There are 24 owner-reported fuel system complaints for the 2004 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I need a new gas tank for my vehicle and Ford stopped making the gas tank for my vehicle. That is a very big safety issue. I called Ford and they were helping to find one from junkyard's I don't want one from a junkyard that I have to repair. I asked for Ford to make a gas tank or pay for them to have mine fixed right at a Ford dealership, no help. That's a big safety problem. Ford provided the contacts phone number to the junkyards but the contact doesn't want the gas tank from a junkyard who probably put holes in them to drain the gasoline out of the tank.
Smoke for a good 5 mins under the hood oil leeking
FUEL SPILL BECAUSE DEFECTIVE FILLING HOSE. *TR
FUEL GAUGE DOESN'T NOTICE WHEN YOU GO FROM AN EMPTY TANK TO FULL. STILL READING NO CHANGE. THEN SLOWLY WILL CLIMB TO THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL WITHIN AN HOUR. THERE IS NO WAY TO ACCURATELY TELL HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THE VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE CAM SENSOR, CRANK SENSOR, AND THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED BY THE CONTACT BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATELY FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
FILLED UP THE TANK AND IT REGISTERED NO FUEL, BAD FUEL SENSOR. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE VEHICLE WA TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE SERVICE WHEN THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK WITHIN THE ENGINE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.
1-"MILES TO E" HAVE ALWAYS REGISTERED AS DASHES AFTER A FILL UP SINCE 2004. DEALER SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG AND TO ADD GAS ADDITIVE (WHICH DOESN'T WORK) OR I CAN HAVE IT FIXED AT MY EXPENSE. DEALER HAS BEEN SOLD AND NEW DEALER NOW HAS "NO RECORD" OF MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS-- WHENEVER I HAD THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE I ASKED THEM TO CHECK IT. I SEE PLENTY OF OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM BUT FORD REFUSES TO FIX THIS AS WELL. 2-BACK HATCH BELOW WINDOW HAS CRACKED RECENTLY. HUSBAND HAD SAME VEHICLE DIFFERENT YEAR AND HIS CRACKED AS WELL. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES MANY VEHICLES WITH SAME PROBLEM BUT SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL AND FORD WILL NOT FIX IT. I SEE THERE IS NOW A CLASS ACTION SUIT FOR THIS DEFECT. JUST WANTED TO GO "ON RECORD" AS ANOTHER UNHAPPY FORD OWNER (OF OVER 40 YRS).
2004 FORD EXPLORE DIES ON THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING. GOING 70 MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND THE VEHICLE DIED LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING ON THE SIDE LANE AND GOT OFF TO THE SHOULDER SO WE WEREN'T STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED AT AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP. FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE AUTO SHOP REPLACED THE PUMP. *TR
MY 2004 FORD EXPLORER HAS BEEN KILLING WHEN COMING TO A STOP, SLOWING DOWN AND WHEN I AM DRIVING AT SPEEDS UP TO 40MPH. MY POWER STEERING THEN GOES. THERE ARE NO WARNINGS WHEN THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN. IT IS OCCURRING DAILY AND I THEN HAVE TO PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK, REMOVE THE KEY AND THEN RESTART. WHEN I DO THAT, IT RUNS LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ECT... I HAVE BEEN CALLING THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS FROM DAY ONE. AT FIRST I WAS TOLD THAT IF IT DOES NOT FAIL WHEN I BRING IT IN IT WILL BE HARD TO SAY WHAT IT IS. THEN I CALLED BACK BECAUSE IT WAS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. I BROUGHT MY TRUCK IN THURS. THE DEALERSHIP HAD IT ALL DAY AND SAID IT WAS READY TO GO. I DROVE 1/2 MILE DOWN THE ROAD AND THE TRUCK KILLED. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THEM BACK TO LET THEM KNOW. I WILL BE BRINGING IT BACK NEXT WEEK. I AM VERY WORRIED ABOUT THIS FAILURE AND I FEEL THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY A DEFECT IN THE FORD. *TR
