Problems with 2004 Ford Explorer POWER TRAIN

We noticed a slip in the transmission when were stopped, then made a slow right or left hand turn. we felt the transmission slipping and a noise from the rear end. it also felt as if the 4 wheel drive was on. it felt as if there was a slight wheel hop. we took it to the dealer and they said ford knows about this problem. the dealer replaced the ring and pinion gear, axel seals, clutch pack and had to reprogram the 4 wheel drive computer. *nm

2004 ford explorer limited-owned suv for 38k been in shop repeatedly-from minor to major things. suv is a $ 34,000 turd. currently needing to go back to shop for multiple repairs. the day our warranty expires car is gone. *tr

Purchased my 2004 explorer in february '04. at approximately 20,000 miles the vehicle began having a delayed engagement into reverse which was harsh and caused the vehicle to jolt rearward. brought to dealer and it was fixed. vehicle operated normally until recently when the problem began again. vehicle now has 40,000 miles. seems this may be a recurring problem. transmission performance is also poor as this problem exhibits itself, especially noted when transmission downshifts. downshifting from 2nd to 1st is very harsh. is this going to be investigated? it seems a preliminary evaluation should be launched by given the volume of complaints of this exact nature. *nm

2004 ford explorer. in december of 2004, the truck was 1 year in service and had about 19,000 miles. we noticed the transmission slipping between first and second gears and delaying when shifting between park and reverse. we took the truck to the dealership and had problem fixed. we were told the "solenoid" (sp?) switch in the transmission was bad and had been replaced. we were told at the time this was a fairly common problem. beginning again in early december of this year, the transmission began the same pattern of slipping. the truck was now in service for 2 years, but had 40,000 miles. the truck was now out of warranty and the new "solenoid" switch in the transmission was now out of warranty. we took the truck to the dealership and were told it was the same problem as last time. the dealership would not offer anything off of the repair charge so we called ford customer service. we were told we should have had all of our regular maintenance done at the dealership and this problem would have been caught sooner. next we were told that ford was aware of this problem, but not enough had failed yet so there was no recall. the service rep offered to pay for $400 of the repair since we had replaced this part once and told us that we should be grateful ford paid for anything since the truck is out of warranty. i am grateful ford paid for part of the repair, but i feel strongly a transmission should not need to be repaired twice in one year for the same part. *jb

Vehicle rear-end whine. *nm

Hello, i have a friend who works at carmax, he told me all explorers no matter which suffer from really bad ring and pinion gears. my father in law bought a brand new explorer last year, this year it has 50k miles and the ring and pinion are whining like crazy. ford knows about the defect but they want to wait until 2010 when most of the people's warranties expire in my opinion. they say the same to everyone, that its not too bad to consider replacing it. *jb

Delayed shifting from park to reverse and reverse to drive, sometimes 10 seconds to catch gear. hard shifting from park to reverse, slams into gear. clunking when parking or wheels at full lock. *nm

Ford explorer 2004 - bought brand new in 2004 my ford explorer started having shifting problems after 1 year i bought it. ford dealer fixed it because it was under warranty. they claimed that it was the transmission solenoid. i am having the same issue 1 year after the fix was made and went back to the dealer. they said that the car is not under warranty anymore and it will cost me around 1400 dollars to fix it. i did not have them fix it and figured that i call ford customer service to get this fixed for free. that did not get me anywhere. this was back in 2006 or 2007 and i am still having this issue. this is a mechanical hazard because a failed transmission driving on a freeway can cause accident. i have a wife, a 4 year old and a 1 year old and always fear for their safety while driving the vehicle with them. *tr

I have a 2004 ford explorer xlt, purchased brand new with only 1 mile on it on 6/25/04. i have experienced violent jerking of the vehicle when turning the wheel, going in reverse, or shifting gears. i temporarily lose control of steering when this jerking occurs. the vehicle's transmission was recalled and subsequently serviced on 2/03/05 ...then again on 7/18/05... and again on 8/24/05 ...and i have an appointment in 2 days on 10/15/05... all for the same problem. apparently the necessary part is on national back-order so ford constantly puts a "band-aid" on the problem so in the interim, i am subject to major inconveniences and danger because of this defect. *jb

