"How reliable is the 2004 Ford Expedition?"

"Based on 381 NHTSA complaints, the 2004 Ford Expedition has a median complaint mileage of 80000 miles. The most common issue is Air Bags."

"What are common problems with the 2004 Ford Expedition?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2004 Ford Expedition is Air Bags, accounting for a significant portion of the 381 total complaints filed."

2004 Ford Expedition: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 381 complaints

381

Total Complaints

80,000mi

Median Mileage

Air Bags

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

26,715 25th Percentile

80,000 Median Mileage

124,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags

Electrical System

Engine

Fuel/Propulsion System

Tires

Vehicle Speed Control

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Body

Engine And Engine Cooling

Unknown Or Other

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"MY 2004 FORD EXPEDITION IS 31 DAYS OLD AND HAS EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR, WHICH I CONSIDER A SAFETY ISSUE. THE BRAKE DUST, IN LESS THAN TWO THOUSAND MILES, IS CAKED ON THE FRONT WHEELS AND EXTENDS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE RUNNING BOARDS ON EACH SIDE. THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE DUST COVERING THE WHEELS AND RUN..."

"MASSIVE BRAKE DUST ACCUMULATION. *AK"

"WHEN COMING OFF A RAMP AND MERGING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC THE ACCELERATOR BECAME STUCK. THE DRIVER HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES AND PLACE THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL. AT 1,470 MILES WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY THE TRUCK SUDDENLY STOPPED ACCELERATING AND WOULD ONLY GO IN REVERSE. THE AUTOMATIC T..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 31 complaints

25th: 66,086 mi Median: 117,500 mi 75th: 148,344 mi

Electrical System 30 complaints

25th: 62,425 mi Median: 107,044 mi 75th: 144,249 mi

Engine 29 complaints

25th: 115,000 mi Median: 140,000 mi 75th: 164,000 mi

Fuel/Propulsion System 19 complaints

25th: 121,000 mi Median: 138,000 mi 75th: 184,500 mi

Tires 17 complaints

25th: 28,500 mi Median: 41,150 mi 75th: 49,675 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 60 FL: 37 TX: 37 VA: 23 NY: 19 GA: 19 PA: 15 MI: 14 NJ: 14 MD: 13

Who Files Complaints?

28.1%

Original Owners

71.9%

Second+ Owners

Ford Expedition — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1997	1065	119,000	Electrical System	73
1998	1021	110,000	Electrical System	54
1999	1137	99,084	Engine	64
2000	1134	95,000	Electrical System	67
2001	739	88,972	Electrical System	49
2002	415	84,200	Engine And Engine Cooling	25
2003	800	78,875	Electrical System	81
2005	452	75,000	Electrical System	22
2006	395	82,500	Engine	28
2007	267	65,000	Tires	9
2008	179	62,000	Body	31
2009	42	62,500	Electrical System	5
2010	74	60,000	Electrical System	12
2011	91	49,000	Power Train	3
2012	160	76,012	Power Train	14
2013	113	90,000	Power Train	3
2014	93	90,000	Power Train	11
2015	227	70,000	Electrical System	12
2016	267	63,500	Engine	11
2017	449	75,000	Electrical System	28
2018	433	50,000	Power Train	13
2019	535	71,000	Power Train	9
2020	441	60,000	Power Train	7
2021	242	42,000	Power Train	7
2022	142	25,000	Unknown Or Other	7
2023	81	21,000	Electrical System	7
2024	89	15,263	Unknown Or Other	10
2025	32	-	Service Brakes	5

Active Recalls (4)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Exterior Lighting

Campaign 06E064000 | 17/07/2006

LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

TRADESONIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRADESONIC AT 626-934-8884.

Exterior Lighting

Campaign 09E012000 | 07/04/2009

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

Exterior Lighting

Campaign 06E026000 | 23/03/2006

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

Headlights

Campaign 06E023000 | 13/03/2006

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.

Airbag Safety

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Check for open airbag recalls at NHTSA.gov using your VIN
Never ignore the airbag warning light — get it diagnosed immediately
Don't install aftermarket steering wheel covers that block the airbag
Keep the area around airbag deployment zones clear of accessories

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28