Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Driving on 115th st and I -57 overpass in chicago & left front wheel assembly came off when the a-frame broke and went across 2 lanes of taffic . This is a 2004 Ford f-150 with 59,354 miles. No warning when it happened. The vehicle slid to the railroad track and flipped sideways parallel to the tracks and rt. Front side a-frame broke. There was extensive front end damage and back of cab hit bed and creased about an inch deep, buckled the bed above the wheel 3 inches. Bent the frame & ins. Co. Said it was not totaled but has been 10 weeks plus and they are still working on it. No other vehicle involved. Ford refused to look at it. The dealer would not turn in a claim on the comprhensive warranty for 72 mo or 100,00 miles. So we are stuck again-no vehicle for over 10 weeks and still not repaired. Body shop is still putting parts on it. How many others has had this happen?
Truck was sold with defective parts on the driver side of vehicle. Steering knuckle, ABS sensors, etc. Having to be replaced 2 weeks after buying. Repair shop said vehicle was not maintained, sold in this condition when it could've been noticed and fixed. While driving a week after purchase truck lost steering and braking functionality on the highway and had to be pulled to the side of the road.. Towed to mechanic, oils not be driven
Both rear suicide doors will not open, the latch mechanism is broken and apparently cost over $700.00 to fix both. In addition I have replaced the wheel bearing on all wheels twice and now another one is going bad. It seems like I never have a period when all the bearings are good.
Several weeks after purchasing my 2004 Ford f-150, I noticed that the front wheels were beginning to discolor from a build-up of brake dust. Less than a month into owning the car, I complained to the dealership and was told that this problem was the result of a Ford decision to replace the originally designed brake pads with quiter ones because of previous customer complaints about noisy brakes. They told me there was no alternative but to live with the problem, even though I was having to clean my wheels every three weeks due to the constant build-up of the brake dust. They told me that they have no low-dust version for the f-150's even if I were to pay for it myself. …
On Friday, November 22, 2013 while driving to work on the freeway, I felt several "thumps" prior to the rear left tire on my f-150 blow. There was no load in the truck nor was I towing. I was able to safely get onto the shoulder. Aaa responded and attempted to change the tire. He was unable, as some of the tire tread was wrapped around the axle. We also observed the parking brake cable broken. A tow truck was then dispatched to move my f-150 to a garage. Damage noted to the truck was a snapped parking brake cable and a kinked hydraulic line. I authorized the garage to repair the brake system and get my truck back on the road. By the time they were able to gather the repair parts, it was the following Wednesday (day before thanksgiving) when I able to get it back. First thing I noticed was the broken trailer electrical connector on the bumper. …
I am going to give you a view of what has happened with this truck in the 2 months that I have owned this new truck. The day after I bought the truck I took it back for a vibration in the breaks and a vibration in the wheels at 30 and 75 well as I am sure all of you know the vibration in the wheels at those speeds was the tires are out of round and well the breaks well we are still on that one I also had a vibration in the rear end. Well they told me that they had to get new tires and that the rear end was bad. So now that they have replaced the rear end and replaced the tires and rebuilt the break system that still does not work, and now the window falls off track and I smell something burning in the truck like plastic also let me add that the keypad does not work. Now remember that this truck in two (2) months old I bought it on August 23 2004 and it is now November 9, 2004. …
While driving at highway speed my left front tire came off. The tires were rotated and torqued 5,000 miles ago. The truck was towed to a Ford dealer who dismissed us and told us that its our problem because we rotated and torqued the wheels. I talked to a relative who is an asst. Plant mgr. For Ford and he said that this happens quite often and that there might be some issues with the material that is used as the final coating on these stems and nuts which cause theme to come loose. We declined to have the dealership fix the truck and took it elsewhere for a second opinion. The dealership wanted to charge approximately $1,700 to fix the problem. The second opinion told us that only a few things needed to be repaired. Stems and bolts were replaced and the rest of the wheels were checked for $211.00! Pleases check into this for me. …
Tailgate straps are the same length, but when you put pressure on the tailgate, only the lh tailgate strap supports the tailgate. The truck has vibration and steering wheel nibble problems. They have balanced the tires 4 times, replaced the tires. The fse from Ford took the vehicle for a ride and said it needs a new driveshaft. The brake dust is a big problem. You need to wash the wheels daily. Ford now has updated pads. I hope they replace them under warranty. Two of the rotors are also grooved. The truck has 3000 miles on it. It has been in 5+ times now! The ac unit only had 22 ounces of fliud in it. It is supposed to have 30+. My air was verified to be 8-10 degrees warmer than spec. The gas door (spring) broke. The paint on the hood is flawed. It didn't get fully sprayed on the right front of the hood. Both sides of the rear diff. Are wet. Something is leaking. …
I currently own a 2004 f150 fx4 supercrew. The truck has a bad vibration between (60-65 MPH) which in turn causes the bed to shake. The dealership balanced the tires and replaced the driveshaft, and now they are ordering a counter balance which will be installed under the right rear of the truck. The dealer is also looking into the possibility of a problem with the Goodyear wrangler tires which have 1 ply of nylon in the tread--the tires seem to be real bad in cold weather. I voiced my concerns about the bed shaking and how you can take your fist and hit the rear bumper of the truck and the bed will shake repeatedly. According to a Ford technician--"this is a characteristic of this truck". This "characteristic" makes this vehicle unstable on rough roads. Personally I believe Ford should save its name and correct the problem. …
On the Ford f-150 trucks mine is a 2004 the spare tires are mounted with the air filler valve mounted on the top side. You can not get at the air valve to check tire pressure. The only way is to remove jack handle from rear seating area and follow the procedures to lower the tire. Well that is not going to happen so when you need the spare usually in an emergency situation the tire could be under inflated or perhaps flat. I have tried to contact Ford and the will not respond to my complaint. Please can you help me and thousands of others many who are not even aware of this. The selling dealers service manager was not aware of this until I questioned them. I also have a 2005 Ford escape and the spare is mounted with air valve down so checking air is not an issue. I believe that if it is do able on Chevrolet, dodges and others Ford can make it right . Regards dave emmons.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2004 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 77 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2004 Ford F-150, 4% of the model year's 2,029 complaints. The component named most often is sidewall (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford F-150 wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2004 Ford F-150, though it has 5 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 F-150 wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 26,000 miles, and 49% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries and 2 deaths to wheels & tires 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.