Think I bought a lemon truck from ford after spending a lot of money to try and keep truck running but after all the time and effort I put into the truck it will only go in reverse and engin sounds rough .
2004 Ford F-150 engine complaints
Page 2 of 10: complaints 11 to 40 of 257, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My ford f 150 has thrown a rod & the motor is knocking badly, to my understanding all 2004 ford f150 3v have a bad motor in all trucks, every truck I know have this problem. You exchange this motor to a later or early motor it won't work I being told by the dealership mech. I believe ford should be held to recall & replace these motors.
Cam phazer is out leaning out the timing, causing the motor to knock and idle at 500 rpms causing the vehicle to completely stop in traffic or at a stop light. I am told at minimum a timing chain kit, phaser, might fix the problem if not I would need a new engine at 5000.00 dollars this needs to be a recall fix my truck only has 116454.miles on it and should not need this kink of repairs yet. Or should be covered by ford through a malfunction of equipment that was installed and there for malfunctioned prematurely
Truck died, lost all power while driving down the road. This has happened 5 - 6 times through the years starting around 2010. Sometimes driving down freeway sometimes driving slowly into driveway. Battery was checked, it was okay and connected fine. Various other engine problems later include a rattle noise and low RPM. Running hot, chugging along like running out of gas, etc. Having to pull over till it could go again. Currently just a little over 100,000 miles.
While driving the vehicle at highway speeds - rpms on engine begin to fluctuate between 2000 and 750. At next stop, engine dies, but will immediately restart. No engine malfunction codes when checked with an obd ii reader, and the check engine light does not illuminate.
To begin with I had to have all 4 windows repaired. The mechanism that raises and lowers the windows broke. Since this was bought as a used vehicle, there was no warranty. So I pd. $150. To $175.00 each. Was told ford knew of this problem but since it wasn't a "safety factor" no recall was issued. I feel like this is quite unfair to the consumer. We purchase a vehicle that has a good reputation and then are told that this expense is our baby to take care of. I feel like this was very unfair to this consumer. I have purchased fords for years with no complaints until now. Also, the headlights developed a leak and filled with water thus shorting out my right headlight,and is slowly doing the same to the left one. I have been told that just the burned out bulbs cannot be replaced,that the whole assembly had to be replaced and this is at a cost of approx. $175 to $200. Per assembly. This is outrageous. Also,there is a problem with what used to be "points & plugs" which are now a "coil" assembly. This problem developed approx. 6 months ago. According to the readouts I have gotten, the #1 plug is misfiring approx. Every 1,000 revolutions which causes a miss in the engine and was very alarming to me since I was on the highway about 200-250 miles from home, traveling by myself. So, another expense is looming. I realize there are expenses to owning a vehicle. I do not expect to not have any problems or repairs with my vehicle,but I did not anticipate this many. Nor did I expect the cost of the repair parts alone to be so outrageous. I am on a fixed income and had I anticipated these problems I wouldn't & #8203; have made this purchase. I truly love my truck, but is there anyway these other repairs can be done for a lesser amt? I've already pd. To replace motor & rotors in all 4 windows. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. [xxx] ('parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'
Complete engine failure less than 100,000 miles. Driver and front passenger window motor failure.
On 5/21/08 spark plug # 3 popped out while I was driving down the freeway I had it repaired. Then on 1/8/13 spark plug #3 came out of my 2004 ford f150 and I took my truck to ford . When they were replacing the threads on #3, #5 popped out so they replaced the helix coils on it as well. In april my truck start having the same issue with the # 1 spark plus. This does not seem like something that should just happen. There should have been a recall on this a long time ago.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced stalling without warning. In addition, the seat belt would not latch. The dealer diagnosed that the vehicle's software needed to reflashed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact had the engine replaced after it was diagnosed that there was water in the oil pan and a fuel rod failure. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. The contact stated that while stationary, the camshaft phaser malfunctioned. The contact stated that there was a knocking noise coming from the engine of the vehicle. In addition, the spark plugs and the timing chain were the source of the failure as well. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,000.
