Problems with 2004 Ford F-150 POWER TRAIN

Transmission overdrive failed at 130k miles causing transmission to be replaced.

My 2004 f-150 shift cable broke as i attempted to put it in park. this rendered the vehicle unable to be put in park and it rolled backwards. the reason it broke was because of it resting against the bottom of the exhaust manifold where it joins to the wye pipe on the driver side. it burnt the cable causing it to break. the next model year in 2005 this was changed as ford redesigned and relocated it to exit in a completely spot. the hole that it exits thru in 2004 is plugged off in the 2005 model. it would seem that this was done due to multiple instances of warranty claims and possible lawsuits arrising from this dangerous design.

Horrible vibration in rear end of truck when leaving from a stop and turning.

2004 ford f-150 stops pulling after 35-40mph. it's like it gets put into neutral. this is really dangerous! this can cause a major accident. and to think that i trusted ford with my life, my wife's life, and 3 small children's lives is sickening. there is more instances of this same problem than you can count. i don't get it! ford knows it's a problem but won't fix it. nhtsa won't do an investigation. the u.s. loves to make the working make carry the load! fix the problem ford or i and others will never buy your garbage again!

The whole vehicle vibrates and shudders at highway speed with now warning. it now feels as if the rear axle in moving, give an odd sensation when applying the gas pedal or taking your foot off the gas pedal. i am a technician by trade, so i put the truck up on the lift at my shop and have noticed the pinion in the rear differential has significant up and down movement. after researching a bit, it seems the pinion and ring gear gall themselves, i'm not sure if the pinion bearing failed causing this. or if the ring and pinion failed causing the bearing to fail. at any rate there seems to be a lot of individuals with my experience, a quick search online may provide a scope of the issue.

Driving along and suddenly the engine reved and the transmission was no engaged. i pulled off the highway and turned the engine off and started again with no problem. since then, my transmission has quit while driving several times. i did discover if i turned the od odd it would work but has no overdrive. fortinately, i was able to pull over and not have an accident. this is a dangerous issue and needs to be addressed by ford with a recall and repair.

With my foot on the brake, i put the truck in reverse to begin backing out of a driveway. i applied a little gas to slowly backup around the turn in the drive. as i was rolling backwards, i had my foot on the brake because i was navigating past other parked vehicles. as i was clearing one of the vehicles, the truck suddenly jolted backwards hitting a tree. so then, with my foot on the brake, i put the truck in drive so that i could pull forward away from the tree. as i began to press on the gas pedal and the truck instantly thrust forward, hitting another tree, stopping the truck & knocking the tree over. it happened with such power that the wheels spun down into the mulch bed before i was able to brake, put the truck into park and remove the keys to turn it off. while the damage on the back bumper was minimal, the damage to the front of the truck was extensive & the insurance company declared the truck a total loss. there was one other time, while on the local highway at a stoplight, with my foot on the brake, that the truck began to thrust forward on its' own. after it first rocked forward, i pressed the brake all the way to the floor which prevented it from actually moving forward any more. once the light turned green, the truck seemed to return to normal functioning. this incident occurred around the time i was due for a tune-up so i figured it was a fluke and would have been resolved with the tune up.

80, 000 miles on the truck, and it now needs its rear differential replaced for the 6th time. on top of that , now the cam phasers are going bad. can't drive it now again as it may leave me stranded in an intersection again. i drive 7 miles each way to work, and occasionally use the truck for vacations.

My truck gets up to about 50 mph then acts like it goes into neutral , no power to the back wheels. i've noticed that more than a few 2004 f-150 owners have the same complaint. has any investigation been done and if so what were the findings. i live on disability social security and can't afford to have a transmission repaired.i was on a paved road at the time. *tr

Takata recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated that the steering shaft locked up several times. in addition, the oem part for the shifter cable was black and now it was plastic with a coated metal. the contact was uncertain if the change of the oem part was structurally sound because the shift cable had to be replaced more than once. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no solution. the vin was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 211,240.

Unknown. major popping in rear end while turning. when truck is in park i can roll it back and forth a good 10 inches in both directions.

