Most common 2004 Ford E-250 problems
Share of the 8 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford E-250 complaints by model year
Best E-250 years: 2009, 2007, 2008. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003. Compare all years →
2004 Ford E-250 recalls (16)
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Quality vans is recalling certain model year 2004 through 2006 vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Quality vans is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or quality vans at 1-480-464-7007.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Quality vans is recalling certain model year 2004 through 2008 vans manufactured between August 2005 and November 2007, equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Quality vans is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e095). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or quality vans at 1-480-464-7007.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
R&r mobility is recalling 7 vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 403, "platform lift system accessible for motor vehicles." the anti-stow interlock May not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user.
Remedy: R&r mobility is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
R&r mobility is recalling 7 vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lift. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 404, "platform lift installations on motor vehicles." the threshold warning system May not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user…
Remedy: R&r mobility is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lift free of charge (please see 07e095). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Van products is recalling 8 vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. The lift fails to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 404, "platform lift installations on motor vehicles." the threshold warning system May not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user in…
Remedy: Van products is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lift free of charge (please see 07e095). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Access mobility is recalling 3 model year 2004 Ford e-250 and model year 2006 Dodge sprinter vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lift. The vehicle fails to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Access mobility is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lift free of charge (please see 07e095). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000.
Show 10 more recalls
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Van products is recalling 8 vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 403, "platform lift system accessible for motor vehicles," the anti-stow interlock May not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user.
Remedy: Van products is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Access mobility is recalling 3 model year 2004 Ford e-250 and model year 2006 Dodge sprinter vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Access mobility is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Handicapped driver services is recalling 3 model year 2004 and 2005 Ford e-250 transit buses built on Ford chassis and equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Handicapped driver services is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or handicapped driver services at 1-770-422-9674.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Handicapped driver services is recalling 3 model year 2004 and 2005 Ford e-250 rental vans built on Ford chassis and equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Handicapped driver services is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e095). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or handicapped driver services at 1-770-422-9674.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Van conversions is recalling 52 my 2004-2007 Ford e-150, e-250 e-350 and my 2006 GM savanna 3500 vans built on Ford and GM chassis and equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Van conversions is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or van conversions at 610-837-0707.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Van conversions is recalling 74 my 2004-2007 Ford e-150, e-250 e-350 and my 2006 GM savanna 3500 vans built on Ford and GM chassis and equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Van conversions is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e095). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or van conversions at 610-837-0707.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
On certain vans built on Ford e250/e350 chassis and equipped with sure-lok wheelchair securement systems, the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly is out of alignment.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheelchair securement retractors as necessary. Sure-lok is conducting the owner notification and remedy for this campaign.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
On certain vans equipped with sure-lok wheelchair securement systems, the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly is out of alignment.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the wheelchair securement retractors as necessary. Sure-lok will handle the repairs for this campaign.
Electrical system › Wiring
On certain vans, a diode in the anti-lock braking system (ABS) module May experience an electrical short.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new fuse in the ABS circuit and install a heat shield over the ABS module. The recall began on October 15, 2004. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Engine and engine cooling
On certain vans, the air filter element material process resulted in an air filter paper element that can smolder or burn. This change in filter paper composition combined with the configuration of the air induction system, May allow hot carbon particles to contact the air filter element during certain driving conditions that…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the air filter element. The recall began September 27, 2004. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2004 Ford E-250:
HVAC Switch Failures
This investigation was opened based on one complaint and reports from four transportation fleets alleging 182 blower motor control switch failures.ODI was concerned that these melting and burning switches could lead to an open flame that could spread throughout the vehicle.After a comprehensive review of all data related to overheating blower motor control switches in the subject vehicles, ODI did not identify the…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 2004 Ford E-250 owners say
Electrical system
The contact owns a 2004 Ford E-250. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle coasted to the side of the road and the contact waited for a minute to restart the vehicle before starting to drive however, the failure persisted. No warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle but could not duplicate the failure. The mechanic believed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 05V270000 (Electrical System) and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and the recall but was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall and that the recall only included the diesel engine vehicles. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns 2004 Ford e 250. The contact stated in order to remove his keys from the ignition; he would have to press and hold his foot on the brake pedal and hold the gear shift selector in the park position while applying slight force. The contact found (NHTSA campaign id number: 08V051000: vehicle speed control: cruise control) which he believed was directly related to the failure. The contact also stated the drivers side seat is defective.the dealer advised the contact that he would have to cover the repair expense for all three failures. There were no repairs made to the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 9,400 and the approximate current mileage was 24,000.
2004 Ford E-250 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: Van.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Ford E-250 a good car?
Based on 8 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 E-250 rates average: 36% fewer complaints than a typical year of the E-250 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Ford E-250?
The electrical system — 3 complaints, 38% of all complaints for this model year, most often about wiring. Next are the brakes (2) and lights (1).
How many recalls does the 2004 Ford E-250 have?
There are 16 recalls for the 2004 Ford E-250, the most recent from August 3, 2009 (equipment adaptive/mobility). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford E-250?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2007 and 2008. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. See the full Ford E-250 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Ford E-250 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 110,000 miles; 33% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.