Problems with 2004 Ford Explorer POWER TRAIN

We own a 2004 ford explorer. the ford recall to remedy factory transmission fluid problem was a band-aid to fix liver cancer. the transmission jumps into reverse a few seconds after shifting, and the shifts when going forward are "jerky". ford has tried to placate owners with an additive. the problem is ongoing. nothing has been done to correct the problem. *tr

2004 ford explorer, still has harsh shift from park to rear, have to press brake hard so car does not jerk when shifting to rear, fluid was replaced by ford dealer 2 years ago but harsh shifting never addressed since it was on and off 2 years ago, presently happens much more often. *tr

2004 ford explorer. gear shift lever broke off in my hand when shifting from park to reverse. transmission indicator stuck between park and reverse. vehicle could start but not move. key stuck in ignition. shift lever broke off at metal cast inside column. towed to ford dealer. needs entire steering column replaced to fix this part, cost over $1000. others with same problem due to defective part. called ford hq, but no help with covering repairs for this problem. *tr

Purchased used 2004 explorer xlt 12/6/07 at 53,000 miles. approx 6 mos later, it began having delayed shifting and would jerk into reverse. at times i had pulled out too far into the road and needed to back up to avoid a collision and the car would not safely reverse quickly. it would hesitate and then jerk into reverse at a high speed. the tranny would slip after slowing down and then accelerating. once after shifting into reverse, i hit the gas and it revved up as if in neutral. i paused and hit the gas again without changing gears and it reversed. the first dealer said its tranny fluid was low and they topped it off. no change. the second dealer reprogrammed it with no change. they replaced the solenoid which seemed to fix the jerky shifting and improper acceleration. now it is progressively getting worse again, just like last time. it starts out only having issues once a month and then they become more regular until it happens every time you drive the car. i don't think the car is safe as i cannot get it to move quickly when i need it to. the car has a new appointment with the dealer and i think they are going to replace the transmission. i have seen sites where hundreds of other explorer owners have had the same problem, sometimes even much worse than this one. the dealers are stumped because it doesn't show any codes. according to the computer nothing is wrong with my car when even i can tell that it has major transmission problems. it now has 80,000 and i have paid the deductible at least three times and still no change. i better have a new transmission coming to me... *tr

Back rear hatch cracked. just like the 100's of others i found on my internet search of the problem. our transmission also failed and had to be replaced, at our own cost. *tr

First had my transmission looked at in may 2008 where it was slipping into reverse and jolting the vehicle, which had only 44133 miles. had it looked at my a ford dealer that told me there was nothing wrong. now in may 2012 at 110,000 miles my transmission was re-looked at for slipping into first and second gear. which at this time i was told that i needed a new transmission and yet i am still making payments. ford complaint line tells me they are not doing anything to resolve this problem at this time and now me and my 3 children are without a vehicle because my transmission had now completely failed and the vehicle remains in a store parking lot broke down. thanks ford! *tr

I purchased a 2004 eddie bauer 4.0 liter explorer. the previous owner brought the vehicle back for all recalls, particularly those related to the transmission. this included a complete trans fluid flush even though the ford states the 1st maint. on tranny is 100 k miles, changed the front seal that supposedly "corrodes in the presence of the old transmission fluid', and had the solenoid body changed to correct the transmission shifting problem. now the transmission is failing again at 34,000 miles. it shifts erratically and feels unusual while driving in forward, and once warmed up and at a stop, when shifting from drive to reverse, there is a 1 too 2 second pause and then the transmission shifts violently into reverse. mechanic tells me that tranny will eat itself up. in short all preventable maint. and recalls have been done on car to avoid problem, and yet at 34k miles tranny is experiencing same problem again. you really need to put fords feet to the fire and get this fixed as a recall as this is a safety issue. web is full of reports of trannys die-ing on the road with no warning. you all are the watchdog, please do your job. *tr

Purchased 2004 ford explorer used with 9k miles on it. immediately noticed strong jerking movement when putting into reverse. dealership fixed the problem, stated it was common. now 43k miles, same problem; much stronger. i'm noticing this jerking while driver forward as well. on occasion the car will just jump forwarded as if someone was jumping on the gas pedal. i've read similar complaints, some with injuries on www.mycarstats.com; over 197 complaints. this is a serious accident waiting to happen. ford need to recall and fix this problem. once the warranty expires people are being quoted over $3k to fix the transmission problems. *tr

