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2004 Ford F-650 SD problems

The most common problem on the 2004 Ford F-650 SD is engine and cooling. It has 3.3 times the complaints of a typical F-650 SD model year.

Typical year3.3x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
10
Recalls
2
Service bulletins
61
Worst area
Engine

The worst 2004 Ford F-650 SD problems

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

  • Engine
    4
  • Brakes
    2
  • Tires
    2
  • Body
    1
  • Electrical
    1

Problems by type

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

  • Engine
    4
  • Brakes
    2
  • Tires
    2
  • Body
    1
  • Electrical
    1
  • Suspension
    1

Recalls 2

Service brakes, airReported August 28, 2003 · 97 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Certain medium duty chassis cabs fail to comply to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 121, "air brake systems." the air brake lines may be misrouted between the primary and secondary reservoir tanks of the air brake system.
Risk
If the air brake lines are misrouted, and the air brake system experiences a loss of air from the primary air tank, the vehicle will not have service air bake function, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will inspect the air brake line routing and if necessary, repair the vehicle. Owner notification began on september 12, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1‑800‑248‑0186.

Recall number 03V319000 · Recall details

Equipment: other: labelsReported August 5, 2003 · 1,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Certain medium duty chassis cabs fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars." the tire placard label and incomplete vehicle label may have incorrect metric (kpa) tire pressure information (tire inflation pressure shown in english units (psi) is correct), and transposed tire size and rim size information.
Remedy
Owners will be sent corrected labels with instructions for installation. Owner notification began august 8, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.

Recall number 03V283000 · Recall details

See all 2 recalls for the 2004 Ford F-650 SD

Technical service bulletins for the 2004 Ford F-650 SD 61

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

See all 61 bulletins for the 2004 Ford F-650 SD

What 2004 Ford F-650 SD owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Aug 8, 2024 · Body, Engine · NC · 1 injury

The contact works for a trucking company that owns a 2004 Ford F-650 SD 3-Ton Commercial Vehicle. The contact stated that the gear shifter rubber boot was not securely mounted onto the floorboard, resulting in a gap that allowed the driver to see underneath the vehicle. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a strong engine oil odor and carbon monoxide odor entering the cabin through the gap in the floorboard. The contact stated that he had headaches due to the failure. The contact notified an independent Diesel mechanic of the engine oil leak, but the mechanic declined to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer safe to drive and should no longer be driven on the road. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Aug 15, 2008 · Electrical · 6,000 miles · NM

Lights on the unit will just shut of randomly I bought this new aug 24 2007 dealer looked at it said its a ford issue I contacted ford to get repaired ford says it is out of warranty. The dealer had to send in a form on line to get warranty started takes 7 working days they said. I have waited 2 weeks and still no way to fit it fixed called ford in dearborn they wont do anything for me as there system is running slow. I still have no head lights that will stay on.

Filed Feb 5, 2007 · Tires · MO

Hankook tires are being installed on vehicles which require a load range higher than a passenger tire p235/r16 sl. These vehicles weigh in at 24,000 lbs gvw and at times can be overloaded. They also do not take into account the 5% safety factor since the rears are on duals. Tires were wearing extremely fast and some were developing separations in the tread and sidewall areas as well as a number of them blew out. It was recommends they move to a radial truck tire lr e and they were convinced this was the way to go since they would have a retreadable casing and more carrying capacity. I installed goodyear radial lt on all six positions. I was chastised along with my assistant for doing so by (shawnee mission ford) for putting radial truck tires on which would last three times as long and cut into their purchases which they had a quota based on a ford motor company program that pushed tire sales. Failure to meet the objective created consternation within the local dealer as they sold this account more tires than any other and it would cut into their tire sales by 1/3 according to the service manager. Their goal and I quote "we are here to sell and you [xxx] well better never pull a stunt like that again." the account using the tires was running box vans used for delivery of magazines via interstate and state highways. I advised them this was not approved and could prove hazardous. They said we let shawnee mission ford handle our vehicle needs and trust they are putting on adequate tires. They were not and are still not. I will have pictures of vehicles and trucks wednesday via e-mail to you. *nm information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Nov 22, 2006 · Tires · 125,000 miles · CA

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the rear left inside tire blew out. The road was clear of debris. The vehicle was driven off to the side of the road, then driven to an independent tire shop where a used tire replaced the failed tire. Most of the separated tread was left on the side of the highway. The failed tire was only three weeks old. When the service dealer was notified, the contact was informed the tire distributor needed to be contacted and if the distributor would provide a credit, it would be passed on to the contact.

Filed Aug 31, 2006 · Engine · 71,000 miles · CA

Dt*: the contact stated while exiting a driveway between 5 -15 MPH the engine started smoking and making a knocking sound. The service dealer determined that the engine's o-ring pistons were defective and the engine may need to be replaced. The check engine light was not illuminated.

Filed Aug 9, 2005 · Brakes · 20,341 miles · LA

2004 f650 tow truck brakes keep eating rotor had to replace whole driver side brake system 2 times , we only got 13,8888 miles on the first brake job.

Filed May 23, 2005 · Engine · 9,000 miles · NY

Vehicle stalled on 2 separate occasions while driving. Dealership was unable to indicate the cause of the failure. Vehicle was at the dealership for the last 2 weeks due to the failure.*ak *bf

Filed Oct 14, 2004 · Engine · 8,500 miles · TX

Ford f650. 17,000 miles on truck, had since new. Been in shop for performance, power, and fuel economy issue`s 4 out of 6 weeks. C7 300 h.p. Caterpillar engine. Cat admits known issue with computer not able to correctly tell engine proper fuel measurements. Engine wear masks proper alignment. Down time has lost me business and money. Federal motor carrier 494973. Cat put new engine in at 23,000 miles, telling me engine was not issue, and was clearly a computer and engine combo issue. I have asked for money back on truck. They continue to say lets look at again. I have told my customers no to many times, and am now not getting the opportunity to tell them anymore. I do not want to be the beta test truck. It doesn`t pay. No compensation being offered. No calls from ford motor co.

Filed May 13, 2004 · Suspension · 3 miles · MD

This truck has a terrible vibration starting at 53 and going thru 65 then the intensity lessons but continues. Shift of transmission is almost impossible at time, front end has problems including wearing of tired in 29960 miles.

Filed Sep 23, 2003 · Brakes · MD

Consumer stated that for the last six months ABS indicator light has been flashing. Dealer has been contacted.

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Questions about the 2004 Ford F-650 SD

Is the 2004 Ford F-650 SD reliable?

Owners have filed 10 complaints about the 2004 Ford F-650 SD, 3.3 times a typical F-650 SD model year.

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Ford F-650 SD?

Engine and cooling, with 4 complaints. Next is brakes (2).

How many recalls does the 2004 Ford F-650 SD have?

2 recalls, covering service brakes, air and equipment.

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