Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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).
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!
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While driving at 35 MPH, a loud abnormal noise emitted from the vehicle and it started to swerve out of control. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 185,000. The VIN was not available.
My 2004 Ford Explorer was making a horrible rubbing/grinding sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. When I took my foot off the gas pedal, the noise was more pronounced. I took the vehicle to my mechanic thinking it was the brakes and he informed me that the entire rear of the vehicle was "loose" and I should have a diagnostic test done by a Ford dealer. I took it to my local dealer where I purchased the vehicle. The technician informed me that he would have to remove the entire rear differential to open it to find the problem. After that being done, I was told that he found "faulty" ring and pinion and carrier bearings that needed to be replaced so an entire new kit had to be installed and refilled with fluids which intern ended up costing $1,400. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. When he activated the cruise control while driving, it deactivated itself without warning. He had to restart the vehicle to re-set the error code. The failure occurred intermittently, and mostly on the interstate. Also when he would turn on the turn signals, the automatic warning system would make an alarm noise and blink until the turn signal would cut off. The automatic transmission appeared to lose fluid, when he shifted into reverse. He heard a roaring noise near the tire area. He was told by the dealer that the hubs needed to be replaced. Lastly, the aesthetic piece on the lower half of the hatch-back had cracked and separated from the vehicle. He took the vehicle back to the dealership and was advised that there was an electrical failure. No repairs were made. The manufacturer referred him to NHTSA. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact placed the gear shifter into reverse to drive and noticed that the transmission would hesitate before engaging. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians replaced the solenoid in the transmission. After the repairs were performed, the contact continued to experience the failure. There was also an abnormal grinding from the rear of the vehicle. The dealer replaced the rear end bearing, three rear axles, the pinion bar and seals and a shaft kit was installed. The dealer also advised that the failure was caused by an over torque by the manufacturer. In addition, the contact stated that the driver and passenger side sun visor joints were failing sporadically and causing the visors to obstruct the contact's vision of the roadway. The sun visors were not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000.
Exact dates are various , vehicle has 39000 miles on it presently , have multiple vehicles , drive over the road truck driver ... Changed brakes and rotors twice , emergency brake not working , had fixed , had to have ekg replaced and some exhaust sensor , tires wore out at 29000 , exhaust system replaced , both ball joints replaced , pinion gear gasket leaking from rear end , both cv joints leaking , appears right cv joint needs replacing , gets 14 mpg ( 4.0 liter ) paint peeling from roof for quite awhile now , rusting around fuel tank door , as all are ...... Vehicle has been a nightmare , getting rid of this at 39000 miles , Ford has a better idea , buy another one !
Were a family a Ford Explorer my family has 4 of them ranging from the years 1996,99,2002,2004 and everyone of these vehicles have serious issues. Ranging from rotting suspension parts,to wheel bearing issues on newer models,rotting fuel and brake lines,this is supposed to be an American made company that is jeopardizing the lives of American and children with total disregard of human life,but I bet you the owners of Ford don't have these issues they probably drives foreign haha but seriously someone will get hurt by this and it costing thousands of dollars out of pocket to fix an ongoing problem with these trucks please do a recall its so unfair at this point.
Both front wheel bearings failed the week before last on the 2004 Ford Explorer xlt I bought new from Ford motor company about 2 years and 45,500 miles age. I replaced both after a diagnoses of failure by a Ford dealership by going to a private, non-Ford repair shop at a cost of just over $ 781.00. The labor here was $ 142.00 - the balance was local taxes and the replacement bearings which were only available from and purchased from Ford motor company. The dealer also diagnosed a defective ring and pinion gear which is not the case - yet. Didn't even get to the driver's front seat back which has collapsed without accident on the door side.
Without warning my rear wheel hub assembly keep braking. Suddenly the vehicle starts to shimmy and pull and make grinding noises and the wheel is practically falling off by the time I get home. This has happened to me 6 times in the past year! So far I have been lucky and my wheel hasn't fallen completely off, only because I have replaced the rear differential twice in the last 2 years so as soon as I feel something out of the ordinary I have it checked! It is terrifying when it happens, the whole wheel wobbles and going slow only makes it seem worse. I've had to replace the whole hub assembly at a cost of $300.00 plus each time!
Transmission shifts harder and shakes the entire SUV. When I press the gas and get to about 35-40 it will start knocking really bad and feels like it's losing power. When I stop the exact same thing happens with the knocking. I was going 35 around a slight curve on I-45 freeway by little york shepard gulf bank area to be exact and the SUV was driving fine. I was just getting onto the freeway at this time. Hints the reason I'm not going so face. When I started picking up speed the transmission jerked so hard I flew into the next lane. Luckily no one was around me but image if I was in traffic and this happen.
Suspension complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2004 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the suspension of the 2004 Ford Explorer, 3% of the model year's 1,304 complaints. The component named most often is rear (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Explorer suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to suspension 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.