Problems with 2004 Ford Explorer POWER TRAIN

2004 ford explorer hesitated and did not shift when going over 40 mph. down shifted s for no reason and made a loud rumbling noise, had to pull over in heavy traffic at times; almost caused several accidents. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. when the vehicle is parked on an incline, it moves in reverse on its own. the vehicle has been to the dealer seven times, but they cannot determine the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 54,000 and current mileage was 86,000.

At 50,000 my 2004 ford explorer xlt started having transmission problems. it does a slamming when putting into reverse. the brake has to be pushed all the way to floor to keep the vehicle from lurching into anyone or anything. it also has a slipping and jerking when the vehicle shifts into 2nd and again when it shifts into 3rd. i am not the only person with this issue.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving 20 mph the front of the vehicle was stalling and vibrating when making left and right turns. the dealer stated that the clutch in the differential was failing. the clutch was replaced, and the failure no longer occurred. the current and failure mileage were 45000. *ak

There is a lag between putting the car in reverse and the car actually going backwards. when it does back up the car jerks backwards at an accelerated rate. it also does this when changing gears while driving. this started right after i bought the car, and i brought it back to the dealer, and they replaced the transmission fluid. this has not helped. if fact as the car ages, it is getting worse. *ak

Whining noise in rear end of 2004 ford explorer, dealer said there's nothing they can do about it, said don't worry about it , it doesn't hurt anything, 36,000 miles. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle made a loud banging noise, hesitated, and then lunged into reverse without warning. the failure occurred after the vehicle was driven for more than an hour. the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. the current mileage is 25,300 and failure mileage was 22,000.

On christmas eve 2006 i was shopping for presents... went to may be 5 stores. after last store, i started car and when i went to put it in gear, the gear stick broke off into my hands. transmission was stuck between park and reverse! there was no way to put it back together as it broke off at the base. dealer replaced $1000 worth of parts. i feel this could have happened at any time and was lucky vehicle was in park rather than in drive when it happened. *jb

The transmission in our 2004 ford explorer xlt awd required a significant repair in 7/05 at 11,311 miles because the transmission would not engage after shifting into reverse. dealer replaced shift solenoid and refilled fluid. dealer estimated that cost to replace shift solenoid was $3,500 but it was covered under warranty. problem recurred and in december 2006 at approximately 32,000 miles, my daughter was involved in an accident when she backed into a parked car because the transmission failed to engage. we took it to the dealership and they replaced the shift solenoid a second time. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving approximately 35mph and changing gears, the transmission hesitated. when reverse is engaged, there was a delay, a hard noise and difficult to shift. the dealer has not diagnosed the failure. the current and failure mileages were 36,000.

Purchased the 2004 ford explorer in syracuse, ny in the fall of 2004. we received the recall notice about the transmission and had the service performed. the vehicle has been in to the dealer to fix a continuing problem about the transmission. the transmission has trouble shifting into reverse and when going up hill, on occasion. the vehicle's transmission also continues to make a "clunking" noise and physically lurches on occasion when traveling at speeds between 40 - 60 mph. the vehicle is within a couple hundred miles of the factory warranty expiration and ford has still not repaired the problem. we have spoken to the ford manufacturer directly and they have only offered to sell us an extended warranty. the local dealer service manager did indicate that he is authorized to offer an extended warranty up to 75,000 miles at no cost, but we have not received that in writing. we feel that this was a problem caused in the production of the vehicle and all repairs should be covered by ford, but they are not taking care of the problem. *nm

Within a week of buying my 2004 explorer i experienced problems when shifting out of reverse. i also experienced a loud "clang" while doing steady interstate driving (over 200 miles). over time transmission shifting became sluggish, untimely, and loud. a recall was received and a transmission additive was added. problems continued with the transmission (same as noted above). in june '06- dealership replaced some parts of the transmission (under warranty). five months later, i'm continuing with problems. loud "clang" during long road trip. jerky, hesitant shifting continues. took car to dealership and no problems were found with the transmission and dealership was not able to duplicate during 30 mile test drive. car stalled in parking lot this week, jerky motion continues going up steep incline and loud "clang" exists on long roadtrip. warranty is about to run out in about 400 miles. i have contacted customer care center resulting in no help. also have repeated problems with fuel gauge not registering properly. *nm

