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#BS-2004-FORF25-5427

2004 Ford F-250Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 547 owners and 10 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 19, 2026

Complaints
547
Crashes
29
Fires
18
Recalls
10
TSBs
160
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 547 complaints, 29 crashes, 18 fires, and 10 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

spark plug blew out

5 complaints • Severity 6.8/10

$X,XXX
2

brakes lock up

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

no foot pedal response

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
4

bucking jerking when under load

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
5

injectors and drive train failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the EngineHIGH

83 owners reported engine issues — failures commonly reported around 58K miles.

!Inspect the ElectricalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

171
0–30K
69
30–60K
63
60–90K
62
90–120K
42
120–150K
57
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (171 reports) • Median: 58K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine (83 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine83 (15%)
Electrical56 (10%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:diesel48 (9%)
Fuel System48 (9%)
Electrical System:wiring32 (6%)
Speed Control30 (5%)
Wheels & Tires24 (4%)
Steering22 (4%)

2004 Ford F-250: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 15% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford F-250, with 83 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 58,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 58K-mile mark.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford F-250, with 56 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:diesel Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:diesel complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford F-250, with 48 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine:diesel-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford F-250, with 48 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
03
80
04
94
05
33
06
28
07
30
08
32
09
69
10
33
11
22
12
23
13
20
14
23
15
9
16
4
17
5
18
21
19
3
20
4
21
2
22
3
23
1
24
6
25
1
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Ford F-250. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (10 recalls)

04V229000May 2004

TIRES

CERTAIN LARIAT AND KING RANCH MODEL PICKUP TRUCKS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 120, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN PASSENGER CARS." SOME TRUCKS WERE INADVERTENTLY EQUIPPED WITH AN INCORRECT LOAD RANGE TIRE. THIS WOULD RESULT IN INCORRECT TIRE LOAD RATINGS FOR THE STATED VEHICLE AXLE GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING. ALSO, THE TIRE MAY BE INFLATED ABOVE THE DOT LISTED INFLATION PRESSURE.

05V270000Jul 2005

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND VANS EQUIPPED WITH 6.0L DIESEL ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE STALLING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AND MAY OR MAY NOT RESTART.

06E026000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

06E049000Jul 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE 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.

06E052000Jun 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

CERTAIN EAGLE EYES HEADLAMPS, P/NOS. FR208-B101R, FR208-B101L, FR208-B001R, AND FR208-B001L, SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

+ 5 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

NHTSA Defect Investigations (3)

All closed. Investigations are how NHTSA decides whether a defect needs a recall.

DP05005ClosedOpened Sep 2005 · closed Jan 2006

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

EA05003ClosedOpened Feb 2005 · closed Nov 2005

ENGINE STALLING

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

PE04070ClosedOpened Oct 2004 · closed Feb 2005

ENGINE STALLING

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL

The worst model year for the Ford F-250 is the 2006 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 547 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 10 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Last updated (checked October 21, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 19, 2026.

Other Ford F-250 Model Years

2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972196919681967
View all Ford F-250 years →

2004 Ford F-250: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Ford F-250?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Ford F-250 is related to the engine, with 83 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Ford F-250 reliable?
The 2004 Ford F-250 has 547 complaints, 29 crash reports, and 18 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2004 Ford F-250 problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2004 Ford F-250 have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Ford F-250 has 10 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford F-250 problems start?
Based on 464 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 58,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 2004 Ford F-250 data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 21, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 19, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 547 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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