40 problems related to power train have been reported for the 2004 Ford Explorer. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2004 Ford Explorer based on all problems reported for the 2004 Explorer.
My 2004 Ford Explorer has recently and quickly began shifting very badly. I always come to a complete stop and shift into neutral before shifting into reverse or drive because when shifting into reverse from p or d, it always takes a while, then clunks aggressively into place. While driving sometimes downshifting will also clunk into place. This issue has been reported by countless other drivers and has caused many potentially dangerous situations. From accelerating slowly then banging gears and taking off, to stuttering while trying to accelerate, or even switching into reverse while parking, and having the car try to jump back a few inches is only a few issues this problem has caused myself and countless others. People are replacing transmissions left and right to no avail, only a few 10 thousand miles after installing new transmissions, their car starts to experience the same issues as before. At low speeds and in parking lots this becomes a game of luck as you accelerate more than necessary to try to get going, then stopping and waiting a few seconds while you shift to neutral before shifting to reverse as fear of it banging into gear as you try to maneuver your car around people and other parked cars becomes a more dangerous task than it should be. In sum, while stationary, slow speed, or just cruising, the transmission while shifting gears, or shifting into reverse/drive, sometimes wants to bang into gear or lose power, or delay shifting only to bang into gear moments later. Some issues when taking cars into repair is finding metal transmission shavings where they shouldnt be! finally, the excessive banging can also damage the engine over time in addition to the transmission. . Read more...
Well we just bought this Explorer and just as I have read from others on this website our Explorer is doing similar things. Such as shifting in reverse takes 3-7 seconds to take hold, going up the mountains the SUV had major kickbacks and jerks. I have not taken to dealership as of now. Will make an apt. And put results later.
My steering column broke right off! trying to put it in drive @99,735 mi. Had to tow it to shop, and replace the steering column. I see other people had this same problem. There should be a recall for this!!! I also had to replace the transmission @ 103,000 miles it would skip 3rd gear. Seems everyone else has to replace the transmission. Also back bearings!! what a disgrace. Recall this disgraceful workmanship! no honor!.
It slippes and won't just take off some take offbut the SUV sits and when it does takebodf you have to let your foot up off the gas to get it to shift.
Transmission shifts harder and shakes the entire SUV. When I press the gas and get to about 35-40 it will start knocking really bad and feels like it's losing power. When I stop the exact same thing happens with the knocking. I was going 35 around a slight curve on I-45 freeway by little york shepard gulf bank area to be exact and the SUV was driving fine. I was just getting onto the freeway at this time. Hints the reason I'm not going so face. When I started picking up speed the transmission jerked so hard I flew into the next lane. Luckily no one was around me but image if I was in traffic and this happen.
I have already put a complaint in about my throttle body issue. This evening I went about a mile and a half, and my wrench light came on and my truck started to not to be able to move. I pulled over, turned it off. Waited a bit and restarted it. This time it took a bit to get it to start up. I then proceeded to go back home because of how it was acting a mile and a half after driving, not often two minutes later it happens again, and the engine started chugging, I couldn't move, and I almost got rear ended again! I then again turned it off and waited and then started the truck up. It took sometime once again to start. I finally made it back home in tears. I was able to get codes off, since I picked a up a code raffia few days prior. I got code p2104, p2111, and p2112. This issue needs to be addressed. I will be calling Ford tomorrow!.
When driving my 2004 Ford Explorer started making a grinding and humming noise on the left front of driver side tire area. Abs and 4x4 high lights came on instrument panel. Truck felt like it was going into 4x4 mode on its own and braking felt like abs system failed. Took it to a Ford dealership and I was told that both front wheel bearings needed to be replaced at a cost of $1053. Since this truck uses sensors and traction control the sensor on the left driver side had gone out causing this feature no longer to work. It is a good thing this did not result in an accident since the vehicle was going into 4x4 mode on it's own and the brakes abs no longer functioned. Just a quick search online will result in many found issues regarding this that Ford has not done a recall on yet. What is it going to take to get Ford to stand behind the safety of trucks they sell?.
When driving and you then shifting from drive to reverse it goes into reverse hard. Sometimes it eases into gear and other times it is very hard. I thought well maybe it was me did my foot slip off brake or something?? it wasn't that I made a very conscious effort to make sure I did it correctly and still had the same problems. I also noticed that the vehicle doesn't shift from drive to park correctly kind of stops you before entering park then will go in after you were denied the gear the first time. Currently still dealing with this was hoping there was a recall for either issue.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the transmission seized. The contact stated that when the accelerator was depressed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gears failed to shift and the transmission had to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.