2 times in the last 6 months, most recently on 2/27/17 my vehicle suddenly accelerated as if the gas peddle was being held to the floor. I was stopped at a light this time and had my foot on the brake, so I was able to prevent my vehicle from lurching into the intersection. I placed the truck into neutral and shut off the ignition. When restarted the vehicle functioned normally. The first time this occurred (about 6 months ago) I was slowly entering a parking lot when the truck suddenly accelerated.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning and was able to restart the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the alternator and battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The dealer diagnosed that the air conditioning compressor and plenum kit needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,000. Updated 03/21/17*lj
Blew the spark plug clean out of motor leaving no threads while sitting at a stop light
I purchased my 2004 f150 with 10,000 miles on the engine in december of 2004. I now have 130,000 miles on the engine and im told the engine is junk. I changed the oil religiously every 3000 miles and I even had the spark plugs taken out and the engine completely cleaned internally. I love this truck and am finding it hard to beleive that at 130,000 miles its junk. The cams are not getting oil and its causing the engine to rattle and make loud noises, when I drive the truck on the highway at 65 or 70 miles an hour it runs great but as soon as I slow down on the ramp, the noise and rattle start. The engine check light came on. The mechanic says I need a new engine. The warning was cam retarded. The rest of the truck is in great condition. The interior looks almost new. I kept my truck clean inside and outside. I even kept my floors scrubed and clean. I just had to sell my house because of my health and now my only vehicle went to hell. Is anyone paying attention to these complaints and trying to fix them. I'm told this engine is noted for this problem. Really!!! 130,000 miles on a pickup truck is nothing. Why are these engines that were put in these trucks breaking down and nothing is being done about it? After this experience with buying a new vehicle, I know I'll never purchase a new vehicle again. Especially not a ford. I believe that the ford company is aware of this problem, but isn't concerned with the consumers problem, because nothing is being done to help the consumer fix the problem. I the consumer am shocked that I have to junk my vehicle with the low mileage. I'm told $8000.00 for a new engine. Wow!!! Not possible for me to even consider. Please please look into this problem and help the consumer with a resolution. I don't want to junk my truck!
Tring to pass smog but truck has misfire witch caused motor to shake spewing gas at 76 in oakland ca thank god my roomate spotted it as we're leaving pump or we could have blown up or worse after a struggle we were able to get the truck out of gear and push it out of the pump area .
Ford f-150 2004 engine freeze after warning light. Sputtered and choked and locked up and would not drive down the hwy.
The #3 spark plug has blown free of the cylinder head. This is the 2nd plug that has blown free in 1 1/2 years for this truck. The last was either the #7 or #8 plug. Both happened on deceleration while at highway speed.
Most recently,(not including rear end replaced, reverse band on trans replaced, blown spark plug out of engine block) my truck has started to stall out for no reason that I can fathom,1st time was at 65 MPH on a major highway, now more recently at lower speeds, coming to a stop at stop signs lights ect , turning street corners at lower speeds, or coming to a stop in my driveway. I see many complaints of this same problem in forums with no cause or repair that seems to be a root cause. Please help !
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. While driving at approximately 24 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact had to depress the accelerator pedal with extreme force and the vehicle started to make an extremely loud abnormal knocking noise. The vehicle was parked at the contact's residence where it was diagnosed by an independent mechanic that the cam phaser seized and the engine needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.
Takada recall, the cam phaser started making loud noise while driving and now my motor is blown , almost every truck the same year make and model of mine has the same problem.
I recently purchased this vehicle and now I am having the spark plugs replaced. 3 out of the 8 broke in the engine. This defect has affected numerous other owners. The repair costs are extremely high for a normal simple repair. This sounds like a design defect and a recall should be initiated.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. The contact stated that the motor in the three valve engine failed because the cam tower collapsed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 72,300.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. While driving at various speeds and attempting to slow down between 15-20 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal noise. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs and timing chain failed and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000. The VIN was not available.
Took truck to get tune up but was told I couldn't get warranty to help pay for service badly needed and due to that I lost work and was almost homeless but ended up getting help from my mother for tires that took 5 days and was a big headake at wallmart but that's another thing .its a long story but I'm doing my best to have a decent running truck that I can rely on to keep jobs.I just want it fixed so I had to become a mechanic just to find out there is a recall on theses motercraft 515 spark plugs and would like help to get copinsation and have repairs that is needs attion asap .long story short I love my ford truck and learned a lot along the way please help.
