO FLUCTUATE. ALSO ,THE TURBO CHARGER WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *SC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10073590 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10109551 · 2005-02-02 (February 2, 2005)

VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH THE EXHAUST FUMES WHICH SEEM TO BE GETTING INTO THE CAB OF THE PICKUP. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. ALSO, CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT HELP THE OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE EXHAUST FUMES WERE COMING THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONER AND HEAT VENTS. WHEN DRIVING, THE EXHAUST FUMES BURNED THE DRIVER'S EYES, AND GAVE OWNER A HEADACHE. *AK UPDATED 12/27/2005 - THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO BEEN HAVING INJECTOR PROBLEMS *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 31,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10109551 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10059526 · 2004-03-17 (March 17, 2004)

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FOR PULLING A HORSE TRAILER. TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE LOCKED AT 600 MILES. DRIVER STATED THERE WAS A REAL BAD JERK. CURRENTLY, WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE WAS CONSTANTLY BUCKING. *AK VEHICLE WAS JERKING WHILE CRUISE CONTROL IS EITHER ON OR OFF, AND WHEN PULLING TRAILER ON ANY SPEED. DEALER PERFORMED DIAGNOSIS, NOTHING WAS FOUND. DEALER ALSO REPLACED ICP, AND AP SWITCH TO REPAIR TRANSMISSION LOCK-UP. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10059526 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10089210 · 2004-08-18 (August 18, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL THERE WAS ERRATIC BEHAVIOR IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT CAUSED INCONSISTENCY IN THE SHIFTING. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION , AND STEERING FAILED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10089210 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10090178 · 2004-11-10 (November 10, 2004)

INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING ENGINE SHUT OFF FOLLOWED BY THE METERS ON THE DASHBOARD READING ZERO. THEN, VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED. WHEN THIS HAPPENED BEFORE LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED SEVERAL DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, AND REPLACED THE PCM GROUND/ENGINE GROUND,AND WIRING GOING TO THE PCM. THE FAILURE STILL EXISTED. THE CONSUMER INVOKED THE LEMON LAW BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO RECTIFY THE FAILURE. *AK *SC CONSUMER ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE STALLED AND RESULTED IN THE…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,716 miles reported. Look up ODI 10090178 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10137798 · 2005-09-27 (September 27, 2005)

FORD F-350 DIESEL-2004 CAR SHUT DOWN IN THE PASSING LANE ON PA TURNPIKE. TOWED TO FORD...NO INSULATION ON WIRING HARNESS, SHORTED OUT THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK STOPPED DEAD IN THE ROAD..NOW THE FORD DEALER FIXED IT BY PUTTING INSULATION OVER IT TO GET ME BACK ON THE ROAD. IT HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP THE WEEK BEFORE, AND THE WEEK BEFORE THAT BECAUSE I COMPLAINED OF LOSING POWER ON THE ROAD WHEN I TRAVEL. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A FIRE WITH MY FAMILY! *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 63,285 miles reported. Look up ODI 10137798 at NHTSA ↗