Dt: the contact states his vehicle is stalled while driving. the first time this happened he took the vehicle to a local dealership, and the pcm was reprogrammed. the vehicle stalled three times on november 6, 2005. this happens with no warning lights. the vehicle was taken to the same dealership. they could not duplicate the problem, therefore, no repairs were made. *ak

2004 ford explorer in dealership service 5 times for slipping in the rear while driving in low speeds around corners, still not fixed! dealership has also attempted to fix severe delayed jerking after placing the vehicle in reverse on 3 occasions. had vehicle at dealership for 35,000 service, dealership took it upon themselves to attempt to fix rear end again and replace bearings in the hub with out my permission! going to arbitration with the bbb autoline to request ford repurchase the vehicle as it is very evident these problems have existed for years and still exist with the newer models. thank goodness no one was hurt, except my wallet! the dealership offered me an extended warranty for my troubles in july, it is now the last day of september and i have not received it! lemon law - 3 attempts to fix the same problem and you qualify.

My 2004 ford explorer jerks into reverse when shifting from park to reverse. it also slips gears in the lower gears when driving in a lower speed zone. this is an acknowledged problem, but ford refuses to fix the transmission. *jb

When moving gear selector from park to reverse and sometimes drive, there is a lag of about 3 to 5 seconds and then a loud clunking noise followed by a power surge of vehicle going into gear. worried transmission is failing again. took in for repairs same on same incident they said it was fixed. and guess what, i believed them. *jb

Purchased a 2004 ford explorer in 2004, noticed after a couple of months that when i put the car in reverse it would delay a few seconds and then it would make a clunk sound and then speed into reverse or shift hard, that was at about 50,000 miles.car at times would not go into reverse, had the transmission in the shop numerous times and shift solenoid replaced to no avail. shifted okay for awhile and goes back to shifting hard again and while at a stop light several times or upon starting my car when i had my foot on the brake it would make a clunk sound and jump forward out of gear. good thing no other cars were in front of me or my wife or children near the vehicles. this vehicles scares me and being in the military with a limited budget we cannot just buy another car so easily and so we drive this vehicle deathly afraid. ford needs to make right, the government needs to address this issue before more people are injured or killed with the sudden acceleration or coming out of gear involuntarily. also car is starting to delay when at a stopped position to start driving the car hesitates to go into gear. does it take someone to get seriously injured or die before this problem is going to be resolved by an obvious manufacturer error???? i have two children that get driven around on a regular basis and i am now worried that something is going to happen or my wife. this is still going on and getting worse. here it is june 2010 and ford is getting away with ripping off customers and not being made to fix our investments nor the money we've had to spend on their mistake. i am taking my ford back in to have the transmission guy that repaired it look at the vehicle. how can thousands of complaints be ignored? you are reading this, you can pressure and bring it to light. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The vehicle has transmission problems that the company has recalled, after supposedly fixing the problem, the problem still exists. it jumps when put into gear. i feel it is unsafe and may lead to other issues. i am a single mother and i cant afford to fix it on my own. it is unsafe. *nm

Transmission failed after 41000 miles. while this is outside the warranty, ford has been known for transmission problems and won't fix the problem. *jb

When shifting into reverse, the vehicle pauses and then jumps into gear. it has done this on several occasions.

There is a whine or "howl" coming from the rear axle of our 2004 ford explorer with less than 9000 miles on it. we brought it back to the ford dealer in camdenton, mo where it was purchased and explained the problem that there is a loud whine coming from the rear axle at speeds between 50 and peaks at 62. they said that they were having problems with those and said something about that it would probably need a rear pinion seal. after having the vehicle for two days and having given us the impression that it was going to be fixed, they said that the problem isn't bad enough to warrant repair and that it needs to be broken in longer. i was told that twice, once on the phone and once in person when i got there to pick it up. i told the man that i didn't believe that and that the whine is getting worse, not better. *nm

The automatic transmission on my 2004 ford explorer hesitates, then jumps into gear, and the problem appears to be worsening over time. it happens when in drive or reverse, but up to now, the problem has been particularly worse when the transmission is in reverse. up to now this has been more of a nuisance than anything, however, when i attempted to proceed into traffic from a stopped position earlier today, the vehicle hesitated for 3-4 seconds before engaging. several other explorer owners that i know have reported similar problems. this is clearly a safety problem. *nm

