Problems with 2004 Ford F-150 STRUCTURE

While driving at highway speed the rear passenger window droped, at that time my grandson (3) taught it would be ok to throw his socker ball out. the ball bounced of a car behind me but no damage but scared the driver almost causing an accident. this is a big problem, windows should not drop like that good thing weather was good, i can only imagine if it had been raining the other car would have not been able to stop causing a major accident and i would be getting seud. this issue needs fixing by ford because is not an isoleted problem thousands are having the same problem. window not fixed yet still researching for parts. *tr

Front passenger side window suddenly dropped for no reason. *tr

I was having a rattling noise under my truck for the past several months. my neighbor who used to work for ford thinks its the cables for the spare tire under my truck. he believes the spare tire cables are loose and need to be tightened. i looked in the owners manual to figure out how to get the spare tire out. i have to use my ignition key to open the lock to get to the tire. my key only fits half way in and wont open the lock. i used wd40 to maybe get it loose. tried again and nothing. i researched online and many people have the same problem. i called the dealer and they wont fix it for free since its not under warranty. what happens if i get a flat tire? i wont be able to get to my spare. this also happened on my other ford truck. *tr

There are factory made square holes under the sides of the truck. when it rains, the wheels splash water into these holes. the water comes up into the floor of the truck. inside the truck there is a plastic panel along the edges of the door that pops out. it is the square holes that it pops out of that the water comes in through. i can stick my finger from the under outside if the truck and see them thru the holes that hold the plastic paneling on the inside. the water collects along where all the electrical wires are running and soaks up into the carpet. *tr

2004 ford f-150 supercrew window regulator failure. driving safety hazard, distractions during driving at highway speeds. could lead to possible severe injury or deaths. second time in 10,000 miles. poor design and flimsy parts used by ford. expensive repair. *tr

I own a ford f150 v8 5.4 tritan about a month ago my passengers side window fell down in the door while i was driving down the road. it scared me and caused me to swerve while driving. this is definitely an issue. about a week ago my drivers side e window did the same thing while driving on a two lane winding road. it crashed down into the door scaring me and almost causing an accident. after doing some research i realized that this is problem many other ford owners are having and not just a fluke. something needs to be done about this before it causes an accident resulting in someone's death. *tr

Second window drive failure in 6 weeks. very loud bang from door (sounds like truck is hit by large rock/hard object) which is very startling, then window glass slides down into door. on the freeway this is extremely distracting and dangerous. the first window failure (one month ago) cost me $430.00 at ford dealer to repair. i was never informed that this was a frequent problem. after second failure in 4 weeks, i went on the web and discovered that this is happening to thousands of 2004-2005 f-150's, and ford refuses to address it! i'm waiting to talk to dealers service manager about second failure to try and get ford to pay for the repairs, as well as inspect the other windows and repair them as necessary. it's only a matter of time before they fail as well. - this is a well-known design defect!!! ford has already changed the design/part # for the faulty part (regulator/cable assy) three times- and it still fails without warning! these trucks should be recalled and fixed at ford's expense!!!! *tr

The paint on my 2004 ford f150 is bubbling and rusting on the rear quarter panel and ford refuses to fix it despite the fact that its a known issue. *tr

I was driving down i-35 in the rain when a loud bang startled me. i noticed right away that my 2 year old girl was crying and her window was down with rain pouring in. i had to pull over in traffic on the interstate in the rain to try and fix the problem. the bang had scared her and she was getting wet. we moved the carseat over to the other side and i was able to pull the window up. my wife had to hold it up with her hand all the way home. from the sound of that bang i am suprised the window didn't shatter. if it would have my little girl could have lost an eye or been cut badly. i was able to look at it today and it seems that the little cable that pulls the window up has broken loose from the plastic pulley it winds up on. i have done a bit of research tonight and this is a very common problem. ford knows about the problem since they tend to keep plenty of these window regulators in stock. many of the people on these websites have had multiple failures. one had replaced all four window regulators on his f-150. the problems started when they changed from a solid metal scissors type to this mouse trap looking thing with plastic pulleys. the engineer that designed this thing should have his p.e. license revoked. it is a terrible piece of engineering. ford should fix this problem and do a recall on this problem before one of these windows shatters at highway speed and throws glass into the face of a small child. *tr

