2004 Ford E-350 problems & reliability
46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Ford E-350, alongside 9 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (18 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Ford E-350 vehicles were involved in 11 fatal crashes with 7 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Diesel → | 13 | 28% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 10 | 22% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 11% |
| Power Train | 5 | 11% |
| Equipment | 4 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 9% |
| Tires | 4 | 9% |
| Engine | 3 | 7% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 7% |
| Structure | 3 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 20 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 29 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 52,000 miles (middle 50% between 30,000 and 100,699 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“At 68,450 miles, several issues occurred: 1) oil pressure switch blew out of the housing, 2) oil was visible in coolant, 3) oil was leaking from engine, 4) idle vacillated up and down w/o any action on part of the user. Took van to dealer, who claimed to have repaired these items. Inspection of the "repaired vehicle"…”
Engine · filed Aug 21, 2017
“All gauges stop working when it rains but starts and runs ok. Power windows do not work when it rains but starts and runs ok.”
Electrical System · filed Nov 30, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford e-350. While driving approximately 25 mph, the front air bags deployed without warning. The contact sustained burns on both forearms, but did not receive medical attention. There was no police report filed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or diagnosed. The manufacturer was not…”
Air Bags · filed Jun 24, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- HVAC Switch Failures
Engineering Analysis EA10003 · opened Apr 13, 2010 · closed Mar 5, 2012
- HVAC Switch Failures
Preliminary Evaluation PE09055 · opened Dec 7, 2009 · closed Apr 21, 2010
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
83 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Ford E-350. The 10 most recent:
When performing any transmission fluid changes or topoffs involving MERCON SP, MERCON LV has replaced all versions of MERCON SP and can be used going forward. Mixing MERCON LV and MERCON SP in the same transmission is…
SSM 51909 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 7, 2023
This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the…
DOR-X8B9R-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2018
Ford: when shifting between park, reverse and/or during 2-3 shift, an intermittent clunk occurs with a torqshift transmission. Model 2003-2014 f-super duty, e series, excursion, f-53 motorhome chassis, low cab forward…
ASI-44534 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2014
Ford: on some trucks, there is a no crank situation and if voltage on transmission range sensor at pin 21, is less than 5 volts, disconnect the engine cooling fan clutch, electronically, and recheck voltage. Model…
ASI-44404 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2014
Ford: runs rough, lacks power, hard start, no start. Some vehicles and trucks equipped with 6.0l engine may exhibit a runs rough, lacks power, hard to start, no start concern with or without diagnostic trouble code…
TSB-10-12-6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 11, 2010
Ford: some vehicles with diesel engines may experience no starts, hard starts or rough running when cold and may be accompanied with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0611, p1378 and/or all 8 injector circuit codes. *pe
TSB-08-26-3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2009
Ford: some vehicles equipped with 6.0l diesel engine may exhibit any one or combination of the following concerns-lack of power, white/black smoke or a surge. *pe
TSB-08-16-13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2009
Ford trucks: misfire, lack of power, buck/jerk, excessive smoke, crank/no start-diagnostics for fuel system. There are several potential causes for these symptoms. *pe
TSB-08-20-1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 20, 2009
6.0l turbocharger carbon deposit diagnostics and service tips. *nj updated 5/29/08. *nj
08-2-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2008
6.0l--mil on--p0401, p0402, p0404, p1335--lack of power or surge with some 2003-2007 f-super duty, 2003-2005 excursion and 2004-2008 e-series vehicles. *nj
07219 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2004 Ford E-350 has 9 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2004 Ford E-350?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 52,000 miles — worth a pre-purchase inspection if the car is near that mileage.