Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Ford Expedition owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. While the vehicle was parked, it rolled down an incline and struck a boulder at the end of the driveway. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in a recall. No further assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 208,000.
I was in a collision with another car. The brakes failed.\n Going over 3540 miles per hour, airbag and passenger side and drivers side neither one deployed.
Brake line failure due to rust. Cars previously had dual hydraulic systems. If one failed, the other still worked. That is no longer true. It's all one hydraulic system and if a leak occurs, there is no secondary system; only the emergency brake is available to stop the vehicle. And now, in new cars, the emergency brake has switched to electric. Previously you could gradually apply the manual emergency brake to slow down after a hydraulic failure, but no more. I have now had 2 rust induced brake line failures in my 2004 Ford Expedition, and thankfully, a working emergency brake was able to stop the vehicle before a major accident occurred. New cars no longer have this same luxury of an emergency brake. They have only the electric parking brake - no graduated controls, no manual intervention. …
While driving my Ford 2004 Expedition eddie bauser, the brake pedel will go all the way to the floor, & the braking system will failed to work, vehicle will not stop, this happens 4 time, & the dealer ( brandon Ford ) & Ford refuse to help us, the dealer after looking at the vehicle every time said nothing happens to the brake, we are afraid to drive the vehicle, for we might not be lucky the next time it happen, the last time it happen was on May 26, my wife was driving with the kids when it happen, she had to pull onto the side of the road in order to avoid hitting the cars in front of her which cause her to hit at road sign, which cause about $2100 in body repair cost, we need to file a complaint against brandon Ford & Ford motor company for not thinking about their customer safty & life & family. Thank you.
Experienced a near complete brake failure due to sudden loss of brake fluid. I was able to make it home as the incident occurred on an interstate within a mile of my residence. Cavalier Ford at chesapeake sq. Had just done "the works" package oil change just 2 hours earlier and reported that brake lines were checked and everything was "green." I had the vehicle towed back to cavalier Ford and the service manager reported to me that my brake line was rusted through near the front axle. The vehicle has been kept and maintained in chesapeake, va and I am the original owner. The service desk was very surprised because there is little road salt conditions in this area during winter.
Excessive front brake wear on 20004 Ford Expedition. Vehicle has 14,000 miles and front brakes are gone. Rotors cannot be turned due to excessive ware. Front inside calipher cannot and will not stay tight. They keep sliding causing heavy groove wear in the rotors and heavy front end shaking and wobble during stopping. The brakes often fade to the point where the emergency brake must be used for stopping. The Ford dealer recommended replacing the pads and rotors but not with OEM parts as that is what the problem is. I was urged to go to after market brake components. I did and there is no brake dust, fade, squeak or shake.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. The contact was coming to a stop and depressed the brake pedal when the vehicle would not stop or slow down. The contact crashed into a pole and a gas meter before the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire and a fire report was filed. No one was injured yet the vehicle was destroyed. The origin of the fire was unknown. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who stated that they will send a representative out to inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was 98,835.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. The contact was driving 40 MPH and changing gears when he attempted to apply the brakes but there was no response. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle and crashed into a pile of snow in order to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who referred him back to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 86,000. Updated 9/13/11
On 6/22, the right wheel bearing assembly failed while traveling ~20 MPH. As a result, a fire occurred. I put the fire out in our driveway at home with a water hose. Significant damage occurred to the right wheel assembly, bearing housing, 1/e axle, rotor, caliper, brake pads, emergency brake, etc...luckily, were close to home and were not traveling 70 MPH. No other vehicles were involved and there were no injuries as my wife and I were able to get all of our children out of the Expedition safely. Our Expedition is a 2004.
We were involved in an accident. Our 2004 Ford Expedition seamed to fail to respond to slamming on the brakes to avoid collision. We rear ended a car, no one hurt. No air bag deployment at all. #0-35 MPH speed. Hit car in front of us after he stopped in road for no reason. Major damage to our truck. Should have been fender bender.
Brake complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2004 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the brakes of the 2004 Ford Expedition, 14% of the model year's 297 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › pads (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Expedition brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2004 Ford Expedition. 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 Expedition brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 20,000 miles, and 53% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 2 fires and 4 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.