Our 2004 ford explorer has a significantly delayed response when shifting into reverse. once the transmission engages there is a loud and hard "clunk". the dealership has diagnosed failure of the transmission solenoid and estimates this repair will cost ~$900. *jb

My car won't shift in to gear any more. *tr

Transmission shift lag- 2004 ford explorer i presented my 2004 ford explorer [xxx] to a local dealer 2/28/05 for the recall involving a change of transmission fluid. this has not alleviated what i have noticed is a chronic and possibly dangerous problem with this vehicle. when placed in reverse, there is often a noticeable shift lag of a few seconds before the transmission actually engages. the most recent incident occurred yesterday, 7/26/05, when the vehicle was parked nose down on a hill, requiring me to back up to leave a parking spot in the city of pittsburgh, well known for its hilly terrain. because of the transmission lag, i almost drifted into the vehicle in front of me before the vehicle finally went into reverse. i haven't noticed this in any forward gears with this vehicle, but this is the third and most noticeable event to date. had a pedestrian walked in front of me, there may have been an injury, or even a fatality. after this event, i am returning the vehicle asap to the dealer. i will only use reverse at this time with my left foot on the brake until i feel the transmission engage. updated 07/19/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Dt: contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. after i first purchased this vehicle while driving the vehicle when putting vehicle in reverse it slams into reverse. when you put the vehicle in second gear it will slam into gear. my wife almost hit another vehicle while in a parking lot. the vehicle has been taken back to the dealership at least three or four times. they know that theres a problem with the vehicle but theres nothing they can do to fix it. they told me to just drive the vehicle. also contacted the ford manufacturer i was told the same thing from the manufacturer. this vehicle is still under warranty. *ak

Within three days of buying the vehicle, i encountered problems with remote, sometimes it would work and other times, it wouldn't. driver's rear window , sometimes it would work and other times, it wouldn't. i took it back to dealer three times for same things. rear end makes a very loud whining noise. it has been to dealer's three times also for fixing. dealer states that there is nothing they can do and all of them are doing it. vehicle, while in gear, would jump/jerk. dealer replaced solenoid, it still does it sometimes.

2004 ford explorer, transmission problems since new, visited the dealer for repairs 3 times with no fix

Transmission going into reverse had started to be delayed and abrupt starting around april of 2005 at appr. 12,000 miles. it seemed to not shift into gear properly and would lurch into gear unexpectedly. we received a recall from ford in may 2005 stating that we had not yet been in for our recall. no notice had come before that one. i immediately called dealer and took in for transmission fluid change 3 days later. there has been no change and if anything things have gotten worse. i need to take my child 75 miles one way frequently for doctors appointments and am quite concerned about the safety of this vehicle.

Transmission on 2004 ford explorer xlt 4.6 awd doesn't engage in reverse or drive without hesitation. on going problem since about 15k. took to the dealer after receiving recall notice from ford. dealer put "additive" in the transmission fluid said it would take about 3k miles to work out of the problem. i now have 24k on this vehicle and the shifting is getting worse. worried about pulling out of a parking lot etc, not knowing if the truck will move or not. leather seat covers were replaced free of charge from the dealer, as after 6 months there were numerous cracks in the leather. *nm

I have a 2004 ford explorer .when i go from drive to reverse there is a 5 to 6 second delay then a loud bang. also from park to reverse there is a 5 to 6 second delay then a bang sometimes it has the 5 to 6 second delay and lounges backward even with your foot on the brake. this could kill someone that is walking behind your truck this is a very dangerous problem if you need to back up fast for emergency vehicles or move out of the way of on coming vehicles. ford motor company released a statement on nov 22 ford spokeswoman kristen kinley said they know about the transmission problems it was due to the wrong transmission fluid put in during manufacture they are replacing the solenoid and the fluid. my ford dealer knows nothing about this? and are saying there is no recall because there are no reported injuries. why do we have to wait for someone to get killed before the problem is fixed? ford motor co. knows about this there spokeswoman has commented about it but nothing is being done??

