Problems with 2004 Ford F-150 POWER TRAIN

This has been ongoing for about 10 months. on an infrequent basis, the transmission, when decelerating, starts to growl loudly and will not stop until i come to a complete stop. i have spoken to other f-150 owners and they have informed me of similar complaints. to date, no crashes or injuries are known by me, but i feel ford is responsible for this obvious defect. *tr

Transmissons began shifting up and down too often.. next a hum and then jerks in between shifts. took it to aamco and ran diagnostics.. results were internal damage. drove truck home and back the next day for replacement cost $2,200.00 nomal use with occassional 4x drive. 114k miles *tr

I'm driving my truck when all of a sudden it will start vibrating horribly, like driving over a washboard type of road. the only way to get it to stop is to pull over to the side of the highway, put it in park, wait, and then try to resume driving. but this does not always work. you sometimes have to stop and change to park, or reverse, a couple of times, before driving again so that the vibration goes away. i have complained about this before, and i see hundreds of complaints for the same issue on "ford owner websites", and everybody is pissed. nobody can get an answer from ford service as to what is wrong. many people have replaced many different things (i.e. transmission, clutch pads, bearings, u-joints, emergency brake cable or pads), all to no avail. they have wasted their time and money, and ford refuses to live up to this awful and very dangerous problem. apparently, ford knows this is a big problem with 2004 f-150 trucks, especially, but will not acknowledge it. someone wrote on the web that ford knows they had a retooling problem with these trucks, and let the trucks go out for sale anyway. i am now having this problem more often, and i am afraid to drive it. i do not have any money to fix my truck, since our economy is so bad and have been unemployed for years. make ford take ownership of this recall problem! *tr

Severe shuddering from rear end during low speed turns.

My overdrive gear got wiped out. while driving the truck i got up to 30 mph and the engine started to rev up real bad and would not move. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford f150. when the contact started the vehicle, the overdrive and transmission warning lights illuminated. the dealer performed a diagnostic and they stated that the control module failed. they further stated that they would not install a new module because the new modular would be ruined due to a quarter inch shaving on the magnet. the contact stated that the light continued to illuminate everyday when the vehicle was started. the current and failure mileages were 41,000. updated 4/29/08 *cn

Out of the blue the truck just starts shaking, never know when or where. i have to pull off road and shut it off ,wait a bit, then start and leave and seems to be ok till next time. it has 37,800 miles . last time on i-94 at 65mph it scared me to death it started shaking so bad . i also had a 2005 f150 that did this. its not the tires, or engine but i think the drivetrain . very bad safety issue as i am finding i am not alone with this problem. someone needs to make ford admit what this is and fix these trucks. *tr

Bought a used vehicle 2004 ford f150 has a shudder/vibration in the rear axle. took it to a ford dealer for service. it is a known problem and they will fix it to "lessen the concern," not completely get rid of it. my aftermarket warranty will cover it after deductible and taxes. but i don't like the sound of lessen the concern. and it seems to be a recurring problem with this vehicle. *tr

Rear differential was chattering/shuddering on slow take off turns. problem is well known and documented by customer complaints. issue faulty clutch pack in the positraction rear. vehicle had 39,000 miles so out of warranty. both dealer and ford gave some on repair. about $400 toward $900 repair. helps some but still can't get past why a mechanical failure on a part that should last 100,000 miles. *tr

Officially logging a well known problem with the 2004 f150 driveline. it has done this to the point of transmission replacement due to wear on the shaft. the driveshaft is not serviceable at all and was never lubed from the factory causing binding on the slip yokes which in turn causes swing bearing wear, u joint failure and to the point of transmission stub shaft wear ultimately causing failure. there seriously needs to be accountability for these due to the severity and liability. we owned the truck new and have driven with this problem until now. i hope to see a recall soon as tsbs are no help to the customer and most dealers do not even know that these parts are unserviceable. as a life long customer, thumbs down on ford to allow this to go on. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact attempted to place the vehicle into reverse and heard a loud noise. afterwards, the vehicle would only move forward. she took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the transmission gears failed. the dealer replaced the gear position indicator; however, the vehicle would not start after the repair was made. the contact had to recharge the battery in order to start the vehicle. the vehicle was returned to the dealer and they stated that the alternator failed. the alternator was replaced; however, on june 16, 2008, the vehicle would not start again. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was 30,000 and current was mileage 46,000.