Takata recall : truck is slipping in forward gears and the reverse will not move even if u you rev it up it's like it's in neutral. all this happened when i was leaving work to go home

112,000 and sent the truck in for a humming noise . the whole rear end needed to be replaced. the truck has had only highway driving with no off roading. differential oil replaced every year.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. after exiting the vehicle with the transmission in park, the vehicle suddenly began to drive in reverse. the contact was able to get back inside to stop the vehicle. upon inspection, the contact discovered that the shift lever became disconnected. the cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 138,000.

Vibration at 45 to 55. when cold strong jerk in rear end area and sometimes on turn to right. also comes in at times when going to passing gear. it is a differential issue more than a drive shaft issue. all u joints are tight. no imbalance in drive shaft. have gone to special teflon gear oil... this appears to be design and possible safety issue.

The rear differential acts up and prevents the truck from accelerating properly. stutters all of the time and has a mild misfire and what sounds like knocking.

I noticed that the cruise control started shutting off without ever touching the brake pedal or off switch. then sometimes it would work fine for a few minutes then just shut off. when it does that it will not come back on again till the next day. i then checked the console shifter, i was able to shift of park with out pressing the brake pedal and even engine in off position. i am worried that the truck may jump out of park and run off and hit something or someone. *tr

Within a few weeks of purchasing my vehicle in february after pulling into a parking lot the check engine light came on. i also noticed it was making a ticking noise like a diesel engine but it's not a diesel. i went to get the codes and found it was a retarded variable valve timing issue code p0022. i looked online and went to multiple shops and mechanics to figure out the problem. after paying to replace the vct solenoids it was apparent that that was not the issue causing the timing problem. for weeks i noticed the truck shaking and at one point it actually stalled as i was pulling out of a parking lot into a busy road and it stalled as i was going into the road which caused the on coming traffic to slow and stop to avoid hitting me in the middle of the road. after spending weeks in the dealership service shop and a large sum of money they found they needed to replace the engine entirely. i have witnessed this issue happening to many many others online and in person who have the same year range with the 5.4l 3 valve triton engines. this is absolutely unacceptable for so many vehicle to have the same issue especially when it has under 100,000 miles. it is not only very poor quality for such a large price but also a safety hazard to the owner and others around these vehicles.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated that while driving at 45 mph, the vehicle decelerated to 30 mph without warning. the contact was able to drive the vehicle. the contact performed a diagnostic and found that the transmission needed to be replaced. the transmission was not replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

I have a problem it pops up saying transmission fault and i want to fix it so help me please!! *tr

Heard an exhaust leak and thought is was a muffler. mechanic looked at problem and alerted me to the fact the driver side exhaust manifold was rusted and warped. there is also some damaged bolts being rusted or broken off. truck is a ford f150 heritage 2004, with 23,531 miles. dealer will not repair due to out of time warranty. *tr

Experiencing shudders and shakes when accelerating. *tr

I own a 2004 f-150 with 120,000 miles. when i am stopped and start to turn the rear end makes a horrible shaking noise. i have owned this truck for 40,000 miles and it has always had this broblem. if fords company slogan is built tough then this types of problems should be recalled. it seems majority of 2004 owners are having the same problem

My rear end differential - axle went out and it's making a noise and feels like my rear end is lose when i drive down the highway almost feels unsafe but it is too pricey to fix i feel i should be something ford should fix or recall. *tr

Malfunctioning differential- when starting from a stopped position, (especially from a turn) vibrations occur and posses a risk of a potential failure when pulling into oncoming traffic. *tr

Had a loud whinning noise i could hear when driving, but when i let off the gas it wouldn't be as loud and pretty much go away. it was not tire noise or hum. just hit a 100,000 miles and the noise had gotten a lot louder. i read lots information online and found it to be the pinion bearing. took it to local repair shop and they confirmed that the pinion bearing had gone bad. this is very surprising that so many 2004 and newer f150 owners are having this same problem and nothing is being done by ford. i think they are turning a blind eye because of the cost of parts and amount of time of labor. besides the pinion bearing, also had to do other bearings and seal. truck is not driven hard at all. *tr

Had the same problem as mentioned multiple times in this list. accelerating past 40 mph, the truck slipped out of gear and rev'd up to about 4000rpm. did the same thing repeatedly after the first incident. apparently a broken snap ring. hard to believe this is not considered a safety hazard, and something that should be fixed via recall?? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated that the driver was exiting a parking area when a loud noised was heard from underneath the vehicle. the contact inspected the vehicle and found that the drive shaft was fractured in half and caused damage to the fuel tank and muffler. the vehicle was towed to the contact's home. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure and current mileage were 146,000.