2004 explorer exhibited signs of not shifting smoothly into reverse as early as aug/sep 04. pronounced delay of shifting into reverse around 2004 holiday season. called dealership upon receipt of letter from ford in january, but transmission additive not yet available. after additive (march 05), vehicle continued to jump into reverse and forward shifting at lower speeds became more pronounced. this presents a hazard particular in city driving and in backing out of tight parking areas. have been working with dealer to anaylze proper repair and manufacturer's responsibility. no satisfactory resolution yet.

Transmission leaks, has been repaired 4 times by dealer. transmission has no dip stick to measure level and no way for user to add fluid. when leak is noticed user does not know oil level and can be left stranded in dangerous locations. has also been repaired for slamming due to solenoid problems also.

2004, v-6, auto transmission, ford explorer, an intermitant problem when the transmission clunks when put into reverse. engine revs,feels like there is no connection to the transmission, as if in neutral, then unexpectantly it engages, causing the vehicle to lurch backward. we received a service notice from ford that this condition only happens in cold weather, to take the vehicle to our dealership and have them put in a special fluid which would fix the problem. well it is now may 16 here in pennsylvania and it, the reverse problem is getting worse. we are going to the dealship again,

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. after starting the engine, the gear shifted from the "park" position to "reverse". there was a forceful forward shifting motion when that occurred. in addition, when the gear shift was placed in the "reverse position" and shifting into the "drive" position there was immediate hesitation. there were no warning light indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician stated the failure was contributed to the shift solenoid which was replaced. an authorized dealer previously replaced the solenoid for identical failure. the contact is aware of the safety risk. the failure mileage was 8,804 and the current mileage was 55,000.

Problems with a 2004 ford explorer transmission operation. while driving at highway speeds the transmission will drop into 1st gear, bringing the vehicile almost to a full stop. the transmission also drops into a netural gear also while driving at highway speeds.

2004 ford explorer...well known transmission problems, delay and "bucking" into reverse...ford dealer has tried to fix but to no avail...

My 2004 ford explorer xlt has a whine in the rear end at appx 56-58 mph. took to dealer and was told it was the ring and pinion would have to be replaced.

My 2004 ford explorer xlt has a delay and then hard shifts from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd gear. i have already replaced the solenoid because of harsh reverse engagement and now am going to have to replace the valve body.

2004 ford explorer engine shuts off and there is difficulty shifting gears.***no answer required***. *mr both of theses malfunctions present a danger and a hazard and are very serious defects. *bf *nm

I have a 2004 ford sports trac explorer. there was a recall to put an additive into the transmission which i did. i am having a problem with the transmission. ocassionally when stopping the transmission does not step down gears and i have to just about stand on the break and quick put the transmission in neutral to stop the car. i took it to cavalier ford in chesapeake va. . they were unable to duplicate the problem and said that although it was a saftey issue they could go nofurther. i complained to ford customer service and they told me the same thing.

After one month of purchasing my explorer it started having problems going into reverse and also shifting while driving. when put in reverse it will jerk with a loud bang or clank and then surge. it continues to get more frequent. i am very worried about hitting another car or even worse a person. i received a letter from ford asking that i take to a dealership and they were going to add some additive to the transmission. i did return to the dealer and they serviced the suv. it did shift correctly for about 1 month, but then the problem started again. when i called the dealership to inquire as to what the problem is they said they were not aware of any problems or recalls from ford. i find this very hard to believe when i see all the complaints from people who own explorers. i want ford to fix this problem. i was having the problem before the warranty ran out and now that the warranty is out i feel that ford should still be responsible for this major problem. what has to happen before ford corrects this issue. does someone have to get hurt? *ak

Transmission is defective/ slams into reverse after several seconds of hesitation/delays in shifting in forward gears, and is dangerous!. afraid every time car shifts gears because it happens sporadically, you never know when it will lurch or hesitate. bought this car 2 weeks ago, used, 19,750 miles on it in 37 years of driving have never experienced this with any vehicle i have owned . every person i know who has a 2004 ford explorer is experiencing the same problem - ford is a large automobile maker, should provide a recall to its customers. *ak

Auto transmission jumping in and out of reverse gear.