I purchased a used 2004 ford xl f 150 4 x 4 whcih was manufactured in the u.s. but sold in canada ser # [xxx]. the truck has a constant vibration at 50 mph and i have spent $2,500 trying to fix it with out success. what really scared me was that on one occassion the vibration instantly became so severe, that i almost lost control of the truck and had to pull off the road.. are there other complaints with this same problem? are you aware of what causes this problem? my investigation leads me to be convinced that it ia an inherent ford manufacturing defect. anything that you have that would support my belief would be of great assistance, or any info at all would help. i have sued ford and the trial is june 12 a few weeks from now so if you have anything please forward it asap [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Own a ford f-150 year 2004 and a window in one of the doors has fallen. this time it was the back passenger window that scared my wife while driving when it fell to the bottom of the inside door. i have already had every window replaced once and the driver window twice, and this will be twice for this door, in total it has been 6 times windows have fell. this requires a recall. when driving this can be a safety hazard when you think someone has shot your window or something has crashed behind you and it happens that your window has fell down making like a crashing sound. it can be very frightening while driving and could cause a safety problem. and being the 6th time, needs redesigned properly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford f-150. the contact stated that the vehicle frame was not properly aligned with the body of the vehicle. the contact discovered the failure when he noticed that the rear tires were protruding outward abnormally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who did not diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 83,000 and current mileage 99,000.

A rust and panel perforation on the right box outer of 2004 ford f-150's. rust develops under the paint on the right box outer panel behind the right rear wheel opening and about at the center for height of the panel. this has happened on several trucks of friends as well as my truck. the dealers are saying it is because there is a brace welded to the panel during production and the weld id the root of the rust. ford is saying that they have no responsibility and won't help to cover the cost of repair. as a retired engineer from another manufacturer and also having worked for the other of the big three, i know that welding destroys the rust preventable on the sheet metal. the weld process flows galvanize away from the weld area and then helps to precipitate the rust to form. the trucks have all had no paint damage or accidents in the area of the rust forming. bubbles appear under what looks like good solid paint and then breaks through and shows rusted metal. with the number of trucks having the same issue it looks to be a systemic issue from the manufacturing process. the other two domestic manufacturers will not weld on what is known as a class a outer panel surface. a customer?s line of sight walking up to a vehicle is considered to be class a surface. there should not any be welds on it and little or no metal finish. that, metal finishing, also would remove the rust protecting galvanize. another concern is that some states have annual inspections that would cause this to have to be repaired. the owner would be stuck with this cost through no fault of his or her own. *tr

Finger crushed under drivers door handle. the lever that opens the rear door of the 2004 - f150 while trying to open it from the inside passenger seat. surgery needed to place tip of finger bone back into place. *tr

I purchased a 2004 ford f150 supercrew fx4 in december of 2007. since owning the vehicle i have found that the hood shakes violently on the freeway at speeds of over 50 mph, often scaring each individual in the truck. i have noticed a loud irritating noise coming from the windshield area, unable to pin point exactly what is causing it., also causing me to be a little nervous that one day it will come flying in at me. these are the two major problems with the vehicle, the minor issue is the 12v outlet not working at all. i have taken the vehicle back to the dealership several times in an attempt to have these issues looked into. my last visit to the dealership resulted in them keeping the truck and supplying us with a rental while they looked into the issues and resolved them. since having the truck back the windshield or whatever is causing the irritating noise has only gotten louder, there is no difference concerning the hoods violent shaking, and the 12v outlet still does not work. i've come to the conclusion that going to the dealership is a waste of time and energy only causing more stress to my life with higher insecurities concerning my truck. i really would like to find as much information concerning the hood and windshield issues so i can ensure my safety and those of whom are riding with me. this truck is a nice truck, my dream truck, and all i want is to make sure that i'm safe while i'm driving it. *tr

I was driving a 2004 ford 150 pickup south on interstate 29 near glenwood iowa when the steering wheel began to vibrate. i tried to pull to the right to see what was causing it when the right front tire seemed to explode. i was able to pull off the highway to the right without losing control of the truck and got out to see what had happened. i found the right front passenger tire still inflated but without any tread on the tire. i also found half the running board was missing, and a small dent in the door just above where the running board used to be. i called a tow truck and had the vehicle towed to tincher ford in glenwood iowa and had the tire replaced. this cost wa s$157.00. i still did not know what it was going to cost to replace the running board. the mechanic mentioned he had never seen the tread on a tire separate the way this one did. i kept the old tire and replaced it with the exact same brand, a general ameritrac tr p255/70 r17. i am nervous about driving on these tires now with the fear of this reoccuring. i just heard there has been a series of accidents and even deaths caused by this tire. i would also like to recover the cost of the repairs to my pickup and tires.*ak

Hood paint and roof paint peeling up for the last 7 years. it started with small blistering and what appeared to be just a few knicks on the hood. however it quickly spread and the entire hood as well as roof are in need of a paint job due to rust. i am the original owner and have apps 129000 miles on it.

