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2004 Ford F-550 SD problems

The most common problem on the 2004 Ford F-550 SD is fuel and propulsion system, typically around 44,450 miles. It has 5.4 times the complaints of a typical F-550 SD model year.

Typical year5.4x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
49
Recalls
2
Service bulletins
129
Worst area
Fuel system

The worst 2004 Ford F-550 SD problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Fuel system
    26
  • Engine
    17
  • Electrical
    9
  • Transmission
    6
  • Acceleration
    2
  • Wheels
    2
  • Airbags
    1
  • Body
    1
  • Brakes
    1
  • Suspension
    1

Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 Ford F-550 SD

Stalling 19Loss of power 6Fuel pump 5

Recalls 2

Exterior lighting: brake lightsReported July 13, 2011 · 26,715 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ranger trucks built from january 25, 2011, through april 25, 2011 at the twin cities assembly plant, and service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004 through 2011 model year ranger trucks, 2002 through 2005 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the multi-function switch was shipped with a subcomponent (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate.
Risk
Non-functioning lights could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the switches free of charge. The safety recall began on august 15, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.

Recall number 11V352000 · Recall details

Electrical system: wiringReported June 10, 2005 · 180,104 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Certain pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans equipped with 6.0l diesel engines may experience stalling without warning while driving and may or may not restart.
Risk
Should the engine stall, a vehicle crash could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will upgrade the fuel injection control module (ficm) wire harness or replaced, and/or have a new injection control pressure (icp)) sensor connector installed free of charge. The recall began on july 22, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.

Recall number 05V270000 · Recall details

See all 2 recalls for the 2004 Ford F-550 SD

Defect investigations

Engine stallingOpened February 15, 2005, closed November 2, 2005

In a june 7, 2005 letter, ford notified odi that it would be conducting a safety recall of approximately 180,000 ford f-super duty, excursion and e-series vehicles equipped with 6.0l diesel engines to correct two wiring related conditions that could result in engine stall (the federal safety agency recall no. 05v‑270, ford no. 05s34).the affected vehicles were built between september 29, 2003 and may 31, 2004.according to ford, vehicles with the conditions may stall without warning and may or may not restart.ford will instruct owners of vehicles included in the recall to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the fuel injector control module wire harness upgraded or replaced and or have a new injection control pressure sensor connector installed.during a may 2005 presentation to odi, ford identified a number of potential failure mechanisms that could affect engine performance in various segments of the subject vehicle population, including the wiring conditions addressed by 05v‑270.the wiring conditions, which both affect engine fueling, were the most likely conditions to result in engine stall.the recalled vehicles comprise approximately 43% of the subject vehicle population and account for 75 of the 113 odi reports that have a valid VIN (66%).the voq complaint rate for the recall population is 45/100k while the rate for vehicles outside the recall population is 17/100k and their trend (by date of receipt) is declining.based on the analysis, odi believes ford?s actions are sufficient to address the current safety risks and the investigation is thus closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety related defect does not exist.further action will be taken if warranted by future circumstances.

EA05003

Technical service bulletins for the 2004 Ford F-550 SD 129

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 129 bulletins for the 2004 Ford F-550 SD

What 2004 Ford F-550 SD owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Feb 9, 2016 · Electrical · 155,862 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-550 sd. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle restarted; however, the failure recurred approximately one mile later. The vehicle did not restart and was towed to the contact's job. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness was faulty, melted, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 05v270000 (electrical system). The approximate failure mileage was 155,862.

Filed Oct 13, 2015 · Body · FL · crash · 4 injuries

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-550 super duty. While the link was in the air with a worker located in the bucket, the link fractured without warning. The worker's bucket came down with force causing injury to his head, back, and pelvic area. The worker received medical attention. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact stated that the VIN was included in an equipment manufacturer recall for a link failure, but the contact did not receive a notification. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage and recall number were not available.

