There are 10 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2004 Ford Expeditionin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED AND SHUT OFF. LATER, AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP RELAY CIRCUIT BOARD HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND BURNT OUT. THE CIRCUIT BOARD WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS REMEDIED. AN UNKNOWN LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER WAITING SEVERAL MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO COWLES PARKWAY FORD (LOCATED AT 13779 NOBLEWOOD PLAZA, WOODBRIDGE, VA 22193, (703) 986-5500) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED A DAY LATER. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH, THE CONTACT BECAME AWARE THAT THE FUEL PUMP RELAY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 188,000.
THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING (AT ANY SPEED) AND OFTEN WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE MAY ALSO NOT START AT ALL THEN START WITHOUT EXPLANATION. THE MOST COMMON RECOMMENDATION IS TO REPLACE THE FUEL RELAY. TO DO SO, YOU MUST REPLACE THE SMART JUNCTION BOX/FUEL RELAY PANEL. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH NUMEROUS MENTIONS AND IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE AND COMMONLY BECOMES A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION. THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE SAFETY ISSUE AND ODDS OF ACCIDENT OR FATALITY. DIAGNOSES TYPICALLY REQUIRES COMPLETE FAILURE BECAUSE THE SYMPTOMS CAN RARELY BE DUPLICATED. THIS HAS HAPPENED FREQUENTLY WITH COMPLETE FAILURE HAPPENING. HARDWIRING THE FUEL PUMP RULES THAT OUT. FUEL RELAY IS FOUND TO BE HOT TO THE TOUCH.
MULTIPLE AND INTERMITTENT ENGINE STOPPAGE. THE ENGINE STALLS SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC CAUSING HAZARD TO SELF AND OTHERS. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING MAKES CONTROL OF VEHICLE DIFFICULT AS POWER STEERING IS NON FUNCTIONAL AS YOU ATTEMPT TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF A BUSY ROAD. BRAKING SYSTEMS ALSO ARE MOSTLY NON FUNCTIONAL WITHOUT THE VACUUM CREATED BY THE RUNNING ENGINE MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP QUICKLY. THIS PRESENTS A DIRE EMERGENCY CONDITION FOR THE SURPRISED DRIVER, AND A HAZARD TO OTHER OCCUPANTS AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS NEARBY. A DRIVER WHO IS SMALL IN STATURE MAY BE UNABLE TO MAN-HANDLE THE STIFF STEERING CONDITION. ONCE STOPPED, THE ENGINE MAY RESTART RIGHT AWAY OR NOT, STRANDING OCCUPANTS IN UNSAFE CONDITIONS AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT CHAIN INVOLVING LIFE AND DEATH. FUEL PUMP RELAY FAILURE IS THE CAUSE AND VERY COMMON, (100S OF THOUSANDS OF POSTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM). THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS THESE EXPEDITION VEHICLES IN A WIDESPREAD FASHION SIMILAR TO THE LCM SAFETY ISSUE WITH ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT, THE CROWN VICTORIA. (A RECALL WAS ORDERED ON THIS ISSUE FOR SOME OF THE MODEL YEARS) THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 8 TIMES IN 3 WEEKS SINCE OWNING THIS 2004 VEHICLE. IT IS CURRENTLY AT THE FORD DEALER WHO STATE THEY MAY NEED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FOR UP TO 3 WEEKS TO OBSERVE THE FAILURE MODE. (IT IS INTERMITTENT)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT GET FUEL FROM THE FUEL PUMP. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED THAT THE FUSE PANEL BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 169,900.
THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SHUTTING DOWN RANDOMLY (HIGHWAY, STREETS, STOPS, ETC) AND IT IS VERY MUCH A SAFETY SITUATION AT HIGH SPEED ON THE FREEWAY SINCE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP AND BRAKES DO NOT WORK. I'VE TAKEN IT TO TWO DIFFERENT PLACES FOR DIAGNOSIS INCLUDING THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THE VEHICLE IS 10-11 YEARS OLD BUT THE INABILITY FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM IS REALLY FRUSTRATING. FROM READING COMPLAINTS, THERE ARE OTHERS THAT SOUND SIMILAR AND APPEARS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE VEHICLE'S FUSE RELAY BOX.