2004 ford explorer xlt 22,000 miles. vehicle will not shift into reverse unless you step on the accellerator. then it engages with a loud bang, slams into gear and lurches backwards. car also pauses between shifts during acceleration. have a service appointment with dealer yet was told transmission solenoid to fix the problem was on back order. *ak

Flashing lights on panel. accident in which car skidded. dealer said defect in rear axle of2004 ford explorer.

Driver was backing out of a parking space and vehicle hesitated. then, the transmission shifted on its own. mechanic determined that the solenoid body needed to be replaced. *ak

My explorer limited hesitates a few seconds before shifting into reverse. when it finally does shift, it slams into gear. the engines does not rev during this period as i have heard others say theirs does. it seems to only do this when the car is warmed up and not every time. also, it sometimes slams into gear after you've slowed down to turn onto another street then hit the gas. i have been to a ford dealer and had the transmission additive put in. this actually made things worse! i paid a lot of money for this car and expect it to perform as such.

2004 ford explorer transmission does not shift correctly. delays when put in reverse and then lunges back with a clunking sound. also, hard shift and clunking in drive. *jb

When we purchased the vehicle it went into gear rough and i asked the sales person about it and he said that is how this vehicle goes into gear. we started to notice hesitation when we accelerated from either a stop or while driving. we brought it in and they said they calibrated the computer. then we started to get rear end leaks and had to be repaired 3 times. the transmission problems continued and we brought it to another dealer because of the poor service at the purchasing dealership. they replaced a solenoid valve and overhauled main control. this did not help and then the problem began to show new symptoms. now when we back up it locks up and then jerks back into gear going backwards. i have told both dealerships of my concerns about residual damage to the transmission and was assured that it would not happen. it has. our last couple of visits we have been lied to and the work order has not been correctly reflecting what we said and what was found by the tech's. there is no mention on the report that two of then had the reveres problems happening to them. i did not want to leave with it like that but they would not change it. i do have a tech's statement written on it and signed. now they replaced the rear end abs sensor and followed the 05-3-8 recall 4x4 control module per hotline. they said they did two road tests but i checked my mileage and they only drove 1.9 miles. how can you do two transmission road tests within 1.9 miles? we are very concerned and afraid to drive this vehicle and injure or kill our family and possible someone else. after doing some research we have found out that this is an on going problem with the 2004 ford explorer and that there are hundreds of people in the same situation with no resolution in sight. this at the very least will cost us all thousands of dollars for fords mistake and lack of responsible action. but in truth our families will end up either injured or dead first. why will no one help us with this problem? r.s. *nm

Vehicle hestitates between gear changes especially on lower gears. although an additive was put in by the dealer, going from park to reverse is even worse. the vehicle often sits for 10-15 seconds before engaging either reverse or drive and even then, the change feels "rough."*ak

Auto-transmission hesitates when put into reverse then lunges once transmission is engaged. when shifting from reverse to drive there is a loud clunking sound. automatic transmission shifts hard sometimes while in drive. ford service said they could not reproduce and found no problem. this began happening at about 15,000 miles. vehicle now has almost 36,000 miles and problem has gotten much worse. engine dies when traveling low speeds and using the cruise control. each time i try to use the cruise control when traveling 40 mph or less the engine dies. this creates a very dangerous situation when your driving along then suddenly you lose power to the steering and brakes because the engine has died! the seats are also problematic. the 2 back seats fold down. both of the release mechanisms have been replaced and one needs to be replaced again. both handles have broken off twice. the leather on the drivers seat has cracked and worn prematurely. the lumbar support knob on the drivers seat fell off but i didn't notice when it happened so it was lost and ford will not replace it without the defective part. also the handle that is used to adjust the back of the seat has fallen off. i am a 53 year old women and 98% i am the only one using this vehicle. i do not routinely haul kids or other cargo around in this vehicle so you would think the seats would be holding up much better. *jb

Ford motor company regarding dissatisfaction with lack of performance, reliability and quality of 2004 ford explorer xlt**cc consumer states has had multiple problems with 2004 ford explorer such as very hard shifting gears from a parked position, the vehicle shut down on i95 highway twice and pedals became inoperable, vehicle also slams into gear at high speed and wants to reimbursed for the multiple problems of his 3 year old truck. *tr