Had owned the truck for about 2 months before the engine started knocking, staling, and would just completely shake so bad the truck would shut off like it was outta gas! Had the cam shafts replaced, fixed the problem for about 15 days, then knocking started up again..long story short- engine ended up blowing up! $5000.00 later for a remanufactured engine with corrected parts that should of been corrected in the first place by ford! Selling faulty parts that could not only harm my family while driving but others on the roadways as well... Ford needs to own up and correct their mistakes! I will never purchase a ford vehicle again!
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. While driving at an unknown speed, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the cam shaft phaser was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 162,000.
Driving 70mph, highway 41n-wisconsin, just north of oshkosh, legal speed limit, 35 degree weather, nearing end of a 90 mile trip with wife and granddaughter, early evening, when I heard a noise/thud, then had dash engine warning lights and alarms go off as well as severe vibrating and noises under the hood with loss of power. Managed to get my 4x4 truck out of center lane and into emergency lane without being hit. Tried restarting engine a couple of times, which it did, but I shut it down immediately both times because of severe vibration and noise. After arranging for emergency road service and a police officer to protect my backside from traffic approaching from the rear, the truck was towed to my ford dealership of 12 years. I had purchased my truck there new and did all my maintenance there, except maybe a couple of oil changes when I have been out of state. There the truck was diagnosed to have cam phaser failure and needed a 5,000+ engine replacement @ 130,000 miles. Unbelievable. I've had the cracked windshield, the rear seal issues, the various electronic failures and yes, the ford spark plug issue with broken plugs during a maintenance change. I still loved my truck until it nearly caused my family and I serious injury or death, or possibly some other undeserving soul. I'm not replacing the engine and am trying to extract whatever remaining value exists. The dealership has been indifferent to the situation and has done little. So yes, I'm livid about the money and the loss of it, but am also livid and concerned as to who has to be hurt or worse yet killed before something is done. There are literally 100s/1000s of cam phaser complaints for the triton 5..4l that I have read through as well as having talked to a few mechanics since the incident. Thank you ford for taking my money and jeopardizing my family's safety. I am no longer a ford customer!
My truck felt like it was driving really well, I was driving from a to b which was about 6 miles. Im almost home & I stop at a light,when it turned green I accelerated &when I did I heard a knocking sound&so I pulled over& I couldn't pin point exactly where it was coming from,just it was coming from the back of the engine on the right side. Im guessing maybe the 3rd or 4th spark plug. I checked my oil I was maybe 1quart low. So hoping that was it, I bought a quart&some oil repair to go in with it. The guy at autozone thought the same. As u could guess that didn't work.it sound almost like a lawn mower.which is baffling cuz there was no warning, no check engine light,no prior noise.I'm lost.I've been reading about spiting spark plugs&a lot of the same stuff happening in these trucks.I'm wondering if there was a recall? If not why? If there are complaints from over 1000 people saying the exact samething,why hunt ford done anything about it?I use this truck to take my71 year old vietnam veteran grandpa to his dr appointments&use it for work.from what I'm reading no one is gonna help but I have to try.please let me know if there is any advice or hopefully do the right thing & help me work with the dealership I bought the truck from.my# is [xxx].thanks. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Within a few weeks of purchasing my vehicle in february after pulling into a parking lot the check engine light came on. I also noticed it was making a ticking noise like a diesel engine but it's not a diesel. I went to get the codes and found it was a retarded variable valve timing issue code p0022. I looked online and went to multiple shops and mechanics to figure out the problem. After paying to replace the vct solenoids it was apparent that that was not the issue causing the timing problem. For weeks I noticed the truck shaking and at one point it actually stalled as I was pulling out of a parking lot into a busy road and it stalled as I was going into the road which caused the on coming traffic to slow and stop to avoid hitting me in the middle of the road. After spending weeks in the dealership service shop and a large sum of money they found they needed to replace the engine entirely. I have witnessed this issue happening to many many others online and in person who have the same year range with the 5.4l 3 valve triton engines. This is absolutely unacceptable for so many vehicle to have the same issue especially when it has under 100,000 miles. It is not only very poor quality for such a large price but also a safety hazard to the owner and others around these vehicles.
Truck starts making a loud ticking noise coming from engine, I have always gotten oil changes and have no clue what this is but it has lowered power also. It is still making the ticking/rattling noise and its loud. Carried to ford dealership and was told it would cost $2000.00 or more. Told this is normal. I don't think a gasoline engine should sound like a diesel. This seems to be a manufacturer issue and ford needs to take responsibility for the problem.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2004 Ford F-150?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history