2004 Ford F-150 Reliability
The 2004 Ford F-150 has 2,036 owner complaints and 16 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about visibility / wipers and powertrain / transmission. Compared with nearby F-150 model years (2002–2006), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the F-150's typical year, while the 2003 has a cleaner record.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
2,036
NHTSA owner complaints
16
Recall campaigns
75
Complaints citing a crash
40
Complaints citing a fire
2004 Ford F-150 complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 model year, filed between 2003 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility / wipers | 866 | 43% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 233 | 11% |
| Engine & cooling | 169 | 8% |
| Service brakes | 122 | 6% |
| Suspension | 118 | 6% |
| Body structure | 104 | 5% |
| Electrical system | 100 | 5% |
| Engine | 92 | 5% |
2004 Ford F-150 recalls
16 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2004 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04V200000 | Apr 26, 2004 | Fuel system — storage / tank assembly | Certain pickup trucks may have a fuel tank with localized depressions in the fuel tank wall at the seam between top and bottom halves of the tank. If a depression is large enough, fuel may permeate the fuel tank wall resulting in a fuel odor, or the "service… |
| 04V443000 | Sep 13, 2004 | Fuel system — storage / tank assembly / mounting | On certain trucks equipped with 4.2l, 4.6l and 5.4l gasoline engines, the fuel tank may have a depression at the seam between the top and bottom halves of the tank. If a depression is large enough, fuel may permeate the fuel tank wall resulting in a fuel… |
| 06E023000 | Mar 13, 2006 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Certain anzo combination headlamp assemblies sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps are not equipped with amber side reflectors which fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps,… |
| 06E052000 | Jun 12, 2006 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Certain eagle eyes headlamps, p/nos. Fr208-b101r, fr208-b101l, fr208-b001r, and fr208-b001l, sold for use as replacement equipment for the passenger vehicles listed above. These headlamps fail to conform to the photometric requirements of federal motor… |
| 06E056000 | Jun 13, 2006 | Fuel system | Certain aftermarket fuel filters sold under the purolator brand name, p/n f65277, shipped from January 16 through June 2, 2006, for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Due to incorrect design, the quick connectors may not fully seat with the tube… |
| 06E060000 | Jun 29, 2006 | Exterior lighting | Certain aai motorsports combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above list passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108,… |
| 06E064000 | Jul 17, 2006 | Exterior lighting | Certain tradesonic combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108,… |
| 07V336000 | Aug 3, 2007 | Speed control / throttle | On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn. |
| 07E066000 | Aug 28, 2007 | Equipment — electrical | Certain cequent 90 degree 7-way right angle adaptors sold by distributors in tow packages for aftermarket sales to tow 5th wheel rv travel trailers. Due to incorrect wiring of the harness, the trailer lights may not operate properly. |
| 07E075000 | Sep 14, 2007 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Certain eagle eyes headlamp assemblies, p/nos. Fr390-b001l and fr390-b001r, sold for use as replacement equipment for the above listed passenger vehicles. The thickness is unstable inhibiting the performance of the upper and lower beams which fails to conform… |
| 07E080000 | Sep 25, 2007 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Certain headlamp assemblies imported and sold as aftermarket equipment by sonar auto parts for use on 2004-2007 Ford f150 pickup trucks. During production, the headlamps were internally misaligned and they fail the photometry requirements of federal motor… |
| 07E089000 | Oct 25, 2007 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Certain spyder headlamp replacement assemblies sold for use on 2004 through 2007 Ford f150 pickup trucks. During production, the headlamps were internally misaligned and they fail the photometry requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108,… |
| 09E012000 | Apr 7, 2009 | Exterior lighting | Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety… |
| 09E025000 | May 11, 2009 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety… |
| 11V107000 | Feb 23, 2011 | Air bags — frontal / driver side / inflator module | Ford is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 F-150 pick up trucks as well as certain model year 2006 lincoln mark lt vehicles. If the clockspring jumper wire comes in contact with the driver side frontal air bag lower horn plate, the wire insulation may… |
| 11V385000 | Jul 29, 2011 | Fuel system — storage / tank assembly / mounting | Ford is recalling certain 1997 through 2003 model year Ford F-150, 2004 model year Ford F-150 heritage, 1997 through 1999 model year f-250 less than 8,500 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and 2002 and 2003 lincoln blackwood vehicles manufactured from… |
How the 2004 compares with nearby F-150 years
Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year F-150 analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 955 | 10 | Engine & cooling | Caution |
| 2003 | 464 | 11 | Engine & cooling | Solid |
| 2004 (this page) | 2,036 | 16 | Visibility / wipers | Avoid |
| 2005 | 1,121 | 14 | Visibility / wipers | Caution |
| 2006 | 589 | 14 | Service brakes | Solid |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2004 Ford F-150
- Visibility: test the wipers at every speed, washers, defrosters and the climate system (fogging is a common complaint).
- Transmission: test-drive from cold through every gear, feel for slipping, harsh or delayed shifts and shudder, and ask whether the fluid has been serviced.
- Engine & cooling: look for coolant leaks or low coolant, watch the temperature gauge on a long test drive, and check for overheating history.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 16 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2004 Ford F-150 can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2004 Ford F-150 reliability FAQ
Is the 2004 Ford F-150 reliable?
The 2004 Ford F-150 has 2,036 owner complaints and 16 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about visibility / wipers and powertrain / transmission. Compared with nearby F-150 model years (2002–2006), it rates as a year to avoid: its complaint rate runs well above the F-150's typical year, while the 2003 has a cleaner record.
What are the most common 2004 Ford F-150 problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2004 Ford F-150 are visibility / wipers (866), powertrain / transmission (233), engine & cooling (169), service brakes (122). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2004 Ford F-150 have recalls?
NHTSA lists 16 recall campaigns for the 2004 Ford F-150, including 04V200000 (fuel system — storage / tank assembly) and 04V443000 (fuel system — storage / tank assembly / mounting). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2004 Ford F-150 compare with the 2003 and 2005 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2003 has 464 complaints and 11 recalls (solid); the 2005 has 1,121 complaints and 14 recalls (caution). The 2004 has 2,036 complaints and 16 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2004 Ford F-150?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Ford F-150 research
Other Ford F-150 model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2004 F-150, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.