I had a clunking sound under my 2004 f150 4x4. pulled off the road and found out that the center support bearing on my drive shaft had worn out. luckily i found out before getting on the highway for a long trip or the shaft would have eventually eaten through and caused major harm to the truck and possibly ourselves and any others involved from an accident. i cannot find any parts to replace the center support bearing (csb). all after market parts suppliers cannot find a replacement part that is even made. the ford dealership wants to sell me the entire drive shaft for $700 when the csb is only a $20-30 part - if ford would supply/make the part. this is not the first part i have had a very difficult time finding for this truck! *tr

Since i bought this truck it start it having transmission problems , i would get in the dashboard transmission fault and took it to the dealer (7 times for transmission) and they would said there nothing wrong . now there is no warranty they want to charge me 3000 dollars . *tr

My '04 ford f150 experienced a complete transmission failure at 28,000 miles. the truck was 6 days past the manufacturers factory warranty. the truck had been regularly serviced, well maintained - i am the original owner. cost to replace was $2,200. *tr

2004 ford f-150 supercrew 4x4 has drive train problems. upon accelerating from stop, transaxle does not seem to engage correctly, casuing a noise, and feeling as if trcuks drive sahft is coming out of transaxle. possibly covered under nhtsa item numbers: 10020175 and 10018951. this has been a reoccuring issue with this truck since i have owned it, with documentation.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated that the differential pressure sensor (dps) has melted and burned up on her engine. while driving 50 mph uphill, the vehicle began losing speed, making a hissing noise, and the check engine light illuminated. the vehicle restarted and she was able to drive home. she stated that the vehicle was driving normally when driving straight, but the engine failed when attempting to drive uphill. the current and failure mileages were 86,226.

2004 f-150 supercrew 2wd automatic. transmission requires rebuild at 54000. bought new all seals replaced within 2-3 months due to fluid leaks. slipping began less than 40,000. fluid flush alleviated the issue, but slipping returned. at 60 mph trasmission slipped into neutral momentarily at random times. power rear sliding window does not work; failed within first 2-3 months; no computer code to detail the issue so ford will not fix regardless of confirmed failure and warranty coverage. rotors had to be replaced on first break maintenance.*ak

I own a 2004 ford f150 4x4. i had serious transmission problems and had to have the transmission replaced. the first time was 2/07 with 42,000 miles on the vehicle. i have never towed anything with the truck. my mile are commuting miles. the transmission was supposedly replaced. now here i am 2 years and 60,000 miles later and i am having transmission problems again. after investigating this problem, it appears that this is an ongoing problem with ford. ford needs to step up and take care of their customers before someone is seriously injured or killed. *tr

Tl*- while driving on the highway at 65 mph the right rear axle on the 2004 ford f-150 cracked. there was no indication, any type of vibration, or warning before the incident. the hub stayed attached to the wheel at the time of the incident. the right rear axle cracked which caused the vehicle to have no steering. the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a median. the contact had the vehicle serviced every 3,000 miles, as well as recently getting 4 new tires. the contact could provide any invoice and and an accident report. *ak

My f-150 supercrew has developed a problem with the drivetrain, primarily a loud grinding noise can be heard underneath the truck. the first time it occurred i thought my vehicle had run over some type of metallic object on the roadway. the noise went away after i merged onto a highway. four days later i was operating on a city street when the same type noise occurred. the vehicle will not accelerate when the gas is depressed and the noise does not decrease when the gas is let off. only after decreasing speed under 15 mph does the noise go away and the transmission feels like it slams out of gear just prior to that. an associate of mine who owns a 2005 f-150 with the exact same transmission experienced the same problem and recently had the transmission replaced under warranty. i contacted this dealer who informed me that they had replaced approximately 30 transmissions on 2004-2005 model years and the issue was a "known one". i would like to see ford mandated to warranty the drivetrains in these trucks beyond the normal period. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while in the idle position for 30 or more seconds, the vehicle drifted into reverse when the consumer began to accelerate from idle position. there were no warnings prior to the incident. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer who determined that the vehicle was performing normally. however, the central computer needed to be reset. the manufacturer was notified. updated 12/12/2006 - *nm

Grinding in rear axle assembly, differential needs rebuild,57k...

