Cruise Control problems of the 2004 Ford Explorer

Engine dies when driving with cruise control operating and heading down slight hill at speed of around 35 mph. Cruise is designed to maintain driving speed going down the hill (up or down hill for that matter). The tachometer indicates a slowing of engine rpm. At higher speeds, the slowing of rpm does not fall too low. However, at the slower speed around 35mph, the rpm drops below 500 rpm and the engine stalls. I lose power steering and breaks. I have a difficult time steering and breaking. This is a safety problem on a curve or if a red light is ahead. I can't steer the car on the curve. I may not be able to stop the car at the traffic light and end up in an intersection and be hit by vehicles with a green light. I may hit a car in front of me that has stopped at a light or stop sign. I may not be able to stop for a pedestrian crossing at the intersection (with the light). I may not be able to avoid a child . . . Who darts into the roadway. This is a problem for many owners of the 2004 Explorer. There are many complaints about it on the web. It is a problem that has been noted for years. I complained about it to dealers several times. Dealers dismissed it as nothing can be found, replicated or just not a problem. It is time to recalll the vehicle to fix this safety problem. This is an ongoing problem. I try to avoid using cruise control control at the 35mph range. It seems ok at highway speeds. The last of many instances was in November 2020. The problem first happened when there about 30,000 miles on the car.

In 2004 Ford Explorer with v8, the cruise control turns off engine when traveling 35~45 mph and going down a hill or decline. This affects power steering and brakes making it difficult to control and slow down the vehicle. This has happened repeatedly for the past 10 years, so I am used to this defect. My workaround is to put the vehicle in neutral and restart the vehicle and then continue.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While driving 55 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle lost power steering and braking, which resulted in a crash. All the warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. A police report was filed. There was one injury that required medical attention. The contact was treated for second degree burns. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

While driving down the street I activated the cruise control feature, but when I deexcellerated using the the steering wheel cruise control buttons down to a speed below 40, the engine shut off and power steering off, while I was still in motion on the street. I had to put the vehicle into park and crank up again (which almost didn't crank back up), to get back running. This is the first time using my cruise control feature and have read other horror stories of their Ford Explorer shutting off mid drive due to using the decel button during cruise control. Must be recalled for highway and interstate safety hazard immediately.

This is a county govt vehicle purchased used from a dealer about 2 years ago. I had been highway driving for about 3-4 hours at speeds between 55-70 mph. I made one brief stop during that time, and was mostly using cruise control. Just prior to the incident, the speed limit drops from 70 to 55, and then to 35 in a relatively short distance. I used the cruise control coast to reduce my speed from 55 to 35. The 35 mph speed starts on a bridge- there is a small incline and then a little larger decline. At about the base of the bridge, the engine shut off, I lost steering and coasted to a stop. I don't recall if I had braking. I was with a passenger; it was night, and this occurred in an area that was not safe. I tried restarting the car, and it restarted with no problem. I drove to a nearby gas station. The power steering fluid was low, so I filled that, restarted, and drove the remaining 1 1/2 hrs with no problems. Other employees continued to drive over the next 2 1/2 months locally-very little highway driving, with no issues. On February 21, I was returning from a trip in this vehicle from the same area, with the same circumstances as above. When I was still on the bridge where the speed drops to 35, the engine shut off again. This time I was alone. There was a vehicle following very close behind me but fortunately I continued to coast as this was on the decline of the bridge. I was able to steer slightly to get off the highway. The check gauges; check engine, and battery warning lights were all on. The car restarted with no problems. I drove to the same gas station; checked the gauges-all were normal and no warning lights. I drove the 1 1/2 hrs remaining with no problems. On a web search, I found multiple cases of very similar problems on Explorers with no resolution. I could find no recalls on the VIN. This is an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal problem.

When setting cruise control at around 35 to 40 mph the engine dies. The power steering stops working and is very difficult to steer out of traffic. Turn the vehicle off and then it will restart and run until you try to set the cruise again.

I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden my transmission started slipping and the cruise control kicked it because the vehicle started to slow down so it went into high rpms then the transmission grabbed and shot the vehicle forward and I lost control and we spun in circles off the freeway. Had it not of rained all day the SUV would have flipped. Now my transmission is leaking fluid and it must be repaired by dealership or garage only and I cannot afford this repair and I see that there is a major problem these transmissions in these vehicles and me my child or my husband could have been badly hurt if not killed had this been on dry pavement!!!.

Traveling with the cruise control set at approximately 58 mph, traffic 100 - 120 feet in front of the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. Pressed the brake to disengage the cruise control and started applying pressure to the brake pedal. The vehicle seemed to initially start to slow, however, as we approached the stopped traffic, the engine continued to rev and we could not stop, causing us to hit the rear-end of the vehicle in front of us. The vehicle we hit moved forward a few feet and we hit the rear-end again as the Explorer's engine continued to rev and drive us forward even with constant pressure applied to the brake pedal. After the second collision, we were able to pull the Explorer off to the side of a road, notify the police, and file a accident report. The Explorer has not yet been taken to the dealership to evaluate what had happened.

