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 Ranger owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My vehicle is a 2004 Ford Ranger xlt pickup truck with 4 wheel drive. The vehicle is in excellent mechanical condition. The brake system malfunctioned, allowing the brake pedal to hit the floor. This incident occurred while I was pulling into a parking spot on a snow covered parking lot. The air temperature was very cold (0 deg. F) at the time, and the 4x4 system on the vehicle was engaged. When I applied the brakes as I was pulling into the parking spot, the brake pedal hit the floor so the vehicle did not slow down and there was no pulsing sensation from ABS. As a result, my vehicle collided with a parked vehicle immediately in front of my vehicle. My vehicle and the other vehicle were both damaged as a result of this brake system failure. I have tried to reproduce the problem many times and have been unable to do so. …
Dt: the contact owns a 2004 Ford Ranger edge. The contact stated he has been having brake problems with this vehicle. While driving at 65 MPH and applying the brakes the vehicle would not stop. The pedal had a spongy feel when it was pressed down. The service dealer replaced the cap on the reservoir to the master cylinder. This did not remedy the problem. Then, the dealership replaced the reservoir, this still did not remedy the problem. The dealer replaced the seals, and this seemed to stop the leak of the brake fluid, but did not help the braking capability. The braking problem resulted in an accident because he could not avoid an animal in the road. When he applied the brakes the vehicle skidded and he could not gain complete control of the vehicle. The vehicle flipped over six to seven times. The consumer was driving 75 MPH when the accident occurred. …
Dt*: the contact stated while approaching an intersection at 40mph the vehicle in front stopped short. When the brakes were depressed the vehicle seemed to accelerate rather than slow down. The contact swerved to avoid a direct rear end collision, but clipped the vehicle in the right rear bumper. Both vehicles sustained only minor damage. The police filed a report at the scene. The contact experienced two previous failures with the brakes, but no accidents resulted in the other incidents. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the problem could not be duplicated. However, the dealer replaced the brake pads.
Dt*: the contact stated while brake pressure was applied at a stop sign, due to the placement of the brake and accelerator pedal the two were pressed at the same time which caused the vehicle to lurch forward resulting in a rear impact collision. No one was injured and seat belts were used. Minor damage was sustained to both vehicles. The police were contacted and a report was taken. The vehicle was not seen by a dealer. Updated 04/06/06.
Was backing down part of my driveway which is fairly steep. When reaching point where wanted to stop, brake pedal would not budge so 2004 Ford Ranger continued rolling backwards until hitting tree in its path. It stopped then! Damage was $4,000 and some. Truck is less than a year old with a little more than 12,000 miles use. Ford said couldnt find anything wrong with brakes. Body shop repaired bed.
I would like to report poor design of brake and gas pedals , when wearing work boots if not careful you will push on gas pedal as you apply brake causing vehicle to not slow down and at times actually excelerating, this has happened twice , once resulting in accident during highway panic stop
On November 2, 2012, I went to the place where I purchased my tires to have them rotated and the mechanic reported to me that my rear drum brakes where metal to metal. The next day I pulled the driver's side rear tire and drum and verified that there was no lining on one of the shoes. I purchased a new set of brake shoes (10") at autozone and on November 5, 2012 drove to my father's home to replace the defective shoes. Upon removal of the old shoes, we discovered that the lining of the shoe on the other side of that same wheel was cracked down the middle and coming off on one end. We also noted that the missing lining was a bonded shoe and the cracked lining was a riveted shoe. This was confirmed after inspecting the shoes on the passenger side which appeared to be wearing normally but that side also had one bonded shoe and one riveted shoe. …
I just had a conversation with a man by the name of brian at the phone number 1800-392-Ford (that the dealer gave me) about my problem. I am very upset and will be filing a complaint about this as a safety issue to the safer cargov website. Among others. This is in regards to my 2004 for Ranger edge 4x4. I just recently had to repair (at my cost) to have my rear brakes redone due to them locking up. Upon removal of the drums it was very evident that the brake shoes were delaminated (separated) causing my rear end of my truck to lock up and not move. Knowing that Ford does not cover wear items" I figured that they would cover this because this is not a wear issue. This is a safety issue. Brake shoes should not separate (wear yes, separate no). A truck with 37 k miles should not have rear brake pads come apart period. …
On Saturday, June 20th my wife drove down our driveway and lost her brakes. The driveway is pitched about 15 degrees so the truck, a 2004 Ranger with 60,000 miles, picked up speed. Pumping didn't help. She steered the curve thereby not flying into the shed; she aimed at a 10 foot deep flowering bush to avoid the stone wall and the truck went through, missed the ash tree, and came to a halt 200 feet down in the meadow. There had been no warning that the brakes were about to fail, no softness that either of us noticed, no warning light. The diagnosis at the dealership is that the master cylinder 'failed'; no lines broken, no fluids having leaked. I called Ford and was told that since the car was out of warranty there was nothing Ford would do, except report the incident to the engineering department to record for future reference. A master cylinder should outlive the rest of a vehicle. …
Dt: 2004, Ford, Ranger xlt, front brakes on driver's side are grabbing. The vehicle has been in repair shop twice. Consumer can mash the brakes down, and hears a grinding sound. Dealership has looked at the truck, and they could not find any problems. When the weather is cool the brakes feel like they are freezing up. Also, has been inspected by the dealership, who still could not find the cause of the problem. In addition, the front seal on the transmission was defective. The truck was having problems with the seal when it was taken to dealer for brake problems. The owner told the dealership to fix what ever necessary, and the seal was not fixed. The vehicle has 40,000 miles.
Brake complaints in other Ranger years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2004 Ford Ranger?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the brakes of the 2004 Ford Ranger, 6% of the model year's 404 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Ranger brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2004 Ford Ranger, though it has 10 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 Ranger brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 35,000 miles, and 40% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries and 1 death 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.