2004 Ford Expedition

Typical pattern

12.6% of complaints about the 2004 Ford Expedition came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2004 vehicle — around the middle of the 236 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is air bags (49 complaints), typically at 6.4 yr or about 87,000 miles.

Complaints: 374
Median age at failure: 6.3 yr
Median mileage: 80,200 n=286
Crash / fire / tow: 21.1% of reports
Safety recalls: 4

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Air bags

49 reports · 87,000 mi

6.4 yr

69.4%

Electrical system

37 reports · 105,000 mi

8.4 yr

10.8%

Service brakes, hydraulic

33 reports · 16,500 mi

1.7 yr

27.3%

Engine

29 reports · 140,000 mi

11.3 yr

20.7%

Power train

27 reports · 31,000 mi

4.3 yr

7.4%

Tires

26 reports · 42,000 mi

3.7 yr

11.5%

Engine cooling

26 reports · 75,000 mi

6.9 yr

11.5%

Structure

25 reports · 85,000 mi

6.2 yr

Speed control

20 reports · 30,060 mi

2.8 yr

35%

Fuel / propulsion

19 reports · 150,000 mi

13.8 yr

Visibility

15 reports · 95,000 mi

5.3 yr

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

09E012000 2009-04-07

Exterior lighting

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

06E064000 2006-07-17

Exterior lighting

CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

06E026000 2006-03-23

Exterior lighting

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

06E023000 2006-03-13

Exterior lighting:headlights

CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 4 mo in service

MY 2004 FORD EXPEDITION IS 31 DAYS OLD AND HAS EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR, WHICH I CONSIDER A SAFETY ISSUE. THE BRAKE DUST, IN LESS THAN TWO THOUSAND MILES, IS CAKED ON THE FRONT WHEELS AND EXTENDS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE RUNNING BOARDS ON EACH SIDE. THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE DUST COVERING THE WHEELS AND RUNNING BOARDS INDICATES EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE BRAKE PADS. I AM GREATLY CONCERNED THAT THE BRAKES WILL FAIL PREMATURELY. FORD MOTOR COMPANY DOES NOT CONSIDER THIS AN ISSUE.*AK

Service brakes, hydraulic 2,000 mi 6 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH BRAKES FAILED. DRIVER PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH PULSATED AND WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR. SOMEHOW VEHICLE STOPPED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER THE VEHICLE STOPPED ENGINE CHECK WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT SURE HOW TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. *AK

Service brakes, hydraulic 200 mi 6 mo in service

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 FORD EXPEDITION THE FRONT BRAKES GIVE OFF HUGE AMOUNTS OF BRAKE DUST IN 100 MILES THE RIMS ARE SOLID BLACK. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND MAY RESULT IN BRAKE FAILURE. *NM

Power train 1,100 mi 4 mo in service

WHEN COMING OFF A RAMP AND MERGING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC THE ACCELERATOR BECAME STUCK. THE DRIVER HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES AND PLACE THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL. AT 1,470 MILES WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY THE TRUCK SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING AND WOULD ONLY GO IN REVERSE. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PISTON HAD DISINTEGRATED. *JB *SC

Other Expedition model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.