Experience consistent significant jerk/clunk/slam after coasting in 3rd gear and accelerate down shifting into 2nd gear. service bulletin says normal and to not repair, yet my issue is not intermittent and is a significantly noticeable and uncomfortable jerk in the driveline that is definitely not normal performance from any transmission aware of without a very aggressive shift kit installed and a plethora of horsepower. took to dealer and service tech handed me service bulletins and didn't even log into computer that vehicle was taken in for the issue. made notes and sent to shop foreman as communication of my concern about the lack of paperwork and record, and the lack of service. technician drove truck and said this was normal...would never buy a vehicle knowing that it would end up shifting like this as normal wear and tear while under warranty. *jb

My 2004 ford 150 with 4 wheel drive , will not always shift from first to second gear, without a great grinding of the transmission. the vehicle will not shift without bringing the truck to a complete stop and then restarting. i have had the truck in to the dealer twice now but since it will not fail on command the dealer says they can do nothing till it totally fails. *jb

I have owned a 2004 ford f-150 fx4 with only 14,000 miles on it for 3 weeks and it has been in the repair shop at ford for 4 days now and they can't fix the problem. truck makes a rattling noise from under front end when pulling a hill or when you reach 50 mph. it also seems to lose power or "bog down" momentarily when it shifts from 1st to 2nd gear. mechanic says it is a "nightmare" because they can hear the noise and feel the gear shifting problem, but can't find what's wrong and don't know how to fix it. we have also discovered that this truck was a ford buy back and we are the 3rd, possibly 4th, owners of this vehicle, (still investigating). we are wondering why this truck has changed hands so many times with such low mileage. we will be returning the truck to the dealer tomorrow and getting our 2003 expedition back, which has had several problems fixed under warranty, and were having problems with it again, causing us to trade it in...we'll be back to square one!!! thanks ford! by the way, these are not the only 2 instances where i have had a bad experience with ford products and/or service. i wrote a detailed letter to ford motor company concerning another vehicle i had purchased from them several years ago. i stated the nature of the problem with the vehicle and also about the poor service i received from their company...of course i never got a response. i could go on forever. six years and 7 ford products later, i may have finally learned my lesson. seriously considering switching to the "other guys" for a vehicle. *jb

I bought the 2004 fx4 f-150 super cab in late 2005 with 25000 miles on it. i purchased a $1400 extended warranty from an independent company through the ford dealership. after the first few months i noticed a grinding sound under the truck that sounded like a few ball bearings rolling around quickly in a metal bowl. it would last about 5-10 seconds and then i would not hear again for a few months. after about the 5th time this happened i took vehicle to the ford dealership, and they could not duplicate the problem, so nothing was done. the next time this noise was heard i quickly turned on the 4x4 high via the switch on the dashboard and the noise went away immediately. i could do this every time after. this was telling me it was somewhere in the transfer case. so, last week around 60000 miles the transmission started grinding in traffic, slipping, and giving me a transmission fail indication where the odometer was located , and a flashing overdrive off. this happened for about 10 minutes until i could get off the expressway, and exit into a gas station parking lot. i thought for sure the transmission was going to blow out at any moment. i turned off the truck, which reset the transmission fail alarm, put the truck in reverse, which made a loud slamming noise. i then put it in drive and was able to drive home with only grinding noise in first gear. i waited 2 days ,and then drove the truck to the dealership 40 minutes away without any problems . after a day in the s repair shop they pulled the pan and it had metal shavings everywhere. they called and told me they couldn't figure out how i was able to drive to the repair shop. they found some bad seals and a vacuum pump/solenoid in the transfer case, the transmission was gone and was completely replaced. all the software has been updated, which i have heard can cause the majority of the problems. it would have cost me around $6000 if i didn't purchase the complete warranty.*ak

2004 ford f150 supercab 4x. intermittent violent vibration in driveline. dealership has replaced rear end, driveshaft,checked front end,tires,etc. usually small vibration becomes violent at times. can not duplicate at will. dealership now says nothing wrong. when violent shake occurs must stop vehicle to stop shake. i feel that it is a safety issue. has shaken violently 6 times in about 6000 miles. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving in normal conditions at speeds of 50 mph or above the transmission would slip from drive into neutral. the vehicle was taken to the local dealership for inspection. however, the dealer could not duplicate the problem. updated 2/28/2006 - *nm

The brakes began to shimmy and shutter and there was vibration from the rear when driving. *nm the problem started three months after the vehicle was purchased and recurred every three, four or five months. four repairs did not eliminate the problem so a fifth repair was required on jan 25, 2006 with 32040 miles. during the five repair the rotors were resurfaced twice and replaced three times. the brake pads were replaced three times and the front brake calipers were replaced once. *nm

I honestly do not know what is wrong with my 2004 f150 fx4. my truck has been in the shop at both lincoln/mercury and ford dealers here in huntsville, alabama. parts have been replaced on multiple occasions so i'm not making this stuff up and the dealerships know something is wrong, but does not want to fix the problem or does not have qualified/trained mechanics. this will be my one and only ford. *jb