Within a couple years of manufacture noticed oxidation appearing on underside of hood, and some paint blistering on front edge of upper side of hood. these issues have worsened over time

Noticing water leak from either the 3rd brake light or the top of the rear window into the cab of the truck. rear window is not the style that opens. *jb

Noted that drivers door did not line up correctly as before. body shop noted that door had evidence of a weld failing in area where the hinges insert into the door. that was 2/27/06 and truck had approx. 62,000 miles on it. then this spring (2008) i began to notice that the door began to fit even worse than before and put my camera between door and door post to take photos as my head would not fit in that area to get a good view. photos showed numerous cracks had developed in area of hinge insertions on the door and the entire door end had warped out of shape in area of hinge attachments. now truck has 113,000 miles and when my dealer spoke to corporate ford, they were told that the warranty for body defects had expired at 36,000 miles. i spoke to customer assistance and was told they would do nothing as there was no recall issued. that was sometime in may 2008. my contention is that this is a safety issue not a body defect and puts me in danger should there be a crash. this door will not protect me in a side impact as it is not properly attached to the vehicle. *tr

2004 f150 right fog light replaced, front kick panel cracked and loose. *ts ***nar*** the floor trim on the passenger side came apart. the vehicle would not start. the check engine light illuminated. the oil pressure read zero. the temperature gauge failed. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated that the speedometer and gauges from the dashboard panel are unreadable during the day. the dashboard background is black with red needles and numbers. the dealer determined that the panel could not be changed.*ak the consumer stated he must use a flash light to see how fast he is going, or to read any other gauges. updated 07/25/06. *jb

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

2004 ford f150 problems with upper ball joint assembly as well as tire wear.*mr the upper joint was the cause of the tire wear on one tire. the consumer stated since he purchased the vehicle it exhibited a rattle noise, the side view mirror had to be replaced because it was vibrating so badly, the hood had to be reinforced so it would not flutter at highway speeds. the vehicle needed a new transmission. *jb

Poor paint from factory, runs in clear coat. they only wanted to repaint it and the shop they wantd to use was not even a ford shop. 2004 f-150. joplin ford lincoln mercury was the dealer.

I currently own a 2004 f150 fx4 supercrew. the truck has a bad vibration between (60-65 mph) which in turn causes the bed to shake. the dealership balanced the tires and replaced the driveshaft, and now they are ordering a counter balance which will be installed under the right rear of the truck. the dealer is also looking into the possibility of a problem with the goodyear wrangler tires which have 1 ply of nylon in the tread--the tires seem to be real bad in cold weather. i voiced my concerns about the bed shaking and how you can take your fist and hit the rear bumper of the truck and the bed will shake repeatedly. according to a ford technician--"this is a characteristic of this truck". this "characteristic" makes this vehicle unstable on rough roads. personally i believe ford should save its name and correct the problem. i am still working with my dealer, but things are not looking good. *jb

I bought my ford f150 4x4 flareside 2004 last november 30,2004. drove it home,notice a strong vibration in the steering wheel and shaking of the whole truck at speed between 35-65 miles. i told the service manager about the problem who told me that they cannot do anything about it until they hear anything from ford headquarters. at 1800 miles, my truck shakes so bad that i felt like something massaging my calf muscles and my back, worse at speed of 55-65 mph. i have to either slow down or speed up to 70-75 mph to remedied the shaking. i have called ford customer service 3x and also been to the dealership for tire rotation and balance, then road force tire balance and then installation of a dampner. it did not worked! i called the dealership again 1/11/05. they cannot gave me a good way to fix the said problem. this is causing a lot of discomfort on my daily hour drive to work and anxiety of how safe am i on continuing to drive this build tough vehicle as advertised. i am planning to file a lemon to get my money back. dispute settlement board is out of the option. *jb

