Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On two incidents this week when steering wheel is cut to maximum left or right in tight parking lot and narrow road while making tight turns at legal speeds the engine (V8 4.6L) stalls. Brought to non-Ford mechanic for inspection(NYS ANNUAL) and passes but mechanic looked for a power steering pressure sending sensor or switch that is to give signal to EMC to increase idle to compensate for more power steer demands. Part is $35 at Partgeek but mechanics dont know where the harness the sending switch is located, if one exists or is it in power steering pump. Call Ford NADA! Call two local Ford dealers. One says dont work on cars 15 years old, other says go to liabary to get diagrams, Ford says obsolete parts in 10 years.Bummer! Husband ordered 8/10/20 New 2021 Bronco. Pushed into 2022 due to supply chain. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While driving 55 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle lost power steering and braking, which resulted in a crash. All the warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. A police report was filed. There was one injury that required medical attention. The contact was treated for second degree burns. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
My steering column broke right off! Trying to put it in drive @99,735 mi. Had to tow it to shop, and replace the steering column. I see other people had this same problem. There should be a recall for this!!! I also had to replace the transmission @ 103,000 miles it would skip 3rd gear. Seems everyone else has to replace the transmission. Also back bearings!! What a disgrace. Recall this disgraceful workmanship! No honor!
In 2004 Ford Explorer with v8, the cruise control turns off engine when traveling 35~45 MPH and going down a hill or decline. This affects power steering and brakes making it difficult to control and slow down the vehicle. This has happened repeatedly for the past 10 years, so I am used to this defect. My workaround is to put the vehicle in neutral and restart the vehicle and then continue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that smoke emitted from the steering column while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where they confirmed that the multi function switch malfunctioned. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 145,000.
Driving down the road at 10:52 pm and with no warning the entire truck shut down/off. All lights inside and out shut off, engine shut off, no power to the entire vehicle. Coasted to a stop, put it in park and turned the key off and then back on - the truck started right up with out a problem.
Complete engine failure while driving. Service engine soon light appeared 2 days previous but did not yet make it to the mechanic. Computer reading suggested a sensor problem. Engine shut down, lost power steering and all systems. Engine restarted but now idles rough.
The car was running fine and no warning light of any kind came on. We went to go start it today and it start up fine. When we tried to put it in all the gears and pressing on the gas it didn't do a thing. I mean it won't move at all.
I was on my way to work on a Tuesday morning with my son who is a college student at my school on August 20, 2013. I work at a community college and it was the first week of the fall semester 2013 starting. I arrived about 10:15 a.m. And could not find parking. I found a parking stall in the staff parking lot. I put the Ford Explorer in reverse and was going backwards to park in the stall. When I moved the shift gear handle to put the truck into drive into the parking stall, the gear shift was just broke off. I couldn't believe it! I had to act quickly and hit the emergency brake and turn the ignition off from the car to make it stop. I was really scared! Luckily, I dropped off my son so he can go to his first class. I had to have the car towed to banning, california and have my mechanic fix it. Still to this day, Ford cannot provide a part to fix the steering column shift level. …
While putting the car in reverse in the parking lot the gear shift completely snapped off and the car was stuck in reverse. The keys were stuck in the ignition and I couldn't turn the car off. I had to put the emergency brake on and call for help on my cell phone. When help arrived after a couple of hours they were able to manuever what was left of the gear shift enough to put the car back in park and turn the car off. I called the Ford customer service division and spoke with a representative named [redacted], he preceded to tell me that Ford has never heard of such a problem and that he couldn't help me. He said there are currently no recalls available for this part. I searched the internet and found hundreds of the same complaint on fords and advised [redacted] and again he said Ford has never heard of such a problem. …
NHTSA investigations
Vehicle rollaway allegations
In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), Ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column.
Steering complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2004 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the steering of the 2004 Ford Explorer, 3% of the model year's 1,304 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Explorer steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2004 Ford Explorer. 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 Explorer steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 83,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to steering 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.