There are 199 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2004 Ford F-150 in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 50 of 199 matching reports. This is a limited sample of up to 50 reports, ordered by incident date when available, not the complete group. The list controls page through the loaded reports only.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the engine began revving: however, the vehicle to accelerate properly. The transmission fault warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was inspected by independent mechanic at the residence, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 145,000.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford F-150. The contact stated while starting his parked vehicle, he found that the vehicle would not start. The contact self-diagnosed and bypassed the starter solenoid using a screwdriver and started the vehicle. The vehicle slipped out of the park and rolled backward. The contact was backed over by the vehicle and had received injuries to his ribs and stomach. He had lacerations and abrasions to his back and chest. The contact was able to get out from under the vehicle and attempted to stop the vehicle which was rolling. The contact jumped into the passenger side and attempted to brake but could not. The contact attempted to push the shift lever into "park" but the gear would not engage. The vehicle rolled and crashed into the rear end of a parked vehicle. The contact's vehicle had damage to the rear bumper and the rear end of the other vehicle had the bumper and trunk crumpled. The police were not called and the contact did not seek medical attention. The contact was able to start the vehicle and drove it to his residence. The contact then examined the undercarriage and determined that the transmission linkage cable had been resting on the doughnut of the exhaust system. The contact stated that the outer cable shell had melted and the metal cable was exposed. The contact diagnosed that the exposed cable had contributed to the vehicle slipping out of gear. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 260,000.
F150 STALLS OUT RANDOMLY CAUSING A HAZARD FOR OTHER DRIVERS AND MYSELF. HAPPENS WHILE IN GEAR DRIVING, REVERSE, ETC.
TRANSMISSION OVERDRIVE FAILED AT 130K MILES CAUSING TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED.
MY 2004 F-150 SHIFT CABLE BROKE AS I ATTEMPTED TO PUT IT IN PARK. THIS RENDERED THE VEHICLE UNABLE TO BE PUT IN PARK AND IT ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE REASON IT BROKE WAS BECAUSE OF IT RESTING AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WHERE IT JOINS TO THE WYE PIPE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. IT BURNT THE CABLE CAUSING IT TO BREAK. THE NEXT MODEL YEAR IN 2005 THIS WAS CHANGED AS FORD REDESIGNED AND RELOCATED IT TO EXIT IN A COMPLETELY SPOT. THE HOLE THAT IT EXITS THRU IN 2004 IS PLUGGED OFF IN THE 2005 MODEL. IT WOULD SEEM THAT THIS WAS DONE DUE TO MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF WARRANTY CLAIMS AND POSSIBLE LAWSUITS ARRISING FROM THIS DANGEROUS DESIGN.
HORRIBLE VIBRATION IN REAR END OF TRUCK WHEN LEAVING FROM A STOP AND TURNING.
2004 FORD F-150 STOPS PULLING AFTER 35-40MPH. IT'S LIKE IT GETS PUT INTO NEUTRAL. THIS IS REALLY DANGEROUS! THIS CAN CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. AND TO THINK THAT I TRUSTED FORD WITH MY LIFE, MY WIFE'S LIFE, AND 3 SMALL CHILDREN'S LIVES IS SICKENING. THERE IS MORE INSTANCES OF THIS SAME PROBLEM THAN YOU CAN COUNT. I DON'T GET IT! FORD KNOWS IT'S A PROBLEM BUT WON'T FIX IT. NHTSA WON'T DO AN INVESTIGATION. THE U.S. LOVES TO MAKE THE WORKING MAKE CARRY THE LOAD! FIX THE PROBLEM FORD OR I AND OTHERS WILL NEVER BUY YOUR GARBAGE AGAIN!
THE WHOLE VEHICLE VIBRATES AND SHUDDERS AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITH NOW WARNING. IT NOW FEELS AS IF THE REAR AXLE IN MOVING, GIVE AN ODD SENSATION WHEN APPLYING THE GAS PEDAL OR TAKING YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL. I AM A TECHNICIAN BY TRADE, SO I PUT THE TRUCK UP ON THE LIFT AT MY SHOP AND HAVE NOTICED THE PINION IN THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS SIGNIFICANT UP AND DOWN MOVEMENT. AFTER RESEARCHING A BIT, IT SEEMS THE PINION AND RING GEAR GALL THEMSELVES, I'M NOT SURE IF THE PINION BEARING FAILED CAUSING THIS. OR IF THE RING AND PINION FAILED CAUSING THE BEARING TO FAIL. AT ANY RATE THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MY EXPERIENCE, A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE MAY PROVIDE A SCOPE OF THE ISSUE.
DRIVING ALONG AND SUDDENLY THE ENGINE REVED AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS NO ENGAGED. I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND STARTED AGAIN WITH NO PROBLEM. SINCE THEN, MY TRANSMISSION HAS QUIT WHILE DRIVING SEVERAL TIMES. I DID DISCOVER IF I TURNED THE OD ODD IT WOULD WORK BUT HAS NO OVERDRIVE. FORTINATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY FORD WITH A RECALL AND REPAIR.
WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I PUT THE TRUCK IN REVERSE TO BEGIN BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY. I APPLIED A LITTLE GAS TO SLOWLY BACKUP AROUND THE TURN IN THE DRIVE. AS I WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS, I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE BECAUSE I WAS NAVIGATING PAST OTHER PARKED VEHICLES. AS I WAS CLEARING ONE OF THE VEHICLES, THE TRUCK SUDDENLY JOLTED BACKWARDS HITTING A TREE. SO THEN, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I PUT THE TRUCK IN DRIVE SO THAT I COULD PULL FORWARD AWAY FROM THE TREE. AS I BEGAN TO PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL AND THE TRUCK INSTANTLY THRUST FORWARD, HITTING ANOTHER TREE, STOPPING THE TRUCK & KNOCKING THE TREE OVER. IT HAPPENED WITH SUCH POWER THAT THE WHEELS SPUN DOWN INTO THE MULCH BED BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE, PUT THE TRUCK INTO PARK AND REMOVE THE KEYS TO TURN IT OFF. WHILE THE DAMAGE ON THE BACK BUMPER WAS MINIMAL, THE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK WAS EXTENSIVE & THE INSURANCE COMPANY DECLARED THE TRUCK A TOTAL LOSS. THERE WAS ONE OTHER TIME, WHILE ON THE LOCAL HIGHWAY AT A STOPLIGHT, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THAT THE TRUCK BEGAN TO THRUST FORWARD ON ITS' OWN. AFTER IT FIRST ROCKED FORWARD, I PRESSED THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WHICH PREVENTED IT FROM ACTUALLY MOVING FORWARD ANY MORE. ONCE THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, THE TRUCK SEEMED TO RETURN TO NORMAL FUNCTIONING. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AROUND THE TIME I WAS DUE FOR A TUNE-UP SO I FIGURED IT WAS A FLUKE AND WOULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED WITH THE TUNE UP.
80, 000 MILES ON THE TRUCK, AND IT NOW NEEDS ITS REAR DIFFERENTIAL REPLACED FOR THE 6TH TIME. ON TOP OF THAT , NOW THE CAM PHASERS ARE GOING BAD. CAN'T DRIVE IT NOW AGAIN AS IT MAY LEAVE ME STRANDED IN AN INTERSECTION AGAIN. I DRIVE 7 MILES EACH WAY TO WORK, AND OCCASIONALLY USE THE TRUCK FOR VACATIONS.
MY TRUCK GETS UP TO ABOUT 50 MPH THEN ACTS LIKE IT GOES INTO NEUTRAL , NO POWER TO THE BACK WHEELS. I'VE NOTICED THAT MORE THAN A FEW 2004 F-150 OWNERS HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT. HAS ANY INVESTIGATION BEEN DONE AND IF SO WHAT WERE THE FINDINGS. I LIVE ON DISABILITY SOCIAL SECURITY AND CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE A TRANSMISSION REPAIRED.I WAS ON A PAVED ROAD AT THE TIME. *TR
TAKATA RECALL.
UNKNOWN. MAJOR POPPING IN REAR END WHILE TURNING. WHEN TRUCK IS IN PARK I CAN ROLL IT BACK AND FORTH A GOOD 10 INCHES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
TAKATA RECALL : TRUCK IS SLIPPING IN FORWARD GEARS AND THE REVERSE WILL NOT MOVE EVEN IF U YOU REV IT UP IT'S LIKE IT'S IN NEUTRAL. ALL THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS LEAVING WORK TO GO HOME
112,000 AND SENT THE TRUCK IN FOR A HUMMING NOISE . THE WHOLE REAR END NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRUCK HAS HAD ONLY HIGHWAY DRIVING WITH NO OFF ROADING. DIFFERENTIAL OIL REPLACED EVERY YEAR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD F-150. AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO DRIVE IN REVERSE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET BACK INSIDE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE SHIFT LEVER BECAME DISCONNECTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000.
VIBRATION AT 45 TO 55. WHEN COLD STRONG JERK IN REAR END AREA AND SOMETIMES ON TURN TO RIGHT. ALSO COMES IN AT TIMES WHEN GOING TO PASSING GEAR. IT IS A DIFFERENTIAL ISSUE MORE THAN A DRIVE SHAFT ISSUE. ALL U JOINTS ARE TIGHT. NO IMBALANCE IN DRIVE SHAFT. HAVE GONE TO SPECIAL TEFLON GEAR OIL... THIS APPEARS TO BE DESIGN AND POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE.
THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL ACTS UP AND PREVENTS THE TRUCK FROM ACCELERATING PROPERLY. STUTTERS ALL OF THE TIME AND HAS A MILD MISFIRE AND WHAT SOUNDS LIKE KNOCKING.
I NOTICED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL STARTED SHUTTING OFF WITHOUT EVER TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL OR OFF SWITCH. THEN SOMETIMES IT WOULD WORK FINE FOR A FEW MINUTES THEN JUST SHUT OFF. WHEN IT DOES THAT IT WILL NOT COME BACK ON AGAIN TILL THE NEXT DAY. I THEN CHECKED THE CONSOLE SHIFTER, I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT OF PARK WITH OUT PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND EVEN ENGINE IN OFF POSITION. I AM WORRIED THAT THE TRUCK MAY JUMP OUT OF PARK AND RUN OFF AND HIT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. *TR
Showing 1-20 of 50 loaded 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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: May 4, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.