2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems & reliability
86 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. 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.
13 complaints report injuries (18 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac vehicles were involved in 39 fatal crashes with 24 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 14 | 16% |
| Air Bags | 13 | 15% |
| Power Train | 13 | 15% |
| Structure | 9 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 8% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 8% |
| Tires | 6 | 7% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 5% |
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 59,544 miles (middle 50% between 28,000 and 90,000 miles), based on 61 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“All four side curtain airbags deployed while I was driving my car in a parking lot. There was no collision and no reason whatsoever for the airbags to deploy. The airbags in the dash did not deploy. The airbag hit me in the side of the head and shrapnel from the airbag, hit me in the face and eyes and knocked me…”
Air Bags · filed Jun 5, 2024
“The body of my 2004 ford explorer sport trac xlt has rivets on the top of the roof that hold water. Instead of being a flat surface where rain can naturally fall off the top of the roof it sits in these rivets and accumulates rust. This leads to a lot more problems.”
Structure · filed Jan 14, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer sport trac. The contact stated that the driver and front passenger seat belts failed to retract and lock in position. The contact called sanders ford (located at 1006 w corbrelt ave, swansboro, nc 28584, 910-326-1801) and was informed that the seat belts were no longer covered…”
Seat Belts · filed Oct 10, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS
Preliminary Evaluation PE09020 · opened Apr 21, 2009 · closed Aug 19, 2009
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
28 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The 10 most recent:
Neutral tow capability - service kit requirements. *tt
0645 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Neutral tow capability -- service kit requirements. *tt
05252 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
IRREGULAR TIRE WEAR. *SC
05-11-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 11, 2005
Steering shudder during low speed maneuvers - 4.0l engine. *tt
0427 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 7, 2005
Malfunction indicator lamp coming on with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0171, p0172, p0174 and/or p0175 (fuel system too rich or lean). *tt
18719 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2005
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
Improperly formulated transmission fluid that, over time, may cause delayed/harsh reverse engagements. Customer satisfaction program 04b22. 5r55s/e & 5r44e transmission fluid additive. *tt supplement #1. *tt supplement…
04B22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 2005
No 3rd gear, dtc p0733 (3rd gear incorrect ratio) and flashing tcil - vehicles built prior to 9/23/2004. *tt
05611 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005
Front axle leaks fluid from vent tube - vehicles equipped with 4x4 or awd. *tt
030508 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005
Vibration diagnosis - tire/wheel runout. *tt
052624 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
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 Explorer Sport Trac 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 Explorer Sport Trac?
- · 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 59,544 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.