I purchased a 2004 ford explorer last year. almost immediately after the purchase but after warranty expiration i had to pay for a new wheel bearing. a few months ago i had the car serviced and was told the rear differential has issues. a loud roar as i drive. about a month ago i heard the familiar sound of another wheel bearing talking to me. i pick my daughter up everyday from school and rely on this vehicle to be functioning in a safe manner. i researched a bit and found complaint after complaint regarding these issues. i can see that this complaint is old news but it is a serious safety issue and an on going problem. it is not cheap either! i am disgusted with this car and demand this widespread issue be resolved. thank you for your time. joseph sullivan *tr

2004 ford explorer transmission clunking and shifting roughly, taking long time to engage cause vehicle to roll back, does not seem to engage for a period of time. also whines so loud folks in back seat can't hear front seat people talking. appears each time driven. was that way when purchased new and dealer fixed it, now once again same issue. *tr

I have a 2004 ford explorer. about two weeks ago, i went to shift from park to reverse so i could back out of my driveway. the gear shifter broke off in my hand. it was dangling by some sort of cord. i could not shift into park, and could not get the key out of the ignition. i had to leave the car in neutral and put the parking brake on. i've had three mechanics look at it, and all of them said this is not something that should break. it is going to cost me $1100 to fix, because a whole new steering column has to be ordered from ford. i contacted ford via email, and they are not issuing a recall at this time, which i think is unacceptable given how common this problem is. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. when placing the vehicle in a parked position the vehicle it rolled backwards even when it was on a level surface. on one occasion the vehicle rolled backward and crashed into another vehicle. there were no injuries. when the failure occurred she notices the over drive light illuminated on the instrument control panel. the dealer stated that her second gear was missing; therefore, she would be responsible for paying $3,700 to replace the transmission. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving the transmission will slip from second to third gear. the vehicle shifts very roughly into the reverse gear. also the glass from the rear window has loosened from the frame due to the clips. the manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 99,240.

2004 ford explorer with seals leaking. consumer states that the front axle seal and pinion seal were replaced. the rear axle seal was leaking and also was replaced. consumer would like to be reimbursed for the charges. *kb the consumer stated on march 31, 2008 the rear axle seal on the passenger side was found to be leaking, after having the front axle seal and pinion seal replaced 2 weeks prior. *jb

My concern is in regard to an ongoing problem that my vehicle and thousands of others like it have; the lack of safety one may be faced with if the rear on these vehicles fail due to substandard parts used in the rear differential on the ford suv's and f-150's. my understanding is that the costly repair that is required the manufacture will not honor after the basic warranty is over even though this is an ongoing problem. on these vehicles. i was told today that if i continue to drive the vehicle to the point of complete failure i risk the vehicles back wheels locking up. my question to the nhtsa is why has there not been a recall on these vehicles knowing that this is a major problem in the drivetrain of these vehicles. i have 79k on my vehicle and a friend had their rear differential replaced at 22k and the problem is prevalent again on that vehicle again as well. in my estimation this could result in serious injury. what does it take to get a recall on this problem? does hundreds of people have to die or suffer serious injury for something to be done? i have had my vehicle back to ford for one bang or clang or another since the vehicle had 18k on it. will the nhtsa ever see fit to make a re-call on these vehicles or again does several people need to suffer injury or loss before something is done? *tr

Purchased a 2004 ford explorer new at a local dealership. i started having transmission problem soon after purchase. not shifting into reverse properly. took the vehicle several times back to dealership. received transmission additive recall and took vehicle back again. about 5,000 miles after additive transmission problems worsened. solenoid replace at 20,000 miles and again at 35,000 with other transmission parts replaced. now at 59,000 miles of use transmission is completely gone and must be replaced. *tr

I just purchased a used ford explorer xlt from a dealer and took for test drive seemed ok purchased the vehicle and noticed the next day upon driving that the transmission going from park to reverse out of my garage took a few seconds before cluncking into gear almost causing me to hit my garage i took to my mechanic which he changed out my fluid adding the additive that he new was required he owns a trans shop and is very reputable he stated about the recall also he checked my differentials in front and rear and noticed rear was all full of silver shavings we changed out fluids also but the shifting and vibrating still is occurring i did purchase a full warranty and after reading all the negative press on this site i hope the purchase of a ford vehicle and warranty was worth the money. *tr

The back hatch has a crack underneath the window in the middle around the ford emblem. just appeared....as i've noticed several ford 2004 explorers in this area have the exact same defect. recall is very much necessary. as well as the car jolting into drive and reverse....i still owe several thousand dollars on this loan and refuse to pay for any repairs....ford should do a recall on both...they need to hire some japanese workers since their cars seem not to have these types of issues.....i bought this car in feb of 2008 and had the transmission problems right after that.....car only had 48k miles on it. *tr