We have a 2004 ford explorer with 41,000 miles. in the past 3 months we have had to have the transmission overhauled, universal ball joint replaced, wheel bearings replaced, parking brake replaced. all work has been done by the dealer. on the evening of 11/21/06, we were leaving my daughter's school and i got in the vehicle to back the car up a few feet so that my wife would not have to step in the mud. i started the car, put the car in reverse (foot on brake), and when i took my foot off the brake to move the car a few feet, it surged backwards, like a cannon ball in reverse; it crashed into a neon, which was parked 6 feet from our car, sent the neon flying about 15 feet into another car; (the neon's front end was crushed). i felt i had no control over this vehicle whatsoever. we are thankful that it hit a parked car, rather than traffic coming from behind. what would have caused this? the policemen that responded to our call suggested that we not attempt to drive the vehicle, so we pushed it to the side of the road and had it towed to the ford dealer. the other car in the incident was not drivable and also had to be towed. one of the policemen that responded to our call said that they had a similar accident happen with one of their police cruisers (another ford product); when the car was put into reverse it shot backwards and hit another police car, but they did not sustain damage because the cars were parked so close to each other. please help us figure this out. we are afraid to get back into the vehicle. as of this date, ford has not figured out what could have happened to the vehicle. we also found on this website similar incidents with this model of the explorer. we are also waiting for our insurance adjuster's review of the incident before the collision work takes place. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while shifting the transmission into gear, the vehicle jumped. the problem progressively worsened and the vehicle did not respond properly to the depression of the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, where diagnostic tests determined the transmission needed to be replaced.

When the explorer is put in reverse it takes up to 5 seconds to engage and then jerks backwards after making a large clunking noise. u joints and wheel bearings have been replaced, but problem still occurs.

Multiple problems with my explorer. when shifting into reverse car jolts with a clunking noise. while driving car jolts occasionally. when braking car shakes. abs light is on and 4x4 high light flashes. explorer was taken in december 2004 and fixed for the truck jolting into reverse. truck now having the same problem. truck to be taken back to the dealer next week. *nm

Shifting from "drive" to "reverse" transmission engages harshly. *nm

2004 explorer had problems with brakes and windows. *ts three months after the vehicle was purchased thee was a recall on the transmission. the abs malfunctioned and the power windows would not go down. the rear hatch door would not open. the transmission began to slam into gear. the rotors vibrated in the rear. consumer heard a howling noise at 40-55 mph. the dealer replaced the ring and pinion. nm

When shifting into reverse, the car jerks (shifts hard) backwards every time. eventually, transmission had to be rebuilt. the problem no longer exists. *tr

Transmission has a hard clunk engagement when putting in gear and total disengagement while driving, then the od light starts to blink, and you have to either let off the gas, or tap the gas to get it to engage again, it started around 50,000 miles, and continues to do so, the is no recall and no warranty for it, dealer ship said it needs rebuilt or replaced 2200.00 or 4200.00 dollars, we don't have. *tr

I have a 2004 ford explorer xlt 4x4 which recently had to basically have the transmission rebuilt. i feel that this is a manufacturer defect simply because the vehicle is only 2 years old. since the warranty is exceeded in mileage i was responsible for repairs, which totaled $1652.78. the vehicle had just under 56,000 miles when this occurred. i would greatly appreciate any help with investigating this problem. just a little piece of info, i also have a friend that has a 2002 explorer that had the same identical problem. i do not find that to be coincidental! and her vehicle had about 70,000 miles on it when this happened to her. *nm

2004 ford explorer gear shifter lever broke in my hand while vehicle was in drive. the vehicle is an automatic. this is a huge saftey issue because the vehicle was engaged in drive at the point of the lever breaking. the lever was not a steel piece and was defective. ford is unresponsive to this issue. *jb

2004 ford explorer when shifted into park will show it is in park but is really still in reverse. this is a major safety issue which has not been recalled. in addition there was a recall for improper transmission additive being used and now the transmission solenoid on these models are going bad causing the transmission to shift erratically. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the automatic transmission did not engage gears in a timely manner. the problem started after 41000 miles and was not taken to a service dealer.