This is the second occurrence of this event. First one failed at 90,000 3 years ago. This was a rebuild Ford transmission installed by the dealer. It failed again, this time the car was able to get safely to the side of the road, safety was an issue as it was not a movable car and stranded on side of busy road.
When I shift into reverse it takes a few seconds to shift gear and when it shifts into gear it feels like the transmission fell on the ground . There's a big jolt right before it shifts into reverse.
I was driving interstate 64 getting off the exist going around the ramp and a knocking noise started as I rounded the curb, then oil pressure dropped, my power was gone and, I barely made it off the ramp, but luckily the vehicle had enough speed to coast the curb to get to a safe place to stop. Upon having it checked out by a local mechanic he suggested that the engine and oil pump needed to be replaced? as a single mother I don't have the money for the repairs, and from others complaints that I've seen it makes me wonder if its worth the trouble to find another engine and will it happen again. I thought had found a good vehicle that only lasted a few months. . . Feeling irritated. . . Get it together Ford because this 2004 Explorer is trouble!! was this just a test dummy model to see what problems would come of it??? we want and need answers to these problems. We're spending so much hard earned money on a vehicle that has more problems that keeps happening often.
This is the second Ford Explorer I have owned and both of them had the same transmission problems. Yet Ford has no recall or even anything to fix them except $3,000. 00 to a dealer out of you pocket for their mistake. I guess since no one has been proven to have gotten injured or died due to this issue, then there won't be a recall made on it. This is totally unsatisfactory for the Ford motor CO. Because they have workers that screw up, the consumer ends up footing the large bill of repairing it. There is a known problem with the transmissions of these Explorers from 2000 - 2005 yet no one seems to want to address it. Ford motor should be ashamed of putting such faulty vehicles out on the road and endangering another humans life for their profit. This is the last time I will buy and Ford product and I will encourage everyone I know not to buy Ford either. I wonder how Ford would like the media exposure for this issue. No good customer service or product.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that when he attempted to shift gears, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact believed the transmission was defective however, the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 115,000.
Tl - the contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after having some unrelated repairs performed on the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shift out of park and when it did, the vehicle could only be operated in third gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 123,000. Kmj.
While putting the car in reverse in the parking lot the gear shift completely snapped off and the car was stuck in reverse. The keys were stuck in the ignition and I couldn't turn the car off. I had to put the emergency brake on and call for help on my cell phone. When help arrived after a couple of hours they were able to manuever what was left of the gear shift enough to put the car back in park and turn the car off. I called the Ford customer service division and spoke with a representative named [xxx], he preceded to tell me that Ford has never heard of such a problem and that he couldn't help me. He said there are currently no recalls available for this part. I searched the internet and found hundreds of the same complaint on Fords and advised [xxx] and again he said Ford has never heard of such a problem. I am relieved that it happened in a parking lot and it didn't cause an accident. Ford should be ashamed of themselves and their shoddy workmanship and take the necessary steps to resolve this problem. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle shook. Upon inspection, the driver noticed that the rear passenger side lug nuts had loosened and the tire was only being held in place by one lug nut. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred on the rear driver side tire but in this occasion the tire detached while driving 70 mph. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into third gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the transmission, studs, log nuts, rotors, and tires needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 124,000 and the current mileage was 132,000.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 55mph the transmission down shifted to first gear causing the vehicle to slow down and the rear tires to drag. The contact was able to shift gears which brought the vehicle back to speed as he merged into a rest area. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure and current mileage was 136,000.
Tl- the contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While driving at approximately 25 mph the over drive warning light illuminated intermittently on the instrument panel. The contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road and shut the vehicle off. After restarting the vehicle the light continued to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician stated the transmission would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000. Dr.
I left work on Friday when shifted from reverse to drive noticed I had a hesitation/slippage of gears in the middle of the road. I picked up my children went to the store noticed a mild burnt smell which I was told was transmission fluid burning so I was told to park the car. I finished my shopping came out got the kids in their seats started to back up and had no transmission. My kids and I were stranded 8 miles from home because we had no fair warning that it was going. I had never had any issues with it before. The guy I bought it from had replaced the transmission 2 years before I bought it. Ford needs to issue a recall and get things like this fixed. My kids and I could have been seriously injured has that happened on the road on the way home instead of in a parking lot.
Transmission went at 74,000 miles.
Transmission shifts very hard so bad that it jerks me and my children's heads forward when it happens. This occurs the worst when going into reverse and into 2nd and 3rd gears. Brakes lock up/stick after being pressed for 3 seconds.