My vehicle when put in reverse will hesitate then engage approx. 30 sec. later as if rearended. when i am in drive and accelerate my 04 explorer xlt will hesitate then engaged. *tr

I own a 2004 ford explorer. car started vibrating at low speeds especially after a stop and when turning. i have taken it to two mechanics and both told me the rear differential needs to be replaced. i am a college student and just purchased the vehicle so i will be unable to pay for the costly repair. i have read online that many many other ford customers have had the same problem and ford has done nothing about it. *tr

I purchased a 2004 ford explorer in november 2006 with 16,000 miles. at approximately 30,000 miles, i noticed that it shifted hard going into 3rd gear as i accelerated. the transmission would rev up, then shift with a thud. i do not drive the vehicle hard. this was noticed during normal in town driving. this happened intermittently. at 38,000 miles i took it to a ford dealership to have it checked (as my extended warranty was about to expire). i explained the shifting and acceleration problem in detail. they reported that this was within the specs for this truck. that it was normal acceleration. it is now 54,000 miles. the problems have gotten worse. it feels like the transmission slips into neutral, then clunks and grabs the next gear. there is also a delay and clunk when shifting into reverse. i've just taken it in and had the transmission flushed. the shop reported that there was no particulate or debris in the pan, so it is probably something internal. i took it to a transmission specialist and they are saying i need a new/rebuilt transmission. *tr

There is alot of whistling and squeaking in my front end and everytime i have it looked at i am told it just needs lubrication and after a few weeks the noise is back which i am sure means something is wrong and no one seems to find it. the squeaking is driving me nuts at every turn whenever you brake sometimes just accelerating will cause it to squeak. *tr

Hi! my 2004 for explorer has been suffering from transmission problems for over 3 years. the car was taken to the dealer for repair while under warranty multiple times with the dealer doing little to satisfy me or address the issue. the problem has gotten progressively worse to a point that it has become a public hazard to drive. it seems to jump in and out of gear as it wishes with a clunking sound, especially when put into reverse. i took the car to the dealership this past week after being advised to do so when i called ford's 1-800 number and they are suggesting that i replace the transmission. the catch is that my suv is now out of warranty at only 46k miles. bear in mind they failed to remedy the issue in the past. i went online and found that this problem is rampant with this model and year. many comments from other disgruntled owners may be found at: http://www.offroadexchange.com/modforums/index.php?topic=26.new evidently the problem goes as far back as production of 2004 ford explorers. ford is failing to own up to this. i urge you to please take action so that this issue may be deemed part of a recall. these vehicles are posing a public threat and ford is doing absolutely nothing about it. *tr

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. the current mileage was approximately 68,000. the failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

2004 ford explorer transmission failure, shift slippage, delayed acceleration. *tr

We purchased a 2004 ford explorer 4.0 liter v6 approximately 6 months ago (46,000 miles). shortly after the purchase the vehicle began to shift hard from "park" into "reverse". the vehicle also shifts hard while in motion. it feels as if the vehicle has accelerated on it's own. mechanic advised the transmission will cost approximately $600.00 in parts, and approximately $800.00 in labor. it is unknown how long the transmission will last until complete failure. i have grave concerns that it may fail as we are on the interstate causing death or serious injury. *tr

I own a 2004 ford explorer and in 2006 i had to have the solenoid shifters replaced in my vehicle. after researching this problem on the internet i have found that this transmission problem is very common with the 2004 explorer model. my vehicle is now out of warranty and the same problem has occurred again. my hope is that you will take this complaint and research for yourself the many people experiencing the same problem and place a government recall correct the matter once and for all. it is a dangerous problem and causes the transmission to hesitate between 3rd and 4th gear in my case. this could potentially cause serious issues while at high speeds. please look into this matter and feel free to contact me with any other questions. thanks. *cn

Took car back to the dealer i purchased it from, complained of a rough shift into reverse, technician said normal with this transmission, took it to another dealer in city where i work they found the problem to be a solenoid in the transmission and it was repaired under warranty. 20000 miles later and 18 months later the same problem diagnosed, not in warranty any longer i contacted ford and they gave me a decision that there was nothing they could do for me. this same problem appears at lease 3 times on your website as service bulletins. *tr

