There are 22 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2004 Ford Expeditionin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. The contact recently purchased the vehicle and stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission hesitated before upshifting with the accelerator pedal depressed. Additionally, while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle rolled backwards when the accelerator pedal was depressed before responding as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to return the vehicle to the independent dealer where the vehicle was purchased; however, the dealer declined to assist. Recently, the vehicle stalled, and it was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved fault codes for the engine and stated that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Unknown, transmition left me stranded on busy highway. Managed to get it moved off the road before being hit. After getting it home and not driving for a period of time it can be started and moved with no issue. Drive to town no problem parked it to take care of some business and when I went to leave I couldn't back out of the parking place. Got it home and let it sit again. Needed to move it out of the way all was good started it and moved it across the yard and backed it in no problem. Had K&O auto look at it and was told it needs a transmission. I see allot of complaints about this issue from others without Ford being held responsible to correct the problem. Nice vehical said I can't afford to get it fixed, now driving a 500.00 used vehicle to get around, it is an eye sore but gets me around ok. Would rather enjoy the expidition if Ford would fix the issue that 1000's have had.
CHATTER WHEN WHEEL TURNED AT LOW SPEED. LOW SPEED TURNING , SHAKING AND VIBRATION. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT ROLLED DOWN AN INCLINE AND STRUCK A BOULDER AT THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 208,000.
NHTSA ID #10017888/10018745/10023943/10004051/10010731/10012977/#10014086/10018069/10014100/10028736
CAN NOT DRIVE CAR POWER TRAIN AND ENGINE BLEW OUT DONT DRIVE DRIVE FAR ONLY IN MY CITY AND UP TO MAINTENCE AND ALL OF SUDDEN GIRLS STOP SHIFTING ONE DAY WHILE ON ROAD VERY SCARY HAD TO PULL OVER IN MIDDLKE OF INTERSECTION AFTER THT\AT DAY BOUGHT ANOTHER TRANSMISSION AND SAME THING HAPPENED DIDNT LAST MONTH SPENT SO MUCH MONEY ON TRANS THAT CANNOT AFFORD NEW AGIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND TAKEN TO A DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC; HOWEVER, THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, TRANSMISSION, FUEL PUMP, AND FUEL BYPASS SWITCH WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000.
SHUTTER/GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM REAR AXLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPEDITION. AFTER HE STARTED THE IGNITION HE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE. HOWEVER WHEN DRIVING THE TRANSMISSION KEPT SLIPPING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FORWARD CLUTCH PISTON SEAL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,500. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,465. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. AS OF JANUARY 10, 2008, THE MECHANIC HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 88,594. UPDATED 3/4/08 *CN
2004 EXPEDITION XLT 2WD. TRYING TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN) DEALING WITH THE REAR END/DIFFERENTIAL PROBLEM. I ALSO MENTIONED THAT JUST RECENTLY THERE IS A GURGLING SOUND COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. SOUNDS LIKE IT WANTS TO BACKFIRE OR LIKE THERE IS WATER IN THE SYSTEM. I WAS TOLD BY THE ART HILL DEALERSHIP THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE DIFFERENTIAL AND THAT THEY CAN NOT FIX THE EXHAUST UNTIL I GET THE DIFFERENTIAL FIXED. EVERY OTHER DEALERSHIP I TALK TO GIVES ME THE RUN AROUND AND SAY IT'S MY PROBLEM. WE'VE HAD MUSTANGS IN THE PAST AND THIS IS OUR SECOND EXPEDITION. WE'VE ALWAYS LOVED FORDS UP UNTIL NOW!!! THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 03-05 EXPEDITIONS REAR END/DIFFERENTIAL BUT IT SEEMS TO BE IGNORED. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TIRES AT FIRST SO I REPLACE THEM, THEN I WAS TOLD IT WOULD GO AWAY. WELL IT HASN'T AND THEN I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST 1,727.00 TO FIX!!!! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!! WE WERE THINKING OF PURCHASING A 2007 MODEL BUT THE SERVICE THAT WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING LATELY.....WE MAY TRY ANOTHER BRAND. PLEASE HELP WE WANT TO STAY WITH FORD.. *TR
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN "PARK", THE GEAR SHIFT POSITION LEVER WILL MOVE TO THE "P" POSITION, BUT THE GEAR SHIFT POSITION INDICATOR STOPS AT "N" OR "R". THE CAR WILL TURN OFF AND THE KEYS CAN BE REMOVED AS NORMAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER NOW FOR THE SECOND ATTEMPT AT REPAIRING THIS SITUATION. *JB
DT: 2004 FORD EXPEDITION - THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR DOES NOT SHIFT WHEN PUT INTO GEAR. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS OFF AND ON FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND MADE AN THE APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR WAS NOT IN THE PROPER GEAR WHEN THE CONSUMER BROUGHT VEHICLE BACK FOR THE APPOINTMENT, IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. THEREFORE, IT WAS NOT REPAIRED AT THAT TIME. CURRENTLY, IT IS HAPPENED AGAIN. IT HAS BEEN IN THE WRONG GEAR FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR FAILED AT LEAST 100 TIMES.*AK
JULY 25, 2005 MY 2004 FORD EXPEDITION AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LEVER FAILED. IT WILL NOT MOVE PAST THE "REVERSE" SETTING, YET IT WILL GO INTO PARK. THE TRANSMISSION FUNCTIONS PROPERLY AS FAR AS I KNOW. I AM TO TAKE INTO DEALERSHIP TOMMORROW. MY MILEAGE IS ABOUT 13,500. *JB
I DROPPED MY KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL THEN HEADED FOR WORK TAKING THE FREEWAY. TRAFFIC BEGAN TO BUILD SO I HAD SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 20 MILES PER HOUR (MPR), WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY REACH 30 MILES PER HOUR. I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE SO I TOOK THE NEXT EXIT OFF THE FREEWAY. I PUT IT IN PARK THEN TRIED TO DRIVE AGAIN BUT IT STILL WOULD NOT GO PASS 30 MPR OR GO IN REVERSE SO I CALLED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. THERE WAS NO NOISE OR ANY INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. LUCKILY I WASNT TRYING TO CHANGE LANES WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HIT. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE SUN GEAR HAD BROKEN.
AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE IN THE LOT AT WORK CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR KNOCKED HER DOWN AS THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. CONSUMER GOT UP, ENTERED THE VEHICLE, PLACED BOTH HANDS ON THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THEN PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK BEFORE IT STRUCK ANYTHING. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE CONSUMER. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED INTO PARK PRIOR TO IT ROLLING BACK.*AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LEAK IN THE REAR AXLE SEALS. THIS PROBLEM WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE DEALER AND THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOR THE LAST 8 WEEKS. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN REMEDIED. OWNER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE FOR THEM TO TAKE ACTION AND REPAIR THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DOWN SHIFTING GEARS THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNG COMING FROM TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER TO BE SERVICED. AFTER PICKING UP THE VEHICLE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. HE THEN CALLED DEALER AND ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LOW. HE TOOK VEHICLE BACK, AND THEN WAS NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS A TSB FOR THE TRANSMISSION.*AK
MY CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND LOST FULL SPEED PRESSURE ON THE HIGHWAY, NEARLY CAUSING A VERY BAD ACCIDENT. *AK
Showing 1–20 of 22 complaints
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