2004 ford f150 stx 4x4 4.6l engine, mileage: 19,800 miles: intermittent violent drivetrain shake in rearend of truck at 40 to 65 mph. problem first noticed on january 1, 2006. problem feels like the truck has a flat tire, but i don't. my wife will no longer drive does not consider it safe. i will not let my child drive in truck. dealer replaced driveshaft u-joint and leaking rear axle seal. as soon as i drove it off the lot, i noticed the exact same vibration. i returned it to the ford dealer. they say they have no fix to this problem. when will the government investigate this issue? *nm

Rear window seal is loose and window rattles inside of mounting area indicating an insufficient mount to retain window in mounting area. *nm

Drive train issues with the 2004 and 2005 ford f-150 model trucks. *jb

Dt: on 8-15-05 transmission slipped while driving on the expressway at 60 mph. the owner had to pull over. the truck started to buck as if it was going in and out of gear. no warning light came on. the owner had to pull off since traffic was busy, and checked the transmission fluid, and there was no transmission fluid. owner had the vehicle towed to a dealership, who advised the owner that the truck was missing one quart of fluid, but could not find any other problems. the dealership filled the transmission fluid. the owner checked the transmission fluid a few minutes ago and it was overfilled. the owner's manual indicated that the high fluid level could be and indication of having an overheating problem. the owner felt that it may be a deception on the part of the dealership. he felt that the transmission was warped due to being operated without adequate fluid. the dealership did find the number 8 cylinder was misfiring, which did not seem to relate to the transmission slipping. when the truck was first purchased, the owner noticed when going up a hill it stopped and rolled. the owner had to keep the foot on the brake to keep it from rolling back. the owner notified the dealership about this problem. the dealership advised that this was normal. the owner has not contacted ford yet.*ak

A chatter/ vibration in the rear- clutches in the rear were replaced. check engine light came on- replaced the fuel vapor management system. brake light on roof leaking- light was replaced. roof of truck rusting- nothing done. *jb

Drive train vibration thought the cab floor and steering wheel of vehicle. after numerous attempts to repair and 6 new tires, driveshaft and new clutch locking plates. new ring and pinion gear the problem still is there. the vibration progressively gets worse after long trips. also there is a clunk in the drive line on acceleration and a severe to moderate shudder . ford says that this is normal for the new body style trucks which is totally false. ford seems to set their standard and customer satisfaction is set aside. the live with it attitude will not be tolerated. i am going through the bbb arbritration process and hopefully the arbritrator will see the history of this problem. anyone with similar problems should e-mail me at [email protected] *jb

(summer, 2007, 28k) at highway speed (60 mph) huge grinding noise and vibration, light in dash came on by itself showing, "4x4" turned on, slowed to 20 mph, huge clunk as 4 wheel drive system engaged without drivers requesting it to engage. ford roadside assistance was contacted and ford towed vehicle to ford dealer, ford dealer "reprogrammed" something, said it had moisture in a sensor, causing the 4x4 to try to engage. (september 12, 2011, 69,980 miles) at highway speed, (58 mph) during mild acceleration, 1500 - 1800 rpm, a mild grinding sound from under front end, by taking foot off gas peddle then reapplying gas the grinding sound stops. contacted ford dealer, they said drive it in, contacted ford customer satisfaction department, they said to have dealer check it out, ford dealer investigated and said there is a problem with volume of vacuum that is necessary to prevent the 4x4 system from engaging while driving on the highway at highway speeds. ford dealer indicated that it maybe unsafe to drive like this and that this is normal for the vacuum system to fail like this, representative at ford customer satisfaction department said that their dealer knows how to diagnose and cure problems best, and since the vehicle has more than 36k it is not a concern to ford. my concern is that steel gears that are suggested to be engaged at a walking pace on soft pavement are automatically forcing themselves to lock together on dry pavement at 60 mph, and ford and the ford dealer show little concern for this condition since the vehicle has more than 36k and since no extended warranty purchased from the dealership. *tr

Vehicle will not hold on hill. will travel back down hill as if in neutral when transmission is in drive. *nm

Dt: consumer complained about a torque converter problem. when driving and in overdrive at 45-55 mph the vehicle started to shake. took vehicle to dealer three times. dealer said it has to have the problem while consumer was driving vehicle. dealer could not do anything to help. vehicle vibrated. manufacturer had not been contacted yet.*ak 8jb

Dt: the vehicle accelerated when pressing on the brakes. contacted the dealer, they did some work to it and said it was a diaphragm, and they fixed it. this worked for a while and then it started doing the same thing again. this was august 1, 2005. noticed it made a groaning sound and shook. they replaced the transfer case, and it hasn't made the sound since then. when standing at stop it surged, gave a little jump/pulsated and touched the brakes. it happened intermittently. *ak *jb