Transmission failure on ford explorer 2004... the transmission failed on my explorer, 3 of the 4 gears were gone!.... this cost $7,000 to be replaced... i believe this is unacceptable for a 3 year old car to have this type of problem at this cost. not to mention i worked with a guy who had an explorer and a mountaineer and the transmission went on both of those vehicles.. they were an 02 and 04. then this past week i had to have my brakes done. and the repair shop said i needed a few other minor things done... but i told them i had already spent $8,000 (all ball bearings replaced $1000 + 7000 for transmission)on the vehicle recently and can't get it done right now. and they asked if the problem was the transmission... i said, "yes why", they told me they had 5 explorers from the around the same age as mine that had transmission failures. now that's a total of 8 explorers in my area and i have heard of others from other people. ford needs to make good on this and offer some discount on a fix for this or have all the explorers from this time period recalled. i bought a new transmission even though is was $4000 more than a rebuilt one, because it came with a life-time warranty.... i would appreciate it if there was an investigation made into ford's explorer so, that past and future problems can be rectified. *tr

1 - transmission shifts hard into reverse. starting happening at approx. 11k miles. took to dealer twice under warranty to have repairs made, but still shifted hard. one repair at 11k and one repair at 34k. each time i was told that this was 'normal' by dealer (bergstrom ford of neenah). however, after repeated complaints, dealer (bergstrom ford of neenah) made repairs that they believed would help resolve the issue. issue never went away. 2 - complete transmission failure at 67k. transmission would not shift into reverse. could no back out of a parking stall at a retail store. took to ford dealer (les stumpf ford) and got no assistance. vehicle is out of warranty and i had to pay for repairs. entire transmission needed replacement. no assistance from ford to make repairs. *tr

Differential went out when driving suv rear axle grinds chatter. *tr

Driving vehicle, stopped, put vehicle in park, got out of vehicle briefly , got back in vehicle, pulled on gear shift leaver to put in drive would not go in drive or any other gear, prndl leaver broke off, could not remove key, could shut off the motor, had to have vehicle towed to ford dealer for repairs. total cost of repair $1,501.19. i did not by this vehicle from ourisman ford. i bought it from a private owner. *tr

In order to move the shift lever into the park position, it is necessary to push the lever up, let it return down a short bit, and then put it into park. the lever wants to stop half way. this is a safety hazard because the vehicle may return to reverse without actually being in the park position. *tr

Rear axle noise/whining. *tr

The transmission in my '04 ford explorer shifts incredibly hard, will stall in mid shift, and can slip into reverse from park at anytime. i am one of thousands of owners in the 2002-2005 years in which ford/mercury put these transmissions into explorers and mountaineers and they are junk. something needs to be done by ford being they've fixed the problem in their 2006 models. the dealers don't know how to fix the problems. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while the vehicle was parked and the engine was running, the vehicle rolled into the contact's home. while driving to the dealer at 15 mph, the vehicle failed and would not move. the vehicle was placed in each gear, but it still would not move and the engine revved. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. when it arrived, the vehicle was placed in reverse and drove backwards. when the gear was placed in drive, it drove forward. the mechanic stated that the vehicle had a defective shift indicator and it was replaced. the vehicle operated normally when it was test driven. four days later, the failure recurred. the transmission is making noises when driving at any speed, especially when shifting gears. the vehicle is currently back at the dealer. the failure and current mileages were 51,578. updated 12-12-07. *kb

On my explorer it has been to the dealer on 5 occasions now for the transmission. delayed engagement when going from reverse to drive, sometimes feeling as if someone has rear ended me. on the first trip in an additive was added to the transmission, second trip the transmission solenoid pack was replaced, third trip the transmission solenoid pack was replaced, fourth trip the dealer couldn't reproduce the problem and the fifth trip the problem couldn't be reproduced. was told by the dealer service manager that this is what the transmission is supposed to do. 1 day after getting my explorer back same issue. i don't feel that this vehicle is safe to drive. *jb

Explorer jerking and bucking when put into reverse. problem eventually worsened with bucking once put into drive. bought used at 31,000 miles. symptom evidenced at just over 33,000 miles. transmission replaced at cost of nearly $4,000. addressed this issue with ford . response- sympathetic but nothing they can do? or is there? design or manufacturer error. either way accountability should not be an issue. last ford i will own. *tr