This is a recurrence, paid for it the 1st time. after driving a few miles and coming to a stop the rear differential chatters really bad until the vehicle has finished cornering. *tr

Took truck to get tune up but was told i couldn't get warranty to help pay for service badly needed and due to that i lost work and was almost homeless but ended up getting help from my mother for tires that took 5 days and was a big headake at wallmart but that's another thing .its a long story but i'm doing my best to have a decent running truck that i can rely on to keep jobs.i just want it fixed so i had to become a mechanic just to find out there is a recall on theses motercraft 515 spark plugs and would like help to get copinsation and have repairs that is needs attion asap .long story short i love my ford truck and learned a lot along the way please help.

Bought 2004 f150 brand new, never off road, all scheduled maintenance completed: son driving on interstate at 65mph, heard loud breaking noise, severe rattling, shaking, no power, coasted down ramp and to side road. towed to mechanic--rod through the oil pan. mechanic verified that oil was pumped properly through motor.. same mechanic has worked on this car since we have had it. we have had to have all 4 door window motors replaced (twice-second time, we fixed front door windows and had back door windows wired up) , the back glass replaced for leaking, the 4 wheel drive sensors replaced, the transmission rebuilt, the overhead cam system replaced and now this. *tr

The engine blew a spark plug out my grandfather bought this truck new it never had them removed before it did not come lose it blew threads and all out do your god dam job make ford fix this before someone gets killed from a fire over this when the plug pops out it blows fuel out on the coil pack with it with it shooting lighting bolts if i had been a person with no mechanical knowledge it would have got bad i popped the hood and flames were popping out around the coil pack that is beating the crap out of the fuel rail if i had drove the truck or had been on the freeway that fuel rail would have been busted then a fire ball i can send u picks or make a video of the coil pack smacking the fuel rail. *tr

As i was backing upward into my garage, i slowed down and the truck rolled forward and i quickly pressed the gas to resume backwards. this caused the check engine warning light to come on along with my od/off indicators on the dashboard. my reverse gear stopped pulling. i'm afraid had this been in route it might have been more serious of an issue. *tr

While starting from a dead stop noticed a rumbling sound coming from the rear end. i had the rear differential fluid replaced, u-joints checked, and brakes inspected. (have had this done 3 times in the last 18 months at a cost of several hundred dollars)i mentioned this problem during a casual conversation with a friend who happened to be a retired ford mechanic. he told me that while he was with ford as a mechanic he replaced or rebuilt numerous rear slip differentials, and that it was a major problem especially with the 2004 f-150, and that i should investigate it further. i went on-line and found many many complaints about the 2004 f-150 regarding rear slip differential \with very expensive repair problems. obviously ford has known about this problem for a very long time, and has done nothing about except to offer lame excuses and charge exorbitant prices for repairs. i am concerned about the rear end locking up at highway speed and causing a fatal accident. why hasn't a recall been required? *tr

Driving up a hill at about 35mph , and noticed the transmission slipping . it keep going in and out of gear . finally the od shut off and was able to get it back to my house . luckily i was only 4 blocks away .after diagnosis from the dealership , it turns out that the od retainer clip went out ,took out my 2nd gear and cracked the housing . from looking online this appears to be a common problem that ford is not aknowledging . *tr

I was driving down the highway doing 65 when my truck lost power... i barley coasted our of traffic and pulled over. i could not figure out what was wrong, oil was not low and electrical system seemed fine. had to tow it to a mechanic to find out the engine is locked up. apparently the cam phasers in this engine are junk and go out very frequently causing major engine problems. this needs to be fixed! these engine are very expensive to rebuild or replace. *tr

Transmission failed. one owner vehicle. ford will not accept any responsibility even though it appears that this is definitely a problem for this year truck. *tr

Turning out of a parking lot during acceleration the truck began to "jump" and ride rough like driving over a "washboard". after stopping and checking it out nothing was seen. happened again on the way home. i took it to the dealership in town and they said the rear diff needed to be replaced. *tr