While driving, the cruise control stopped working and car stalled. At the same time the abs light comes off and on.

The engine shuts off while using the cruise control.

My 2004 Ford Explorer has had a problem since it was new where the cruise control (speed control) would disengage on its own and at the same time kill the engine. The dealerships could not make it happen again and have never been able to fix the problem. It does it much more often at speeds less than 50 mph, so I don't use the cruise at slower speeds; however, it has now started doing it above 50 mph and the abs light also comes on occasionally. This situation is extremely dangerous because when the engive dies your power-steering no longer works and steering is very difficult. It sounds to me like this should be included in a recall.

I have a 2004 Ford Explorer (v8 eddie bauer) I recently ran into a strange situation. I set the cruise control at 35 mph and as I was going down a small hill, the car stalled. I put it into neutral and it started with no problem at all. It is very dangerous when the 2004 Explorer stalls whenever the cruise control is set and it is going at a slow speed.

When you engage cruise control it shuts down the engine.

On December 17, 2008 at around 6:50 a. M. , I was driving my wife to work. We live in a quiet village type residential area. After two minutes or so after I pulled out of our driveway, my 2004 Ford Explorer suddenly accelerated at a very high speed, without my stepping on the gas pedal. I estimate the vehicle reached 45 mph or more in a very short span of time, and apparently increasing. The vehicle speed was out of my control for 3 seconds or more, despite my foot being away from the accelerator. At first I thought I was skidding on black ice, but I realized this couldn't be because the engine was increasingly roaring and getting louder as I gained speed. It reminded me of the sensation when cruise control picks up speed on the freeway. Besides, I wasn't losing control of the steering wheel. It felt like my gas pedal was not only stuck, but was being pressed even further more. When I realized I wasn't skidding, I quickly applied the brakes and vehicle slowed down. Good thing, the street was deserted. The most significant memory was the sudden roaring of the engine and the rapid acceleration despite my foot being off the gas pedal. The temperature outside was 38f, with a slight drizzle.

I have discovered that my 2004 Ford limited v8 cruise control can kill the engine while the car is in motion. I have been using the coast button on my cruise control to reduce speed as I approach a speed sign lower than my existing speed. If I hold the button as the car slows to a speed below 35mph (approximate) the engine quits leaving me with no power steering or vacuum braking. I've tried it several time and the fault is consistent. Whenever the car slows to below the minimum cruise control the device should disengage, not stall the engine. I think this is a serious issue and owners should be aware of it.

When driving the vehicle will properly engage the cruise control. If you press the accelerate or decelerate buttons the engine will shut off while the vehicle is still moving. This occurs every time the cruise control system is used. The vehicle becomes very difficult to control and stop when the engine shuts off as the vehicle is moving. I have stopped using the cruise control as I am afraid for the safety of my family. I have not repaired this problem as I thought it was a Ford defect and subsequently used your website to search for recalls. No recalls or current investigations are currently listed regarding this problem. Please investigate this issue so that Ford may repair it.

I own a 2004 Ford Explorer XLT. When I attempt to use my cruise control around 30 -35 mph my vehicle turns off and all the gauges turn on. The first time it occurred I was on a curve going about 32 mph and I nearly ran head on to the car in the only lane because you loose power steering and it gets difficult. Everytime I have to pull over and turn the vehicle back on. It only happens at this speeds and driving on a military post where the speed limit is 30mph can be dangerous.

Parked car outside garage @ 23:00 hours. Approx. 01:15 am neighbors were banging on our windows to wake us up saying our car and house were on fire.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The cruise control switch was disconnected on October 16, 2007 under recall number 05s28. The dealer stated that the part may not be available until March of 2008. The contact felt that this was an unreasonable amount of time for the repair. There had been no failure to date. The current mileage was 74,000.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While driving 65 mph with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle shut off completely. The contact was able to pull off the road and restart the vehicle. The vehicle has not been to the dealer. The current mileage was 33,300 and failure mileage was 32,900.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While driving 30-40 mph, the engine stalls and the brakes fail without warning. The dealer suggested that the throttle body could be the cause of failure. The contact stated that whenever the coast button is pressed, the engine shuts down completely. The VIN was unknown. The current mileage was 82,000 and failure mileage was 81,000.

The vehicle is a 2004 Ford Explorer. When I set the cruise control at certain speeds it sometimes shuts the engine off. Ford has done nothing to correct the problem. They tell me that they cannot duplicate the problem. I have taken three of their technicians in the car with me and shown them that it shuts the engine off. However, they say they don't know what causes it. Even though this problem has existed since the first day I owned the CA, they now want me to pay to diagnose and fix it.

Vehicle was parked in a parking garage and the attendant saw smoke coming from the roof of the vehicle, and it automatically burned while parked.

When using the cruise control engine stalled. Consumer contacted the dealership and the manufacturer, and was told that they were aware of the defect. However, they were unable to correct the defect.