There are numerous complaints on the internet regarding the 2004 ford explorer. the car jerks violently when going into first, second and reverse gears. the first repair was on 10/07 at 15,690 miles. the dealership replaced the solenoid and assured the problem was resolved. at 24,190 miles the same problem recurred and the dealership recalibrated and charged $118. now at 26,900 miles the problem has recurred and again they are going to replace the solenoid. of course at my expense. there is obviously something wrong and ford is refusing to address the problem. they should at least guarantee the work that was done under warranty. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start. she depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle started and began to vibrate. she then placed the vehicle in reverse and heard a loud clunking noise. she smelled a strong gas odor inside the passenger compartment. the contact looked in her rearview mirror and noticed a large amount of smoke coming from the exhaust system. she parked the vehicle and had it towed. she then noticed that all of the radiator fluid leaked out. the mechanic stated that the valve failed and damaged the entire engine. the mechanic also stated that the engine needed to be replaced and appeared to be a manufacturer defect. the current and failure mileages were 63,000. the consumer also stated had problems prior to incident with sun visor falling off, gear shaft would not shift into park, engine sluggish, and while using cruise control vehicle would just shut off. updated 10/22/07 *tr

2004 ford explorer. when putting into reverse, vehicle bangs, you can hear and feel it. was in shop, and ffound nothing wrong. occurred occaisionally, now alot! now my transmission is leaking fluid. my warranty ran out 5,000 miles ago. i don't think this is normal in a newer car.

2004 explorer (automatic) column gear shift broke when shifted into reverse. part was not sold separately so had to purchase entire steering column. estimate cost of new part was approximately $500. luckily was able to locate used part for half the cost. replaced only the broken part which has gear shift lever attached. *jb

Our 2004 ford explorer has a significantly delayed response when shifting into reverse. once the transmission engages there is a loud and hard "clunk". this happens every time you put the truck in reverse. *tr

(1) ford recall 5r55s/5r55e/5r443 transmissions april 04 2005. 04b22 ford explorer xlt (2) repair information regarding transmission issues. this vehicle was taken back to action ford mercury, hartsville, sc. on 10/23/06 with the same problems. the warranty has expired and the service department stated that i would be required to pay for a portion of these repairs. i have taken this vehicle back to action ford mercury (4) times, for transmission repairs. (see attachments),10/11/04, 06/08/05. obviously, with (4) repairs , something is not right with the transmission in this vehicle. both statements reference solenoid replacement. this transmission obviously has a 'factory defect', and should be repaired once and for all, or replaced. expecting a customer to continuously bring a vehicle back in for repairs, for the same problems, even only paying deductible payments is ludicrous. i also talked in length with the action ford mercury service manager, 'richard', and he stated that they have not had any problems with the explorer transmissions. seems that this is not quite true, at least nationally, in reference to the information retained on consumer web sites (see attached). actually , this is a well documented problem with the 2004 models. *tr

Multiple problems with my explorer. when shifting into reverse car jolts with a clunking noise. abs light is on and 4x4 high light flashes. service engine light on but no hose leaks can be found. wrench light comes on even after tps replacement suggested by obd-ii. very unhappy with this vehicle. i have owned 7 fords, this is the worst i have owned. *tr

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 ! *tr

I have taken my ford explorer (2004 xlt v8 4wd) to the dealership four times to have the differential fluid that is leaking fixed. i have spent about $800 getting it fixed, not to mention the gas that it takes to get there and back and each time i pull in my driveway and look out to see it still leaking. after the second time that i took my vehicle to the dealership, the service department lady told me that they didn't know why it was leaking and that they were going to have to contact ford to see if it was a recurring problem--and of course it is---and they had to order a different part (that is still not working) to fix it. couldn't they have known that in the beginning? now they are telling me that if this doesn't work they are just going to have to replace the axles. i have read on several websites that this is a problem that ford is not willing to do anything about. i will no longer be a ford customer due to this. thank you ford for wasting my time and my money! *tr

Ford has an obvious design flaw in the transmission for the 2004 explorer. similar to thousands of others,when put into reverse the vehicle hesitates for 5 - 10 seconds and then bangs into gear with a sudden power surge. we've barely managed to avoid hitting the house and other vehicles. a "repair" just cost us ~$900. ford claims no knowledge of a problem. what a joke! *jb

Http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2004/transmission/transmission_slipping_shifts_hard.shtml. view this website. i too have had the same problem at 10000 miles. i had the vehicle serviced, and am now experiencing a slight hesitation when backing again. this needs to be looked at. i did not realize the widespread problem until i saw the recent complaints on this web-site for this vehicle's year/make/model. this wa s a huge safety issue. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving 15 mph, the vehicle failed to shift into second gear. the check engine and overdrive warning indicators lights illuminated. the dealer stated that the cause of failure was the cylinoid circuit. the current mileage is 41,124 and failure mileage was 41,000.