My 2004 ford f150 was parked in my driveway in park with the engine running and ac on max. i left it running while i unloaded the back seat of several items. i then closed the doors and proceeded to unload 4 cases of water from the bed of the truck. i made 5 trips from the truck to the house and when i returned and put the tailgate back up my truck took off towards my house and impacted the brick wall of the gararge (approx 20 to 25 foot distance). i tried to run from the back and open the door and apply the brake but the truck hit the house as i got the door open. the shifter was still in park. i applyed the brake and put it in reverse and moved it back to reveal the damage. my wife and i tested this afterwards to attempt to duplicate this without being able to reproduce it. my house and the truck are damaged and i feel that this has the potential to really hurt someone. after being told of this site by my insurance company i see that this has happened to other people and one has almost an identical story. see complaint 10081205. i have taken the vehicle to the dealership and have not been given any information yet.

Rear axle whine at highway speed when accelerator is applied. unrepaired two times by dealership. third repair refused by me because dealership and ford refused to replace the rear axle and wanted to keep my truck for an indefinate period of time to discover what the problem was without providing me a loaner/rental. a manditory recall should be required for all vehicles with this problem where the rear axle assembly is replaced, not just the ring and pinion. under the current tsb's for this problem their is too much room for error! vehicle only has 5000 miles.

Vehicle has drive train vibration & rear end howl sense i test drove it aug 2004. i pointed out the drive train vibration to my salesman and he said it " probably lost a wheel balance weight". a friend went into the same dealership ( lindquist ford) and was told the same thing after they have acknowledged there are tsbs on this problem and after my truck was in & out of their shop numerous times. so far the tires and wheels have been forced balance, drive shaft replaced, cab mounts replaced, transmission tail shaft end play checked & rear end replaced. none have resolved the issues. the service manager told me ford has identified the automatic transmission as the problem. we preceeded to arrange replacement and i insisted on a new not a rebuilt one. he got back with me and said the new ford rep he was dealing with doesnt replace transmissions ! mine suddenly.......... you guessed it.. its within specifications !! the dealership management wont return my calls. ford wont be shamed into fixing these problems unless/ until the media gets involved.

Dt: the vehicle has been to the dealer 3 times. they didn't know what wrong with it. there was bad vibration , felt like a tie rod end or wheel was going to come off. they replaced all the tires, put a new rim on it, and put in a new drive shaft . this started around june 15, 2005. the vehicle was taken back to the dealers today for the fourth time. haven't contacted the manufacturer but have checked the information for the lemon law. *ak

Dt: the vehicle has been to the dealer 3 times. they didn't know what was wrong with it. there was bad vibration ,like a tie rod end going bad or the wheel coming off. they replaced all the tires , and put a new rim on the passenger's side, and put in a new driveshaft. this started around june 15, 2005. the vehicle was going back to the dealers for the fourth time. haven't contacted the manufacturer but got information on the lemon law. *ak *nm

1. no signs or events lead up to the drive-line on my ford f-150 detaching from my vehicle. 2. no consequences or failures occured. 3. my vehicle is under warranty and nothing has been done for over 30 days. description: on june 14, 2005 between 7:30-8:00 am, i was traveling to work on freeway 99 in fresno, california. i heard a 'bang' underneath my truck and my two rear tires locked-up. i proceeded to skid in the left hand lane, until i my truck rested on the shoulder. my truck did not display any signs before the incident.

2004 f150 xlt severe driveline vibration between 40-60 mph. this vibration is more pronounced when towing or hauling a heavy load. this vehicle has been to back to the dealer 9 times in the last eight months for this condition. three sets of tires and two sets of wheels have been on this truck, road force tire balancing has been tried several times with no apparent correction for this condition in sight.

After several trips to the dealer about serious vibration problems in my vehicle, the dealer replaced the drive shaft. this corrected the problem. others have had a similar problem. my concern is that vehicles which continue to be driven without replaced drive shafts may be subject drive shaft fatigue and failure in the future. *jb

I purchased my vehicle new in june of 2004. since i've had the truck when turning right, especially from a dead stop, i get a severe vibration from the drive train. i've had the truck in many times for this problem. it got so bad ford replaced the drive shaft and seemed to help for a while. with only 17000 actual miles on the truck you would expect better quality for a sticker price of $ 42,000.00. *jb

While accelerating from a stop or slowing and turning transmission slips gears. very noticable between second to third shift. gear slipage causing loss of acceleration power. transmission also shifts hard as it slips.