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2004 Ford E-350Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 46 owner complaints about the 2004 Ford E-350, most often about the fuel system, diesel. It is covered by 9 safety recalls.

2004 Ford E-350
53
CarFlaw IndexSolid year10% below the E-350 median · #13 of 32 years by complaints
Safety recalls9Free fix at dealersOwner complaints465 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage51kFuel system, diesel, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 21, 2017. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2004 Ford E-350 has problems

46 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Fuel system, diesel130
Engine and engine cooling101
Power train51
Electrical system50
Equipment41
Tires41
Fuel system, gasoline41
Engine31
Seat belts30
10 other systems174

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

9 recalls

2004 Ford E-350 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Show 5 more recalls
–no report yet

Equipment adaptive/mobility

Recall 04V-589 · Dec 15, 2004 · 501 vehicles

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE WHEELCHAIR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Equipment adaptive/mobility

Recall 04V-562 · Nov 26, 2004 · 1,660 vehicles

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE WHEELCHAIR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Electrical system: wiring

Recall 04V-444 · Sep 13, 2004 · 214,849 vehicles

Risk. THE ELECTRICAL SHORT MAY CAUSE AN ABS MALFUNCTION THAT WOULD ILLUMINATE THE ABS WARNING LIGHT, OR THE MODULE MAY OVERHEAT RESULTING IN A BURNING ODOR, SMOKE,…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 04V-445 · Sep 13, 2004 · 253,076 vehicles

Risk. THESE HOT PARTICLES MAY IGNITE THE AIR FILTER ELEMENT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM DAMAGE OR UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

2004 vs. every other E-350 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the E-350 median. How we score

'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2004 Ford E-350, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
    No recall
  2. HVAC Switch FailuresEA10003 · closed Mar 5, 2012
    No recall
  3. HVAC Switch FailuresPE09055 · closed Apr 21, 2010
    No recall
In owners' words

What E-350 owners report

Recent fuel system, diesel complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD E-350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER WHEN ACCELERATING AND THEN STALL. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN…
Complaint 10424253 · Sep 8, 2011 · 50,800 miles
I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2004 FORD E 350 DIESEL,IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MANY OF TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM TRUCK STOPS RUNNING IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS, HIGHWAYS ETC DOES NOT START AND NEEDS TO BE TOWED.FORD DEALERSHIP HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS WRONG WITH TRUCK, I GET TRUCK BACK SAME THING HAPPENS.…
Complaint 10423234 · Sep 4, 2011 · 50,000 miles
FUEL TANK DELAMINATION IN MY 2004 FORD E-350 HAS CAUSE A NEED FOR AN EXPENSIVE TOTAL FUEL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. OBVIOUSLY IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM AS THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE OF THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. FORD SAYS ITS THE BIO DIESEL THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM, BUT ITS FUNNY…
Complaint 10376768 · Jan 15, 2011 · 154,000 miles

Own a 2004 E-350?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.