My 2004 ford explorer was taken in for repair in 8/12/05 because the ac stopped working. when i brought the car into world ford of kendall in miami, fl one of the service employees asked me if how my transmission was working and at the time it was fine. upon receiving my car back on 8/16/05 the ac was fixed and my receipt stated the ac was fixed but it also mentioned something regarding a recall in my transmission. the receipt said there was an oil additive placed in my transmission. 1 year and 1 month later my transmission has begun slipping and hesitating. when i brought my car back to world ford of kendall in miami, fl to speak to them regarding my transmission i was told that their service work is guaranteed up to 12 months so there was nothing they can do for me. upon doing my own research i found that the oil additive that was placed in my ford was to prevent the slipping and hesitation of my transmission. i called the corporate headquarters of ford and they told me that there is nothing they can do for me. it is obvious that ford knew about my transmission problems or a recall service would never have been done. they now want to charge me to fix the transmission on a car that was broken when it left the manufacturing plant. my car has 45,000 miles and no where in my paperwork or my car manual does it state i would have to put and oil additive in my car by 45,000 miles. when i spoke to ford corporate headquarters they told me if the oil additive does not work another procedure would have to be done but it would not be covered. this is unacceptable especially from a large corporation such as ford. my family drives this car and i believe we have an unsafe car resulting from a recall in my transmission. i addition to the transmission recall, the ac in my car has also broken twice and nobody wants to explain to me why there are so my problems with a 2 year old car. i would appreciate a response or at least some good advice. thanks again. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the automatic transmission was slipping between gears and made clunking noises. the vehicle also made humming sounds from the engine while accelerated over 55 mph. the vehicle has not been to a service dealer.

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle hesitated while reversing. when the gear finally engaged, there was a jolt felt. the dealership replaced the solenoid in may 2004 but the problem persisted.

1. i have had bad vibration and a loud noise from the rear end of my 2004 ford explorer. the vibration has been so bad it has actually blown out 2 tires in the rear while i am on the highway. 2. rear differential, it happens all the time, it is going to cause my vehicle to break down and if that happens the vehicle is no good to me because of the cost to fix it. 3. i have brought it to the ford dealership for the problem and they want to charge me over a $1000 to fix it when they are aware of the problem with it because there has been over 3 more cases other than me they have told me. *tr

1. i have had bad vibration and a loud noise from the rear end of my 2004 ford explorer. the vibration has been so bad it has actually blown out 2 tires in the rear while i am on the highway. 2. rear differentral, it happens all the time, it is going to cause my vechile to break down and if that happens the vechile is no good to me because of the cost to fix it. 3. i have brought it to the ford dealership for the problem and they want to charge me over a $1000 to fix it when they are aware of the problem with it because there has been over 3 more cases other than me they have told me. *tr

04 explorer had harsh reverse. rpm's went to 7 shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. ford refused to do anything even though they had a "customer satisfaction campaign",fords alternative to a recall, that expired last year to put an additive in the transmission fluid because the put in the wrong type. had the solenoid replaced once before. ford claimed it to be normal wear and tear. cost 1300.00 to repair bad solenoid,and 2 piston and rods. *nm

Purchased a new 2004 ford explorer in august of 2004. brought suv in for recall of transmission fluid additive/replacement. suv starting to hesitate and jump into reverse. when stopped at a light or stop sign on a hill the vehicle rolls backward when moving my foot from the brake to the gas pedal. brought back to dealer in july of 2006, replaced solenoid at approximately 16,000 miles. when vehicle is started revs a little high then balances out. leather seats also cracking and dealer will not replace them stating that it is simply wear and tear. *jb

Transmission slamming into reverse / drive, took to dealership, solenoid pack replaced 6 months ago, started having same problems and now this time also, rpms shoot up to 7 when accelerating. took back to dealer, said they had to replace the solenoid pack again. won't honor warranty after the $800.00 problem was just fixed! also, have serious suspension problems! front sway bar bushings, rear shocks (leaking), replace front lower ball joints. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated there is a shift delay before going into reverse or drive, after a 5-10 second delay it goes into gear. this is an intermittent problem. last week the shift lever assembly was replaced by the dealer because it broke off in the column. the vehicle was taken to the dealership about the delay problem however they are unable to get a diagnostic code to correct the problem.