Transmission will not go into reverse. *tr

I started my truck one day and received a "trans fault no o/d" dash code. the vehicle has driven fine and shifted fine, but i wanted to take it to the dealer to have it looked at. they pulled a code for the transmission temperature sensor but said they noticed metal in the transmission pan. the recommendation was a new transmission ($3000) or a rebuilt torque converter. i was suspicious that it could be so serious and called a family member that worked with a mechanic at another ford dealer. he mentioned replacing a transmission in a 2005 f-150 in the past six months for the same situation. i noticed several related transmission issue reports at carcomplaints.com as well as several ford forums. for a truck with low miles, transmission fluid that isn't burnt, and 66% highway miles with no towing, this is unbelievable and a huge financial burden. *tr

Truck rear end shakes violently upon acceleration at any speed or from a stand still. i had the rear end serviced and had the fluid flushed, but it only corrected the issue for a short amount of time. as time goes on, this issue only worsens. ford has issued a service bulletin for a defective clutch pack(s) in the rear differential, but not a recall. this makes the vehicle feel unsafe and makes acceleration uneasy, especially when merging into moving traffic. *tr

At 50,000 miles , and earlier, the engine warning light came on, the truck lost all power, and the power steering failed. upon taking the truck to the dealer, it was determined that the throttle body was defective, and needed replacing. needless to say, i think that this should not have happened at such a low mileage and should be covered under a recall. thanks for allowing me to vent. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *kb

Waiting at stop light proceeded on green all of a sudden big banging noise underside of truck stopped in traffic by traffic light looked under truck to see drive shaft broke in half call 911 to help direct traffic called tow co. to tow vehicle to repair shop head mechanic confirmed drive shaft broke in half due to rust. drive shaft cracked in half at the middle and not at the u joints head mechanic confirmed to me and also the dealership where i bought the truck said its the first for them of the rust and breakage.my issue is that i had a hard time finding a drive shaft and was told nothing in stock they had to make one special. i had to pay the price also was glad i was not driving on the hwy with my grand kids. my issue is that i believe the drive shaft was faulty not a wear and tear issue like ford customer service said. further more they said they cannot do anything because my truck warranty expired. *tr

Waiting at a stop light than proceeded to go when light turned green all of a sudden big banging and grinding noise coming from under truck looked under and sees drive shaft broke in half police were called to help direct traffic and called tow truck! mechanic of the repair shop told me why in his report that the drive shaft broke he said the drive shaft had rusted in the middle to cause it to break in half!! my safety issue is i bought the truck because its big i drive my grand kids in it now can you imagine what would happen on a highway at 55 mph!!! everyone i spoke told me they never heard of a drive shaft break and rust like that especially its only a 2004 model!! can you help me on this issue i have with ford! thank you....... *tr

Truck vibrated horribly on a straightaway starting at 40 mph causing me to slow down quickly. happens irregularly. transmission shop can't find anything wrong. previously had ongoing problems with shuddering when turning around corners. just waiting for something bad to happen when i am on the interstate. *tr

The clutch pack in the driven train rear differentials lock up when turning corners and howls when going down the road. these failures are so common on ford truck that ford is now adding friction modifiers to the rear differentials to rear the problem and aftermarket suppliers are making replacements for the clutch pack like detroit locker to eliminate the problem. this lock up on winter surfaces cause the wheels to loose traction increasing the potential for accidents. the howling sound is also a drag on the drive train components, reducing mpg and capability of the vehicle to handle adverse conditions. ford has known about this problem for several years and has done nothing to fix the problem or reimburse owners for the cost of repair. on my truck, total rear end repair costs have exceeded $3700. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. while driving approximately 20 mph, the vehicle began to decelerate. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic where the mechanic stated to the contact that the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 69,000. updated 03/23/12*lj

Transmission failed and was replaced. rear differential needs to be replaced. *tr

Original owner of 2004 ford f150 fx4. from stop the rear end will vibrate as i accelerate. it's been doing it for quite a while. i believe it started around 40000 miles. i only have 54000 on it currently. so it has been like this for at least 3 or 4 years. it sounds like this is a pretty common issue. does should definitely fix this known issue. *tr