4 SEPARATE TIMES MY 2004 EXPEDITION HAS DIED WHILE RUNNING DOWN THE ROAD, ONE TIME IT DIED IN A VERY DANGEROUS SPOT (BLIND S-CURVE WITH NO SHOULDER). IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO RESTART AFTER IT HAS COOLED DOWN AFTER A WHILE. THIS LAST TIME WE TRIED MULTIPLE THINGS TO GET IT RUNNING BECAUSE IT WAS STUCK AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND IT WAS OVER 100 DEGREES OUTSIDE, BUT NOTHING WE DID HELPED. I ENDED UP GETTING IT TOWED TO A SHOP WHO TOLD US IT NEEDED A NEW FUEL PUMP ($1100). WE DECIDED TO TAKE IT HOME, AND THANK GOODNESS WE DID. AFTER CHARGING THE BATTERY IT STARTED RIGHT UP. WE HAVE RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN TO MANY EXPEDITIONS AND FORD PICKUPS. IT LOOKS LIKE THIS HAS CAUSED MANY PEOPLE A LOT OF MONEY AND HAS LEFT THEM STRANDED MANY TIMES. FROM OUR RESEARCH IT IS PROBABLY THE FUEL PUMP RELAY (R303) OR THE FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE (IF IT HAS ONE). UNFORTUNATELY OUR EXP. HAS THE RELAY INSTEAD OF THE MODULE MAKING IT HARDER TO REPLACE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THEIR HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ON THE RELAY OR MODULE!!! I AM VERY THANKFUL MY CHILDREN WEREN'T WITH ME WHEN I WAS LEFT STRANDED WITH THE TEMP ABOVE 100 DEGREES OUT. SOMETHING NEEDS TO GET DONE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT!
WAS DRIVING MY SUV AND WAS COMING CLOSE TO MY TURN OFF LET OFF THE GAS AND MY VEHICLE CUT OFF HAD TO STEER TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD FUEL PUMP REPLACED WAS DRIVING THE NEXT DAY AFTER PUMP WAS REPLACED STOPPED STILL AND THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING AND CUT OFF. IT STARTED UP ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER. THE NEXT TIME WAS RIDING DOWN THE ROAD GOING 55 AND MY SUV JUST SHUT DOWN I VEERED IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WAS ABLE TO START IT TRIED TO HEAD HOME VEHICLE SHUT DOWN A GOOD 5 MILES AND WAS ABLE TO START AGAIN AFTER WAITING THIS HAPPENED AGAIN 4 MORE TIMES IN THE SAME NITE BEFORE MY VEHICLE DIDN'T START ANYMORE THAT WAS MARCH 31,2014 IT LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH MY THREE CHILDREN. ELEVEN DAYS LATER MY VEHICLE IS STILL NOT STARTING AND DIAGNOSTIC TEST IS NOT SHOWING ANYTHING WRONG! *JS
THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH MY FORD WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 25MPH THE SPARK PLUG WAS BLOWN OUT. IHAD THE SPARK PLUG ISSUE REPAIRED. MY SECOND ISSUE WITH MY FORD NOW IS THAT IT SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED. IT HAS HAPPEN 4 TIMES NOW. I HAVE READ SOME BLOGS THAT STATE IT MIGHT BE THE BAD PLACEMENT OF FUEL PUMP DRIVER MODULE OR FUEL PUMP RELAY. THIS MAY CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE RESEARCH!!!! *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A PIECE OF TIRE RUBBER LYING IN THE ROAD PUNCTURED A HOLE IN THE FUEL TANK. THE PLASTIC FUEL TANK WAS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SEAT. THERE WAS NO COVER TO PROTECT DEBRIS FROM HITTING THE TANK. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED. THE PLASTIC TANK HANGS BELOW THE FRAME ABOUT 3 TO 4 INCHES. UPDATED 08/25/06. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026