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#BS-2004-FORRAN-1270

2004 Ford Ranger

Based on reports from 461 owners and 12 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
461
Crashes
47
Fires
3
Recalls
12
TSBs
55
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 461 complaints, 47 crashes, 3 fires, and 12 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

engine is misfiring

5 complaints • Severity 8.4/10

$X,XXX
2

engine dies and wont restart

5 complaints • Severity 8.8/10

$X,XXX
3

engine failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the AirbagsHIGH

186 owners reported airbags issues — failures commonly reported around 67K miles.

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

Failure Timeline by Mileage

57
0–30K
44
30–60K
72
60–90K
37
90–120K
25
120–150K
24
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (72 reports) • Median: 67K 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: Airbags (186 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

Airbags186 (40%)
Structure:body35 (8%)
Suspension24 (5%)
Engine17 (4%)
Fuel System15 (3%)
Speed Control14 (3%)
Electrical14 (3%)
Other14 (3%)

2004 Ford Ranger: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 40% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford Ranger, with 186 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 66,803 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 67K-mile mark.

Structure:body Issues

Structure:body complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford Ranger, with 35 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure:body-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Suspension Issues

Suspension complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford Ranger, with 24 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to suspension-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2004 Ford Ranger, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-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
29
04
29
05
30
06
14
07
12
08
13
09
28
10
10
11
4
12
15
13
18
14
21
15
61
16
35
17
88
18
19
19
13
20
6
21
5
22
3
23
4
24
3
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2004 Ford Ranger. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

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

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Recall History (12 recalls)

04V331000Jul 2004

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, THE FRAME MAY HAVE A CENTER RAIL SECTION FLANGE THAT WAS NOT FORMED PROPERLY.

06E065000Jul 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

09E025000Jul 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

11V352000Aug 2011

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 RANGER TRUCKS BUILT FROM JANUARY 25, 2011, THROUGH APRIL 25, 2011 AT THE TWIN CITIES ASSEMBLY PLANT, AND SERVICE PARTS DISTRIBUTED TO DEALERS FOR CERTAIN 2004 THROUGH 2011 MODEL YEAR RANGER TRUCKS, 2002 THROUGH 2005 MODEL YEAR EXCURSION VEHICLES, AND 2002 THROUGH 2007 MODEL YEAR F-250, F-350, F-450, AND F-550 TRUCKS FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS SHIPPED WITH A SUBCOMPONENT (SLIDER) THAT MAY EXPERIENCE DEFORMATION. A MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WITH A DEFORMED SLIDER MAY MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE TURN SIGNAL, TAIL LIGHTS, HAZARD WARNING SIGNAL FLASHERS AND/OR BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO ACTIVATE.

15V322000Dec 2015

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 Ranger trucks manufactured March 24, 2003, to May 4, 2006. The affected vehicles are equipped with a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

+ 7 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

The worst model year for the Ford Ranger is the 2019 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2004 Ford Ranger vs. Class Average (Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD)

This vehicle

461

Class avg

510

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other standard pickup trucks 2wd vehicles from 2004.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 461 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 12 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

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

Other Ford Ranger Model Years

2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978
View all Ford Ranger years →

2004 Ford Ranger: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2004 Ford Ranger?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2004 Ford Ranger is related to the airbags, with 186 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2004 Ford Ranger reliable?
The 2004 Ford Ranger has 461 complaints, 47 crash reports, and 3 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 Ranger 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 Ranger have any recalls?
Yes, the 2004 Ford Ranger has 12 recalls on record. At least one is a critical “Do Not Drive” recall. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Ranger problems start?
Based on 259 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 66,803 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
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 461 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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