Purchased 04 ford f150 fx4 4x4 12/18/04. since purchase, along with two other new test driven equivalents, noticed excessive wind noise at 40 mph. best way to describe this is it sounds similar to the heat/cool fan at high (e.g. setting 4) speed. it is loud and very irretating. for the problem to be resolved, it would be the same as when you turn off the heat/cool fan at high. note: the heat/cool analogy is for comparison purposes only, it has nothing to do with it. numerous other 'complaints' have been logged on ford truck enthusiasts web site so i am not alone. it doesn't sound like engine noise, more like wind/air entering the engine and making it's way into the cab somewhere in the front/bottom of the dash is my best guess. it doesn't appear to be a leak in the windshield anywhere, but then again, based on one person on the ford truck enthusiasts thread had the problem fixed at a dealer via a third party auto glass person sealing up the top of the window. the exact solution is sketchy but it's the only resolution i've seen. in fact, that person gave the dealer contact information if one has questions: len - the service managerat at woody sander ford, cincinnati, oh (513)541-5586. i absolute hate wind noise and it is significant and thus a solution to this problem must be made by ford! i'll be doing much more investigation... at this time, i felt it necessary to file a complaint since one does not yet exist. i decided to purchase the vehicle none-the-less figuring the fix cannot be that difficult and i liked the truck outside of that one problem.*ak

2004 ford f150 2x4 regular cab flairside evere vibration at speeds between 45 and 55 mph. seems to be in rear end of vehicle. dealership (marshal mize ford chattanooga, tn) states they cannot find problem but there is a problem according to ford engineering tsb 40303. service manager stated he heard of some vibration issues. ford needs a recall.*ak

Dear sir/madam i own a 2004 f150 super cab pickup truck with 4 doors, i am having a problem with the door ajar light. when the rear door is ajar the front door will latch to the rear door, which satisfies the door ajar safety light, but the front and rear door are not safely latched. i am a large man so my seat is as far back as it could go and the back is slightly reclined, when i get in and out of the vehicle my shoulder hits the rear door handle that protrudes into the drivers seat and at times will slightly open the door. i won't realize that i am driving with the door unsafely latched and have no idea that the door is ajar until i hit a bump large enough to rattle the door. my question is, is it safe to drive the vehicle with the front and rear doors ajar and in an ahead on collision will this area be compromised, thus would the crumple zone be affected drastically and would the stability of the vehicle be compromised? also is it safe in a side collision? i feel that this is a major safety concern and should be addressed immediately. i took the truck in for service at fullerton ford in somerville nj the said that ford said that this is normal and i called ford company they said this is normal and that i had no recourse with them. if i would have known that this was inherent to the f150 super cab i would not have purchased this model, i was told the f150 crew cab has this safety device installed thus the safety problem was addressed in this model but not the super cab. was this safety concern overlooked or knowingly omitted from the design? *jb

Had horrible vibration at highway speeds,after 6 or so visits they replaced the driveshaft. now at idle warm or cold i have a constant shutter,and now a steering wheel nibble has developed. completely dissappointed in this truck.this was my first new vehicle,a shame it turned out like this!*ak

Vehicle's back window leak noted within 60 days after purchase, resealed by dealer x2-still leaks. within a period of one year after purchase, three of the four window gear boxes were replaced due to failure. i've noted several complaints about these issues, met other owners who have had these issues fixed under warranty, yet we were required to pay for repair. at highway speeds, 65mph, the vehicle begins to shimmy, vibrate and becomes difficult to maintain control of steering. vibration makes ride unpleasant and noisy. *tr

Tailgate cables do not support evenly, one cable appears longer than the other but it is not. *bf *tc

Hood appears to be loose enough to fly off vehicle at highway speeds. weak hinges. steering wheel vibration/nibble at any speed. *jb

I have owned my 2004 f-150 supercab 4x4 lariat for approximately 5 weeks. the vehicle had a very bad shake in the rear end at approximately 59 miles an hour. dealer installed a "dampner", which was supposed to correct the problem. installation of the dampner only relocated the vibration to 54-55 miles an hour. at times, the vibration is so bad, i must slow down or speed up so i can see out of the rear view mirror. the dealership and the ford regional service technician have told me that the new model of f-150 has a much stiffer frame and that is the cause of the vibration. they go on to say that this ride vibration is normal throughout the entire line of the f-150s. when it rains and the vehicle is hopping up and down in the rear, i am honestly afraid that if i hydroplane the least amount, i will lose control of the truck and have an accident. i have asked repeatedly for this problem to be resolved, but they say they have done all they can and that this is the normal ride og the vehicle. i just don't believe it.*ak

