Ford · Explorer Sport · 2004
1
Recall
18
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2004 Ford Explorer Sport has 1 recall and 18 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: structure (7 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 29, 2026
The 2004 Ford Explorer Sport page works best as a research starting point. Complaint totals show how much owner-reported activity exists, while recalls and investigations help show whether any of that activity turned into formal safety action.
Because this is a newer-era vehicle page, it usually helps to compare this year against nearby model years before deciding whether a complaint pattern looks isolated or persistent. On this page, the most prominent complaint area is structure with 7 reported complaints.
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
If you are researching a used vehicle, start with the complaint categories, compare them against the recall list, and then check nearby model years to see whether the same issue profile repeats. That usually produces a better buying or research signal than treating the raw complaint total as a standalone safety ranking.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
Remedy Status
PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) LETTER SENT BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI), FORD STATED CONSUMER REPORTS OF HIGHER THAN EXPECTED EFFORTS WHEN SHIFTING INTO AND OUT OF PARK COULD BE A RESULT OF A GROOVE BEING WORN INTO THE SWING ARM RAMP OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SWING ARM IS A COMPONENT BOLTED TO THE STEERING COLUMN THAT ASSISTS IN SHIFTING THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION GEARS.AN ENGINEERING EVALUATION CONDUCTED BY FORD OF RETURNED STEERING COLUMNS FOUND THE GROOVE COULD BE CREATED OVER TIME IF CONSUMER SHIFT MORE QUICKLY FROM THE DRIVE OR REVERSE TO PARK THAN THE BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK (BSI) SOLENOID PIN RETRACTS AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL IS APPLIED. IN NOVEMBER OF 2004, FORD RELEASED A REDESIGNED BSI SOLENOID WITH A SHORTER PIN RETRACTING TIME AS A SERVICEABLE COMPONENT. FORD HAS NOTED THE SHORTER RETRACTION TIME SIGNIFICANTLY LESSENS THE LIKELIHOOD OF BSI SOLENOID PIN TO SWING ARM CONTACT EVEN WITH RAPID CONSUMER SHIFTS.FORD ALSO ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, TSB 04-22-12, TO INSTRUCT SERVICE TECHNICIANS ON THE PROPER DIAGNOSIS AND VEHICLE REPAIR. REVIEWING COMPLAINTS TO ODI AND DATA SUBMITTED BY FORD, ODI HAS IDENTIFIED 200 ALLEGED INCIDENTS OF UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT AFTER CONSUMERS BELIEVE THEY HAVE SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK, RESULTING IN 85 ALLEGED CRASHES AND 32 ALLEGED INJURIES.IN ADDITION TO THE REPORTS OF ALLEGED INCIDENTS OF UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT, ODI HAS ALSO IDENTIFIED 883 REPORTS OF CONSUMERS ALLEGING DIFFICULTY OR THE INABILITY TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA09-013) TO FURTHER ASSESS THE SCOPE, FREQUENCY AND RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED ON JUNE 23, 2008, BASED ON 34 COMPLAINTS INVOLVING EIGHT INJURIES IN WHICH THE REAR LIFTGATE GLASS HATCH ON MODEL YEAR 2004 FORD EXPLORERS OR MERCURY MOUNTAINEERS BROKE OFF AND FELL, USUALLY WHILE INDIVIDUALS WERE OPERATING THE GLASS HATCH OR LOADING OR UNLOADING ITEMS FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE.FORD CONDUCTED RECALL 04V-442 IN 2004 TO ADDRESS SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON MODEL YEAR 2002 AND CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2003 FORD EXPLORERS AND MERCURY MOUNTAINEERS.THE INFORMATION FORD PROVIDED IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER INDICATED THAT FAILURES WITH 2004 VEHICLES WERE PRIMARILY LIFTGATE GLASS HATCH HINGE FAILURES RELATED TO CORROSION AT THE HINGE PIN, WHEREAS THE FAILURES THAT PROMPTED THE RECALL WITH THE EARLIER MODELS WERE PRIMARILY RELATED TO PROBLEMS WITH THE GLASS HATCH'S STRUTS OR FRACTURE OF A PRIOR HINGE DESIGN AT THE BOSS/BOLT CONNECTION AT THE GLASS.ODI'S REVIEW OF FORD'S WARRANTY, COMPLAINT, AND INJURY DATA FOR THE 2004 VEHICLES INDICATES THAT THESE RATES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THOSE FOR THE RECALLED POPULATION.A POTENTIAL DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION AS NECESSARY.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
LIFTGATE GLASS HINGES BOTH BROKE CAUSING GLASS TO FALL OFF OF REAR DOOR AND NOW GLASS CANNOT BE OPENED. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 2002-2003 FORD RECALL #04S20. REF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V442000. FORD DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 2004 EXPLORER IN THEIR RECALL BUT THE PROBLEM I...
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THE REAR LIFT GATE ON MY EXPLORER CRACKED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FORD EMBLEM. THE GATE CRACKED DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE A HABIT OF LOOKING OVER MY VEHICLE. THE CRACK WAS DISCOVERED WHEN I INSPECTED MY VEHICLE BEFORE GOING INTO MY HOME. ON MY NEXT SERVICE ...
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DEFECTIVE BODY MOUNTS AND BUSHINGS. I AM THE OWNER OF A 2004 FORD SPORT TRAC AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE BODY MOUNTS AND BUSHINGS ARE DETERIORATED AND CRUMBLING. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SPORT TRAC YEARS 2001-2005. THIS IS A V...
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DRIVING 65 MPH, LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE WHILE SWITCHING LANES TO AVOID A HIGH SPEED VEHICLE APPROACHING BEHIND ME. RAN IN TO A MEDIAN 2 TIMES BEFORE STOPPING FACED TRAFFIC HEAD ON. FORTUNATELY, I WASN'T CRITICALLY INJURED, BUT SERIOUS ENOUGH. NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED!!!! I WOU...
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF A CHURCH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS THE ONLY PERSON INJURED DURING THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY,...
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN SHE NOTICED THAT THE HINGE ON THE REAR LIFTGATE WAS NOT PROPERLY HOLDING ONTO THE GLASS. AS A RESULT, THE GLASS WAS SLIDING DOWN INTO THE LIFT GATE PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO...
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WAS DRIVING 2004 FORD EXPLORER ON HIGHWAY, AND HAD SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. BROUGHT TO FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE MECHANIC ON HEARING THE ENGINE START UP, KNEW THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE TIMING CHAINS AS HE HAS SEEN THAT PROBLEM BEFORE. SERVICE DEAL...
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CRACK IN REAR UPPER TAILGATE. *TR
WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND THE HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE FELL OFF THE HINGES. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THIS CAR IN OVER TWO YEARS DUE TO THE FACT THAT I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I HAVE FILED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE OVER THE YEARS. IT HA...
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THE REAR LIFT GLASS HINGES ON OUR 2004 FORD EXPLORER BROKE DURING USE OF THE LIFT GLASS. THE PIN BROKE RIGHT THROUGH THE HINGE. WE WERE NOT DRIVING IT AT THE TIME THANKFULLY, AND ALSO CAUGHT THE GLASS BEFORE IT HAD A CHANCE TO HIT THE GROUND.
Showing 10 recent complaints from 18 total
View Full Complaint LogThe strongest comparison flow is usually: exact vehicle-year page, then nearby years of the same model, then other 2004 Ford models. That sequence helps separate one-off year spikes from broader make-wide patterns.
The 2004 Ford Explorer Sport has 1 recall recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 18 owner-reported complaints for the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport are structure (7 reports), power train (4 reports), unknown or other (2 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 1 recall on record for the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.