Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
Electrical fire today. Vehicle was parked outside garage. A clicking noise was heard and noticed the mirror was trying to move/click and car was filled with smoke. Mirror switches didn't work when tried. Knocked mirror off and fire stopped. Wiring Harness around the emergency brake area melted. Fire melted a hole in the dash corner by windshield. Vehicle was last driven about 25 hrs. earlier with no issues. Approx. 128K miles. Glad it wasn't in garage and the clicking was heard or garage/house would have burned. We haven't done anything to it yet.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the turn signals, the hazard lights, and the cigarette lighter had become inoperable. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the engine lost power. The wiring harness was replaced; however, the failure continued a week later. On January 21, 2008, the dealer confirmed that one of the harnesses was defective and caused the engine to lose power. The dealer also confirmed that the failure was not related to a previous crash that occurred. The manufacturer in the corporate division stated that the contact would be required to pay $2,700 to replace the harness, but later adjusted the price to $780. The contact's claim number with the manufacturer was 1386151017. The contact does not feel that he should have to replace a defective part at his own expense. He asked if the part was defective, but no one has given him a response. …
This has occurred a three times in last month...first being in July. I park my vehicle, turn ignition off and pull out key and the air conditioner is still blowing and radio is still going for a couple seconds after key is pulled out...only a couple seconds and immediately shuts itself off. This is definitely an electrical or ignition issue.I do know radio will stay on until door opened, thats a feature of the vehicle, but this is different, air stays blowing?? Not sure if this is related to above issue but also having an problem with electrical(?) under the hood, at times the vehicle while sitting at a light or drive thru tries to die so much so that you can see the instrument panel lights trying to go out as the car attempts to die. …
Vehicle lost power for 3-5 seconds at highway speeds approximately 65 MPH on three separate events. Vehicle slowed down due to power loss while in heavy traffic. Three other times at idle speed in drive and in park engine stalled and immediately restarted. Loss of power steering due to engine not running when stall event happened. I performed inspection of fuel pump relay which is internal to passenger side fuse block. Found inadequate solder joint on integrated relay printed circuit and burn marks on outside of fuel pump relay. Located salvage fuse block same make and model and inspected. Same damage on salvage fuse block assembly. Replaced with aftermarket fuse block with revised solder joint and updated relay.
Also like many other complaints I have seen, the 2004 Ford Expedition I have has shut off on me several times while driving and I was told to switch out the entire fuse box. I called the dealer and they said to replace it, it would be about $500 for it. It's ridiculous Ford hasn't issued a recall because this seems like a problem many people are having as well. We have almost gotten into a couple of accidents because of this issue! We can't keep having to rely on one less vehicle, but what other alternative do we have if it's going to cost us, the consumer, a lot of money to replace for something the manufacturer should be responsible for.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. While driving 35 MPH, the side air bags deployed without warning. The battery, engine, and low oil indicators illuminated after the air bag deployment. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The passenger sustained neck injuries while seated in a child safety seat located in the rear of the vehicle. Medical attention was not required. A police report was filed under complaint number: 170606882. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but did not offer any assistance. The failure mileage was 149,904.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted and taken to a dealer and an independent mechanic; however, the cause of the failure was unable to be determined. The contact mentioned that the alternator, battery, transmission, fuel pump, and fuel bypass switch were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 126,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle would restart erratically. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the fuse box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred multiple times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 187,000. The VIN was not available.
When driving home from seattle wa. To walla walla wa. At a speed of 70 MPH the vehicle died and I had to get off the road, it then restarted and did it to me 3 more times. When I took it to the shop the mechanic stated that it was in the fuse box. He had just did a replacement on the same type vehicle that had caught fire. It is the fuel relay in the fuse box that malfunctions and catches fire. I feel this is a safety issue.
Electrical complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Ford Expedition, 12% of the model year's 297 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Expedition electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 105,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.