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2004 Ford F-150 engine problems

257 complaints (13% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 89,000. 5 crashes reported.

owner complaints
257
of this car's complaints
13%
typical mileage
89,000
crashes
5
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Engine
    46
  • Engine: gasoline
    7
  • Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
    3
  • Exhaust system
    2
  • Exhaust system: emission control
    1
  • Engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys
    1
  • Cooling system: hoses/lines/piping/fittings
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Ford F-150 engine problems in other years

19901995200020052010201520202026

Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Ford F-150 engine

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Stalling 39Check engine light 38Knocking 35Engine failure 29Loss of power 22Misfire 14Won't start 11Overheating 5

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Related investigations

Spark plug ejection from cylinder headOpened September 22, 2005, closed January 4, 2006

On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi?s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi?s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that the federal safety agency would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition is denied.

DP05005

What 2004 Ford F-150 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Mar 10, 2025 · Engine · 100,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle shuddered and failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact scanned the vehicle with a scanner and retrieved an unknown camshaft phaser error code. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Filed Aug 3, 2023 · Engine · 150,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact observed the spark plug being ejected from the fuel compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Filed Apr 30, 2023 · Brakes, Engine · PA

Truck stalls in traffic. Also when hitting the brake. it stalls in reverse. it stalls while idling. Worst truck ever!! Severe safety issue 😕

Filed Feb 19, 2021 · Engine · 87,000 miles · IL

Throttle body causes vehicle to stop dead when slowing down on city street.

Filed Sep 7, 2020 · Engine · 154,000 miles · CA

While driving on the freeway I notice a noise and a lose of power pull off and had truck towed to dealer they called me told me needed new motor I was shocked only has 154000 miles on it what the hell dealer told me $9000 to replace motor what told them I would be there to pick up truck with tow truck well they called me back said $7000 still way to much but I need the truck cant buy a new one so I had to get 2 loans to replace my motor then I find out the motor in a 2004 f 150 has a major issues but the dealer never told me anything of the sort so now I have a truck with the same motor as before that cost me a large amount of money I didn't have ford should step up and take care of the problem so now I have 2 loans to pay off hope to hell this motor last and they wonder why people go postal if ford dosent resolve this I will never buy a ford product again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Filed Jul 20, 2020 · Engine, Transmission · 79,950 miles · PA

F150 stalls out randomly causing a hazard for other drivers and myself. Happens while in gear driving, reverse, etc.

Filed Feb 24, 2020 · Body, Electrical · 55 miles · CA

Paint cracked ,coils malfunction,springs front

Filed Sep 12, 2019 · Engine · 160,000 miles · NC

2004 ford f-150 engine is bad. The 5.4 liter engine. I bought this vehicle used 3 years ago and now the engine is ruined. My husband researched and also consulted with several mechanics and found that these engines were known for the cam phasers going bad so ford stopped putting this engine in the vehicles in 2007. The last time I drove this vehicle aa I was making a right turn, the truck cut off on me in the middle of the road which is very dangerous. We owe $8,000 on this ford which is now no food. Sits in our yard. We want action. Ford needs to stand behind their product.

Filed Jul 29, 2019 · Engine · 15,000 miles · MS

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the egr valve and the fuel injector needed to be replaced. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The contact stated that the transmission and check engine indicators illuminated and were replaced in 2018. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

Filed May 21, 2019 · Acceleration, Electrical · 233,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and the accelerator pedal hesitated when depressed. As a result, the vehicle made an abnormal puttering sound while in drive. In addition, the electrical system failed. The spark plugs were changed multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the spark plugs should not be touched because they were ford certified spark plugs and tear easily. A special onsite ford mechanic repaired the spark plugs. The accelerator pedal and stalling failures were not repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 233,000.

Questions about the 2004 Ford F-150 engine

Does the 2004 Ford F-150 have engine problems?

Owners have filed 257 complaints about the engine of the 2004 Ford F-150, 13% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2004 Ford F-150 engine problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 89,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2004 Ford F-150 engine?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Ford F-150 have bad engine?

The Ford F-150 model years with the most engine complaints are 2018 (591 complaints), 2013 (567 complaints) and 1997 (544 complaints).

Other 2004 Ford F-150 problems

Visibility 863Transmission 232Brakes 139Suspension 118Body 104Electrical 99Airbags 85Steering 75Fuel system 74Acceleration 70Tires 58Locks 23Wheels 21Lights 17Seat belts 17Seats 4Driver assistance 2

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