2004 Ford Expedition problems & reliability
296 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Ford Expedition. 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.
35 complaints report injuries (58 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Ford Expedition vehicles were involved in 116 fatal crashes with 96 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 45 | 15% |
| Electrical System | 36 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 34 | 11% |
| Engine | 29 | 10% |
| Power Train | 27 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 26 | 9% |
| Tires | 26 | 9% |
| Structure | 24 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 19 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 79,000 miles (middle 50% between 30,000 and 120,000 miles), based on 221 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. The contact recently purchased the vehicle and stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission hesitated before upshifting with the accelerator pedal depressed. Additionally, while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle rolled backwards when the accelerator…”
Engine · filed Mar 5, 2026
“The contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the turn signals, the hazard lights, and the cigarette lighter had become inoperable. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 6, 2025
“Just bought this truck I have no idea what has or has not been resolved, very poor lighting I noticed and there's a click noise coming from? It just clicks and clicks and clicks. Thanks”
Exterior Lighting · filed Jan 14, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STEEL WHEEL FRACTURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE08070 · opened Dec 9, 2008 · closed Apr 15, 2009
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
91 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Ford Expedition. The 10 most recent:
This article supersedes TSB 22-2219 to update the Parts List and Service Procedure to clarify applicable steps by vehicle application. Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles…
TSB 24-2188 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 24, 2024
For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle…
SSM 51536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2023
Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles equipped with 4WD may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the…
TSB 22-2219 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 21, 2022
Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 vehicles equipped with TOD transfer cases may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the…
TSB 20-2307 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 16, 2020
This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled…
TSB 20-2233 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 13, 2020
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Ford: some vehicles may exhibit oil separation from the internal lube found in the unitized cartridge seal. Oil separation appears to be and is often misdiagnosed, as an axle lube leak. *pe
TSB-08-19-3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2009
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · 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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2004 Ford Expedition in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 Expedition?
- · 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 79,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.