2004 FORD EXPLORER XLS, 41,000 MILES ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS MY CAR HAS SHUT OFF, LOOSING POWER FOR THE BRAKES AND STEERING. IT USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN DECELERATING AT A STOPLIGHT, OR EVEN DECELERATING OFF THE HIGHWAY ONTO AN EXIT RAMP. IT HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST FOUR OF FIVE TIMES AND I'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY EACH TIME TO BE ABLE TO PULL OVER, PUT MY CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND RESTART IT. THE CAR HAS NO TROUBLE STARTING BACK UP. I'VE RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT MY EXPERIENCE IS NOT UNIQUE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND THE 2004 FORD EXPLORER CAN BE VERY UNSAFE IF THERE IS SOME SORT OF FAILURE. PLEASE HELP ME. *TR
GAS TANK HAS A LEAK AND I CAN SMELL FUMES. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 FORD EXPLORER WITH 57,000 THAT STARTED STALLING WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 3 MONTH AGO. IT SHUTS OFF LIKE SOMEONE TURNED THE KEY. THE OCCURRENCE IS VERY RANDOM AND THERE IS NEVER ANYTHING COMMON BETWEEN OCCURRENCES EXCEPT IT TYPICALLY HAPPENS WHEN I AM BRAKING. IT'S AS IF IT'S RUNNING OUT OF GAS. IT TOOK ABOUT 10 MINUTES EACH TIME BEFORE IT WOULD RESTART. ALL 4 TIMES, EVEN THOUGH IT DIED LIKE THE KEY WAS TURNED OFF, IT ACTED LIKE IT WAS OUT OF GAS WHEN I WAS TRYING TO RESTART IT AND THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT WOULD START LIKE NORMAL. SINCE THEN THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN DONE: FUEL FILTER REPLACED, MAF SENSOR CLEANED AND THE IAC VALVE INSPECTED. THE SERVICE SHOP WHERE IT IS TAKEN SAYS THERE IS NEVER AN ERROR CODE IN THE SYSTEM WHEN I BRING IT IN. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH THIS CONDITION. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER. AFTER FILLING THE VEHICLE WITH GAS AND DRIVING A FEW MILES, THE FUEL CAP PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF. THE CONTACT HAS TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND RETIGHTEN THE FILLER CAP, WHICH THEN ALLOWS THE ENGINE TO RESTART. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE WITHIN 3 OR 4 GAS TANK FILL-UPS AND USUALLY WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH. HE HAS NOT YET TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 29,500. UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF
2004 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED WITH FAULTY GAS GAUGE. CAR SAID 70 MILES TO EMPTY YET MY WIFE AND TWO KIDS (AGES 3&5) RAN OUT OF GAS ON THE HIGHWAY. THEY HAD TO HIKE 1 MILE DOWN THE EXPRESSWAY TO GET ASSISTANCE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN NO GAS GAUGE IS ONE THAT DOES NOT READ ACCURATELY. THANKFULLY THEY EVENTUALLY ARRIVED HOME SAFELY WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF STRANGERS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, THROTTLE BODY AND SEVERAL UNKNOWN SENSORS IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD PERFORM EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY IN COLD TEMPERATURES LESS THAN TWENTY DEGREES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE STALLS WHILE RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT 20-4 0MPH. NO WARNING LIGHTS HAVE ILLUMINATED. AFTER STALLING THE VEHICLE WILL RESTART, SURGE AND STALL AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOUR TIMES. THE LAST VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE ELEMENT, FILTER, COMPLETE MODULE ENGINE, THE KEY WAS REPROGRAMMED AND THE COOL RETURN WAS REPLACED. THE NEXT TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE CROSSING A RAIL ROAD TRACK. THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED A TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOUR OF THE FIVE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/02/06. *JB
5 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING CAR NEW IN 8/04 IT WOULD NOT START(1/05) ;WAS ABLE TO RESET FUEL PUMP SHUT-OFF SWITCH AND START CAR. DEALER (MUZI FORD, NEEDHAM, MASS.)EXAMINED CAR AND FOUND NOTHING. IN 2/05 CAR WOULD NOT START,COULD NOT RESET FUEL PUMP SHUT OFF SWITCH; DEALER REPLACED IT. IN 4/05 SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AND DEALER REPLACED SWITCH , STATING IT WAS 'BURNED OUT'.IN 2/06 IDENTICAL PROBLEM OCCURRED AND BOTH SWITCH AND COMPUTER WERE REPLACED BY DEALER. FUEL PUMP SHUT-OFF SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AT THIS POINT. THE CAR IS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER XLS.*JB
2004 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED-OWNED SUV FOR 38K BEEN IN SHOP REPEATEDLY-FROM MINOR TO MAJOR THINGS. SUV IS A $ 34,000 TURD. CURRENTLY NEEDING TO GO BACK TO SHOP FOR MULTIPLE REPAIRS. THE DAY OUR WARRANTY EXPIRES CAR IS GONE. *TR
GASOLINE ODOR. *JB
Showing 1–20 of 24 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