Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Ford Excursion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Excursion. While driving, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact placed the gear into neutral, while in traffic, and restarted the vehicle. Afterwards, the vehicle was able to drive normally. The vehicle was taken to future Ford Lincoln (located at 650 automall dr, roseville, ca 95661, [phone]) where a wiggle test was performed because a failure code could not be found. The injection control pressure was replaced with a used part. The contact stated that the vehicle was worse after the replacement of the used part and the steering wheel became difficult to steer. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer who stated that a wire harness was needed to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Total loss of engine power massive amount black soot exiting exhaust while driving recall # 05V270000 was not performed on vehicle ( I am the original owner) never received notice in mail and dealer somehow missed this "work" and Ford should have followed through on this situation. Other repairs done to this vehicle to "fix" this problem was to drain the fuel tank (algae in fuel was the excuse-no algae) fuel pump and filter rail (not problem) two turbochargers were replaced due to excessive sooting (one warranty one at my expense) EGR valves and a cam sensor (Ford knows the problems exist because Ford discountinued the 6.0 litre motor) this problem has occured multiple times over my ownership.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Excursion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, a large cloud of smoke emitted from the tail pipe. The failure recurred on an intermittent basis. The contact also stated that the engine fan would intermittently create a very loud noise. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine would need to be rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 81,000. Updated 11/01/11 the consumer stated the engine EGR cooler failure resulted in a sudden loss of coolant and there was no warning on the dashboard from the service engine light. White clouds emitted from the tailpipe and auxiliary fan activation, which were both intermittent and inconsistent. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Excursion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 to 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled without any warning. The vehicle was later towed to a dealer. After diagnosis, the contact was informed that the problem May be the fuse near the transmission. The vehicle was repaired. Approximately three months later, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. After diagnosis, they advised her that the fuse failed again due to the bracket chafing the wires. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. The current mileage was approximately 90,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Ford Excursion. The contact stated that the check engine light has remained illuminated in the past. The vehicle shut down and was taken to the dealer who replaced the EGR valve. While driving 30 MPH, the failure recurred. Since then, the EGR valve has been replaced several times and the turbo was cleaned. The vehicle is currently at the dealer. The manufacturer offered to buy back the vehicle for half price so that it can be resold. The current mileage is 72,876 and failure mileage was 47,000. Updated 02/01/08. The consumer stated the vehicle bucks forward while at a stop and while driving.
The hose from the turbo to the intake cooler will blow off and cause pressure loss. When towing a trailer on a hill the engine turbo system will produce high pressure and will blow the hose connecting the turbo to the intake cooler. The vehicle ends up without power, making the situation extremely dangerous to riders and other vehicles due to the radical deceleration, from 65mph to about 15mph while trying to pull to the side. The problem is a common issue to Ford owners with diesel engines 2004 and 2005, maybe others. Internet searched "Ford turbo hose blow off".
While driving the vehicle, it will go into a reduce power mode or sometimes stall. This has happened at various speeds, from around town to highway driving. Very dangerous condition when trying to make left turns and power is lost or engine stalls. Also engine fails to start or starts and stalls right away on occasion. Call Ford customer relations and dealer and they tell me my VIN is not covered under the recall. I am experiencing the same symptoms but I am not covered. Don't want to spend more money at dealer if they don't know what is happening and how to fix it.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Ford Excursion. While driving between 35-40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and then shut off. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic and they replaced the number 1 and number 3 fuel injectors. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 05V270000 (electrical system:wiring). The current mileage was 130,994 and failure mileage was 108,480. Updated 09/10/08 the alternator, control module for the heating and ac system, and cooling system were replaced. Updated 09/19/08.
Tl* the contact reported that the exhaust is going into the 2004 Ford Excursion. This has been happening for 3 months. When the vehicle is idle or stopped at a light the exhaust comes through the heating grate. The vehicle has 30000 thousand miles on it and had 24000 miles when problem started. The dealer has tried to fix the problem but nothing has worked permanently. They driver is suffering headaches and drowsiness when driving. Updated 01/20/10 the dealer replaced the left exhaust manifold gasket. Updated 01/22/10.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Ford Excursion. While driving approximately 25 MPH, idling, or parked, the RPM's begin to increase from 2,000 to 3,000 automatically and the vehicle will occasionally stall. When driving at low speeds, the RPM's will increase from 2,000 to 5,000. The vehicle has been diagnosed by the dealer several different times, but the failure still persists. NHTSA campaign id number 05V270000 (electrical system:wiring) was referenced. The current mileage was 48,000 and failure mileage was 15,000.
NHTSA investigations
Engine stalling
Twenty five of the odi failure reports are duplicative of Ford complaints.twenty odi reports do not contain a VIN (and May or May not be duplicative of Ford reports).the 14 alleged crashes and 2 alleged injuries were all minor.submitted during preliminary evaluation (pe) 04-070, Ford's response to odi's information request (ir) letter contained about 5,000 consumer reports (mors) and 8,700 field reports (cqis).Ford…
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…
Engine complaints in other Excursion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2004 Ford Excursion?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2004 Ford Excursion, 31% of the model year's 95 complaints. The component named most often is engine › diesel (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Excursion engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2004 Ford Excursion, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Ford Excursion engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles, and 28% before 25,000 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.