Filed Feb 25, 2013 · Engine, Fuel system · 36,000 miles · CT

The truck in question is a 2004 ford f-550 diesel. Upon depressing gas pedal, truck stalled and no longer worked properly. Truck was towed to local ford dealer where it was determined that the fuel tank was suffering from rust inside the tank. Based on the work done, rust particles that formed inside the tank were forced through the fuel pump and filter damaging both and causing an issue with the fuel injectors. I called ford directly to ask about any recalls for this issue and they told me there was no recall currently for this problem. They said the truck was out of warranty and there was nothing they could do about the $3000 bill from their independent dealer. I find it hard to believe that a truck that is not used for plowing and only has 36,000 miles would suffer such a catastrophic failure. The replacement tank was made of some type of plastic not the oem metal tank that was originally used on the truck which made me question the dealer. They said they had seen this happen on tanks of this model quite often so they replaced them with a pvc model. Upon further discussions through blogs and other online resources I was able to find a few owners of the same trucks that had similar problems. These discussions prompted me to file this claim.

Filed Aug 10, 2012 · Fuel system · 45,000 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-550 sd. While driving approximately 45 MPH the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician stated that the turbo charger would have to be replaced. After the repair the failure continued. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer a second time where the fuel pump was replaced but to no avail. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated that the lamination of the fuel tank was peeling and entering the fuel system and the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

Filed Jul 12, 2012 · Engine · CT

2004 f550 diesel. Consumer states vehicle has a faulty head-gasket *tgw the consumer stated the truck would only run for 20 minutes before it overheated. The consumer was informed it cost close to 10,000 to fix the truck.

Filed Jun 1, 2012 · Engine · 30,000 miles · CO

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-550 sd. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the engine stalled without prior warning. The vehicle failed to restart and it was towed to an independent mechanic who stated the failure was contributed to the high pressure oil pump. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. Updated 8/8/12 *cn updated 08/15/2012

Filed Apr 9, 2012 · Fuel system · NY

2004 f550 trucks have the inside gas tanks pain or linen, peeling or delaminating. This cause the motor to stall. Because all the little pieces of paint going to the injectors.for 3 years (2009-2010 and 2011) in a row, we need to fix the problem ourselves costing us $3,500 every time -this year is the same problem. Last year I call ford motor co, and they told me that were not enough complaints to make a recall. But if you check goggle.com and go to 2004 f550 complaint's page you will see hundreds and hundreds of complaints. We bought the truck on dec 2004 and paid for it $56,000- dollars, was not a cheap truck. Also, I were talking to a lot of f550's owners ( most of them landscapers)and they had or have the same problem. So..........ford co is washing the hands, and not doing a recall on this.

Filed Apr 9, 2012 · Fuel system · 47,000 miles · NY

Tl-the contact owns 2004 ford f550 super duty. The contact stated that the fuel tank lining failed and was replaced twice. The failure was not corrected however and the fuel tank lining repeatedly failed, contaminating the fuel system upon each recurrence. The failure was not repaired. The manufacture advised the contact that the fuel lining failure was not a manufacturing defect. The failure mileage was 47,000 and the current mileage was 117,000. Kmj

Filed Jan 5, 2012 · Fuel system · 83,000 miles · WA

Vehicle (2004 diesel f550 truck) was traveling on I-405 during rush hour traffic when the vehicle stalled. Dealer says that the paint/laminate inside the fuel tank is corroding and pieces of debris are being fed into the fuel system causing sudden stalling of vehicle. No off-road diesel has ever been used in the tanks--standard diesel fuel only.

Filed Aug 18, 2011 · Engine · 6,500 miles · OR

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 f-550 sd. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the contact noticed steam coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technicians advised that the turbo had over boosted and caused the engine to fail. The engine was replaced and after the repairs, the contact noticed white smoke from the exhaust pipe and an anti-freeze smell emitting from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic stated that the inner cooler had to be replaced and the head gasket exhibited a leak. The inner cooler was replaced. The approximate failure mileage was 6,500. Updated 10/05/11

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Questions about the 2004 Ford F-550 SD

Is the 2004 Ford F-550 SD reliable?

Owners have filed 49 complaints about the 2004 Ford F-550 SD, 5.4 times a typical F-550 SD model year.

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Ford F-550 SD?

Fuel and propulsion system, with 26 complaints, typically around 44,450 miles. Next is engine (17).

How many recalls does the 2004 Ford F-550 SD have?

2 recalls, covering exterior lighting and electrical system.

What year does the Ford F-550 SD have the most fuel system problems?

The Ford F-550 SD model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2006 (36 complaints), 2004 (26 complaints) and 2005 (20 complaints).

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