2004 explorer has had ongoing transmission problems since the day i purchased it. i only became aware of the factory mistake in transmission fluid two weeks after purchasing a leftover. somehow it wasn't discovered until more than a year later? i have problems with the car lurching into reverse and not engaging in park correctly. the car rolls about 2-4 feet when in park and now the new problem is it refuses to go into drive and revs in neutral until you press on the arm of the gear shifter with considerable force. i have brought this into the dealer two times for this problem. twice i was told there was nothing wrong and they couldn't duplicate the problem. when i was leaving the dealership the second time the car lurched into reverse in their parking lot, i'm only sorry that the service manager's care wasn't parked behind me! i am bringing it in again since the new trick is when you stop on the highway (to pay a toll) the entire chassis and body of the car shake and vibrate so violently that things fall off the dashboard. only by depressing and holding the brake pedal to the floor can i diminish the shaking. i use my car for transporting my family. if it is not corrected this time to my satisfaction, ford will take this car back. i'm disgusted with the attitude of the dealerships i have taken it to and the incompetent service i have received since the day i purchased this vehicle. *jb

Transmission began experiencing problems shifting between 2 and 3 rd gear, into overdrive, and into reverse. on 5/12/06 i took the vehicle to the dealership and the technician was able to diagnose the problem with my vehicle with the keys still in my purse and the vehicle in the parking lot. based on the other vehicles he had seen he had a good idea what my explorer's problem was. unbeknownst to me, three weeks prior to my problem my neighbor had the same exact problem with his explorer. evidently the transmission, solenoid, problem wit the explorer is common and would leave on to believe it tis a products liability claim on either the manufacturer or one of its parts suppliers. 3 solenoids were replaced and my air filter was replaced. my out of pocket cost was $996.. *jb

Vehicle goes forward after put in park and turned off. the transmission has been checked at ford dealership. have letter explaining that if transmission fluid was not changed out that serious consequences may occur. ford dealership not aware as this was not displayed as a recall. herefore,transmission fluid was not changed at that time. *tr

Transmission/differential/rear-end problems, purchased 2004 ford explorer xlt in march of 2006, first complaint was that the prndl indicator would not move into the right gear,reported the defect in may, problem stopped but then started again. brought the vehicle back to the dealer and had to pay to get the problem repaired. but also found that the rear-end is shot the drive shaft keeps turning and the vehicle keeps rolling while in park. the vehicle also lurches when brake is depressed. dealer states that the rear-end and differential is bad how can this be on a vehicle that has only 49000 miles on it . *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50 mph there was a loud noise heard coming from under the vehicle. the vehicle then lurched forward and came to a complete stop on the highway as if the rear wheels were locked causing minor injuries to the driver and passenger. after restarting the vehicle, the over drive light illuminated. the vehicle was driven to the local dealership and they determined there was metal in the transmission pan. they replaced the crank shaft pulley assembly, compressor, power belt, bolt, vibration damper, screen assembly, bearings, output shaft, pistons, rods and the carrier over drive. the manufacturer was alerted.

Transmission is slipping when changing gears, especially when putting the vehicle in reverse. sometimes takes several seconds for the vehicle to go in to reverse.

Delayed harsh reverse engagements

Dt*: the contact stated while placing the vehicle into reverse with the brake pedal depressed, the transmission jumps into reverse. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the dealer could not duplicate the problem.

2004 ford explorer purchased new, experienced transmission issues very quickly, hard engagement into reverse, clunking when downshifting, car lurches upon acceleration during a slow turn. i have had into dealership 5 times, beginning 1 year ago at 10,000 miles. recall additive put in 1st time, 2nd time at 15,000 miles i lost the entire right rack and pinion while driving (would not steer to the right), they told me after repair, the transmission problem was also gone. 3rd time they put in a qt. of transmission fluid. 4th time they replaced the solenoid. 5th time i requested buy-back. their transmission tech guy went with me, he observed the problem; happened multiple times. they did not keep vehicle at that time. one month later after i had to keep calling back they took the vehicle in again and this time they added another additive and reprogrammed the pcm. they also had to repair the transmission indicator cable, it told me i was in reverse when i was in park. picked up car today, they told me it shifted great now, and they would give me an extended 5 yr. 75,000 mile warranty. i declined, stated i wanted a buy-back. while driving home, the car once again clunked while decelerating and also while accelerating into a turn. i have filed with the bbb auto line.

Transmission is sloppy when shifting in general, sometimes has lag time when shifting from forward to reverse and a clunking noise can occur. dealer had investigated multiple times with minor adjustments helping to reduce about 50-75% of the issue. *jb

Bought in feb. 2006 with 12,000 miles - the 2004 explorer xls when put into reverse hesitated, then jerked hard at first -- then as time went by -- approximately 2-3 months the jerking was while automatically shifting while driving. the jerking motion occurred 17 times while driving 35 miles. it seems to be getting worse over time. i've been to the dealer and they reprogrammed the computer. the dealer manager said that it still jerks in reverse after the 3rd time and offered no remedy of any kind, just $79.00 and there you go. all this within 20,000 miles. i don't feel safe driving - what if i need that reverse quick to avoid an accident and there is a hesitation in transmission shifting???*jb