After starting vehicle and moving shift lever from park to reverse - rotating shift handle mount broke off- required towing and $1800 repair cost. Have seen similar instances on consumer complaint boards - Ford fails to recognize as being a safety manufacturing defect.
Transmission and throttle body failed.
Tl-the contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate from stops. The failure occurred while in drive or reverse. The contact also stated that the vehicle jerked violently while shifting gears. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 75,000. Sm.
There was a noticeably jerk and the o/t off light came on with the computer saying to "check transmission". The transmission mechanic said replace the transmission.
Transmission was working just fine till one day it wouldn't shift into overdrive and then it was shifting hard from 2nd to 3rd. Rear window hinges broke. Rear tail gate cracked right down the middle by Ford symbol. Also just the other day my passenger window stopped working no signs nothing of anything wrong. I'm going to start buying chevy this is just unexceptable. No wounder America is not doing good our car company's can't make good products anymore.
The transmissions for Ford Explorers have about a 10% failure rate. The safety issue is that the car may not accelerate when needed. The transmission acts as though it is in neutral when shifting from second to third gears. The symptom also appears during normal acceleration (merging onto highways, trying to pass other vehicles). The danger is that you may not be able move out of the way of other vehicles. We have not been hit, but we no longer drive this vehicle on the highway. We expect a total failure at any moment, and do not want to be in a situation where the vehicle will need to be towed for a large number of miles. This vehicle is unsafe, and unreliable. Ford should fix this product, much like Honda did for their 2003 Acura tl.
Wife and kids where driving home and the tranny started kicking in and out of gear (slipping). It jerked into first at the stoplight in town.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that when shifting into reverse, the vehicle would not respond. When shifting, the vehicle would sporadically engage backward rapidly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test and advised that there was not a sufficient amount of transmission fluid in the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but would not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 67,000 and the current mileage was 76,602.
2004 Ford Explorer with 54k miles has slip in transmission when shifted from park to reverse and will slip when the transmission shifts automatically. It catches and will produce a loud bump. It takes several seconds to catch when shifted to reverse.
Tl-the contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph the vehicle would drop acceleration down to 20 mph and would not go any faster. The contact also stated that the vehicle would not shift into reverse. This failure has occurred twice over the a period of six years and the vehicles transmittion has been replaced twice. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 22,000. Rg.
In 2005 I purchased a 2004 Ford exxltspnbx 11900 from herz car sales. Just few month after that I experienced the first of 20 critical engine shutdowns that I experienced up to now. 2. The failure is that the engine of my car turns off spontaneously at speeds between 50 and 70 mph. The consequences are: - sudden loss of power - sudden loss of steering servo, I. E. A sharp sideways kick if the car is in a curve - sudden loss of braking power - the need to shift to neutral and restart the engine, with the danger to shift to 'r' or even 'p' in panic, and to lock up the steering wheel at full speed (!!!) panic is the right word for the feeling my wife and I have experienced in every occurrence of this failure. 3. After the first two failures I brought the car to a Ford dealership. The car was still under factory warranty, but the workshop couldn't localize the problem. They test-drove he car for 200 miles and concluded he car was ok, in spite of the fact that I told them that I had two events in 20,000 miles. The total frequency has been by now once in every 2,500 miles, on average. The shutdown seems to be occurring with the cruise control on, more likely on slight downhill slopes. 3. No solution for this problem so far.
First had my transmission looked at in may 2008 where it was slipping into reverse and jolting the vehicle, which had only 44133 miles. Had it looked at my a Ford dealer that told me there was nothing wrong. Now in may 2012 at 110,000 miles my transmission was re-looked at for slipping into first and second gear. Which at this time I was told that I needed a new transmission and yet I am still making payments. Ford complaint line tells me they are not doing anything to resolve this problem at this time and now me and my 3 children are without a vehicle because my transmission had now completely failed and the vehicle remains in a store parking lot broke down. Thanks Ford!.
The back hatch has a crack underneath the window in the middle around the Ford emblem. Just appeared. . . . As I've noticed several Ford 2004 Explorers in this area have the exact same defect. Recall is very much necessary. As well as the car jolting into drive and reverse. . . . I still owe several thousand dollars on this loan and refuse to pay for any repairs. . . . Ford should do a recall on both. . . They need to hire some japanese workers since their cars seem not to have these types of issues. . . . . I bought this car in Feb of 2008 and had the transmission problems right after that. . . . . Car only had 48k miles on it.