Most common 2004 Ford E-350 problems
Share of the 46 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford E-350 complaints by model year
Best E-350 years: 2018, 2016, 2015. Years to avoid: 1997, 1995, 1999. Compare all years →
2004 Ford E-350 recalls (9)
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
Mobilityworks is recalling 133 my 2005-2006 Ford e250, my 2000, 2004-2006 e350, my 2000, 2005 e450, my 2005-2006 GMC 2500, GMC 3500, and my 2006 Dodge 2500 vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Mobilityworks 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 mobilityworks at 1-800-769-8267.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Mobilityworks is recalling 224 my 2007-2008 Ford e150, my 2006-2008 e250, my 2004-2007 e350, my 2006 e450, my 2005-2007 Chevrolet 2500, my 2007 Chevrolet 1500, and my 2006 Dodge 2500 vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts.
Remedy: Mobilityworks 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 mobility works at 1-800-769-8267.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will upgrade the fuel injection control module (ficm) wire harness or replaced, and/or have a new injection control pressure (icp)) sensor connector installed free of charge. The recall began on July 22, 2005.
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.
Show 3 more recalls
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 3 possible defects involving the 2004 Ford E-350:
HVAC Switch Failures
ODI has received 1 complaint and reports from 4 transportation fleets alleging 182 switch failures.Each fleet operates mini buses built on a Ford E350 or E450 cutaway chassis.The OEM HVAC blower switches have melted, smoked, burned or experienced open flame and become inoperable on vehicles in each fleet.Some drivers have reported a burning smell or smoke coming from the dash.One fleet reported a vehicle fire.No…
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-350 owners say
Fuel & propulsion system
At 68,450 miles, several issues occurred: 1) oil pressure switch blew out of the housing, 2) oil was visible in coolant, 3) oil was leaking from engine, 4) idle vacillated up and down w/o any action on part of the user. Took van to dealer, who claimed to have repaired these items. Inspection of the "repaired vehicle" revealed oil still dripping off engine onto ground. Was told that this was "normal" and would disappear. However, this did not happen. Engine has continued to leak and oil continues to mix with coolant fluid, even after flushing system twice since repair. Despite numerous calls to dealer, problem has not been fixed. Engine has less than 13K additional miles on it since "repair" and oil is still leaking. Leak continues to get worse with time. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford e-350. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled and was towed to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the fuel injector, fuel tank, fuel pump, and the engine needed to be replaced. The technician also stated that the silver coating in the fuel tank was from one of the damaged parts. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000. Updated 04/07/15 updated 11/3/15
Engine & cooling
At 68,450 miles, several issues occurred: 1) oil pressure switch blew out of the housing, 2) oil was visible in coolant, 3) oil was leaking from engine, 4) idle vacillated up and down w/o any action on part of the user. Took van to dealer, who claimed to have repaired these items. Inspection of the "repaired vehicle" revealed oil still dripping off engine onto ground. Was told that this was "normal" and would disappear. However, this did not happen. Engine has continued to leak and oil continues to mix with coolant fluid, even after flushing system twice since repair. Despite numerous calls to dealer, problem has not been fixed. Engine has less than 13K additional miles on it since "repair" and oil is still leaking. Leak continues to get worse with time. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford e-350. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled and was towed to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the fuel injector, fuel tank, fuel pump, and the engine needed to be replaced. The technician also stated that the silver coating in the fuel tank was from one of the damaged parts. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000. Updated 04/07/15 updated 11/3/15
Transmission & drivetrain
2004 Ford wagon e350 with floor lowered by vantage mobility int. For handicap people. During stop and go driving like traffic jams while pulling a trailer the floor between front seats gets more than hot enough to burn your foot. Sliding door opener has broken 6 times leaving the door free to slide open and shut. I keep a bungy cord to tie it up but interior lights come on and off when using bungy cord. The original latch by Ford was removed to install the door opener. Split drive shaft installed to make room for under vehicle lift by braun corp has a low roar to it. Bicycle type chain for the sliding door opener at wheelchair lift drags across part of door jamb.(no pulley or sprocket). Paid $48,000 for this new 2004 model in April, 2005 I'm asking for my money back. Please help us.
I have a Ford e-350 super duty van that has had drivable problems since it was new. After many trips to dealerships I was told that there was no fix at this time and Ford should come out with a fix in the future. The engine dies when hot at times causing hard braking and loss of steering. At 100699 miles, just 699 miles out of warranty the engine quite running when hot. If it sits for 6 or more hours it will restart and run for only 20 minutes. Ford told me it was no longer under warranty and would provide no assistance.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Ford E-350 a good car?
Based on 46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 E-350 rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the E-350 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-350?
The fuel & propulsion system — 18 complaints, 39% of all complaints for this model year, most often about storage › tank assembly. Next are the engine & cooling (13) and transmission & drivetrain (5).
How many recalls does the 2004 Ford E-350 have?
There are 9 recalls for the 2004 Ford E-350, the most recent from March 27, 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-350?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2018, 2016 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1997, 1995 and 1999. See the full Ford E-350 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Ford E-350 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 50,000 miles; 48% 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.