Repeated rear end housing failures. jan 06 vehicle was taken to the dealership for whining in rear end, "clunk" noise when shifting to reverse, hesitant transmission, and hard to shift between drive, park and reverse. rear end from factory was found to be extensively damaged and cracked due to broken clip present in rear end found when it was being removed. rear end was replaced for whining noise. 2 weeks later, car was taken back to dealership because it was leaking rear end gear oil. i was told this was overrun and was ok. 4 weeks later the rear end oil puddled in my garage and the vehicle was towed to the dealership. once again the whole rear end housing was replaced. we i picked up the vehicle after over 3 weeks in the repair shop, i only drove 24 miles and the rear end began to leak gear oil again. also the muffler was cherry red and extremely hot when the car was returned to the dealership last week. the technicians were puzzled due to the fact that the catalytic converter was cool, but the muffler burning hot with charred spots present. the transmission has also been a problem, especially in reverse. the transmission hesitates when engages and clunks into gear. the solenoid was replaced to fix this problem but the car has not been out of the repair shop long enough to see if the transmission is fixed. this vehicle has been in the repair shop 37 days since jan 1 2006. at this point, the rear end could lock up due to constant leaking of oil and the extremely hot muffler posed a substantial fire hazard. *nm

Transmission slams into reverse from park - warranty work performed at dealer 02/05 ford consumer relations campaign to address problem from manufacturer incorrect fluid added at assembly plant 04/05 02/06 transmission has started same behavior before - ford tech's admit to problem but can not resolve - transmission still slamming into reverse after dealer computer update - obvious defect from dealer as thousands of complaints on the web for same issue possible safety hazard should a child be walking behind vehicle or anyone for that matter. *nm

. 3- now it has actually began to die instead of just stalling and hesitating. now they advise its the throttle sensor. in all 3 cases - when putting the car in reverse there is always a hesitation, then it will jerk hard into reverse. when slowing down at a stop sign or red light there will be another banging noise coming from the transmission. when putting the car in drive from the reverse there is always a delay then will jerk in forward drive. now the little wrench comes on and the check engine light comes on, when driving down the highway the car will die for no apparent reason, when this happens i can not do anything!!!! when is this going to be fixed? ford waiting on someone to get killed first? i have almost caused two wrecks with my car stalling out on the highway, as you can imagine going from 65 mph and then die without a warning and what am i to do with the traffic behind me? this is serious!! i took my car in and had it hooked up to the machine to read what was going on and the mechanic should me that the car would read nothing on any of their machines! the consumers need your help! we have these new (2004) vehicles that are dangerous and we should not be having to pay for a lemon. ford motor company had to know when this happen in their plant and should have not sold these cars!!!! please help and issue a recall, thank you for all of your help. *jb

Transmission fails to engage in drive or reverse, or hesitates to engage, or hesitates to change gears on the highway. placement into drive or reverse "pounds" into gear. 4x4 low & high hesitate or fail to engage, and often "stick" - failing to disengage or require multiple attempts to disengage. *jb

I am having problems with the automatic transmission on my 2004 ford explorer (44,000 miles). i was having my ac fixed at my local dealership when they informed me there was an oil additive that needed to be put into my transmission to prevent hesitation and slipping due to a manufacturing problem. 6 months later i began experiencing harsh engagement when shifting into reverse as well slipping in the transmission when speeding up and slowing down. i brought the car back to my local dealership (world ford) where the work was done and they explained i might need to install a solenoid into the transmission and that would cost me $900.00. knowing that this is a problem from the manufacturer i contacted ford corporate headquarters and explained everything. ford corporate ran me around for about two weeks (hanging up the phone, placing me on hold for a long time and promising to call me back but it never happens). i have done quite a bit of research on this matter only to find out that there are thousands of people with the same problem. i found out that during the manufacturing of my vehicle an improperly formulated transmission fluid was used in the transmission. i also spoke to several people with this problem and i was told the $900.00 solenoid does not help the problem at all. i would like to know what actions i can take to get my car repaired. thank you in advance for all your help. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the transmission is slipping, hesitating and jerking while going into gear. when putting the vehicle into park the lever is in the park position; however, the transmission is still in reverse. the transmission is making a howling noise that is being heard from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealership and the solenoid in the transmission was replaced. this did not remedy the problem. *ak