While driving my 2004 ford f-150 crew cab with the tailgate down @ 10mph i went over a small speed bump. the tailgate seperated from the truck. when i went to ford dealer they said, "yeah, it shouldn't come off that easy" but they refuse to repair the vehicle. the dealer said to hold on because he felt he would see alot of this. the gate is spring loaded making it "bounce" when it is down. *ak

The bumper rusted from the inside. consumer was concerned that this could be serious problem. took vehicle to the dealer, and was told this was a normal thing, the bumper rusting through from the inside.*ak

Tailgate straps are the same length, but when you put pressure on the tailgate, only the lh tailgate strap supports the tailgate. the truck has vibration and steering wheel nibble problems. they have balanced the tires 4 times, replaced the tires. the fse from ford took the vehicle for a ride and said it needs a new driveshaft. the brake dust is a big problem. you need to wash the wheels daily. ford now has updated pads. i hope they replace them under warranty. two of the rotors are also grooved. the truck has 3000 miles on it. it has been in 5+ times now! the ac unit only had 22 ounces of fliud in it. it is supposed to have 30+. my air was verified to be 8-10 degrees warmer than spec. the gas door (spring) broke. the paint on the hood is flawed. it didn't get fully sprayed on the right front of the hood. both sides of the rear diff. are wet. something is leaking. the seatbelt stitching is coming apart.*ak

The consumer owns a new 2004 ford f-150. the consumer noticed that the odometer, tripometer, outside temperature gauge and compass were moved to a small panel inside the speedometer window. on the previous model the gauges were visible. on this model the gauges can only be seen at night or on dark days. on bright days it's very difficult to read the displays. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak *nm

Test drove new f-150 super-crew-cab 4x2, at 60 mph experienced a terrilbe shimmy in steering wheel and bad vibration from left rear of truck. returned truck to lot and test drove new f-150 super-crew-cab 4x4, experienced the same problem at 30 mph and 60 mph. bought 4x4, salesman said the truck most likely needed wheel ballancing, or it was out of round. we made an appointment for two days later to address the shimmy/vibration problem.the mechanic had the truck on lift for twenty minutes. result, dealer has to order a part for a service bulletin that requires a vibration dampening device to be installed. this is interesting, ther is a whole lot of new f-150 trucks at this dealership. i drove two and both had same problem. they (ford), have a known service bulletin for this problem and yet as plentiful as this problem is on the lot they have to order the part, again for a know problem documentd by their bulletin that this part is required and they don't have it in stock to fix my truck or the other one i test drove on their lot or the next one and so-on and so-on.....after reading all of these complaints there had better be a fix for this or i will surely deliver my $40,000 worth of inquiries and advertisements. motor trend truck of the year...or not!!! *ak

The emission light came on. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and consumer was told that fuel pump was defective. the gauge went out of control. after filling the tank, the gauge read empty. *ak the brake light wiring was inoperative, alignment was out, the vehicle had stuck in park, the right passenger door was inoperative, the speedometer read wrong, and the vehicle would die out. *sc

My truck has a problem with the bed jumping up and down as it goes down the road. this is very dangerous when you going around a corner. i have brought this problem up to the dealer several times, and they told me that the was the way the vehicle was suppose to perform. no, it was not right for a vehicle to perform this way. *ak

While loading the vehicle tailgate fell off. *ak

While driving with the rear window open, the vehicle vibrated. the driver took the vehicle to the dealer for analysis. *ph extreme vibration of the cab was encountered upon leaving either or both rear door windows below 30%while driving above 35 mph. the vibration increased when the speed increased and was most prevalent above 50 mph. the vibration seemd to be caused by air pressure entering the vehicle. *cb *jb

Purchased '04 f-150 in october or '03. at speeds, the vibration was so bad that my hands shook on the wheel, and i could see the hood moving. two trips to the dealer to change tires and balance, etc. did nothing, then a particular mechanic got on it and found out about the damper fix. he installed it and there is great improvement. i am amazed that the truck continues to be sold with no effort to correct the vibration problems, particularly when the advertising continues to say that it is such a remarkable vehicle. i also had a sidewall blow out and it was tough to find replacement general tire in the correct size. my complaint isn't the dealer, its the designers. i'll be interested to see if changes are made in the 2005.*ak