2004 Ford Excursion Problems
- Complaints
- 95filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 82,400miles, 78 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 2campaigns on record
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2004 Ford Excursion (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error
What owners report
Owners of the 2004 Excursion most often report sudden stalling or loss of engine power and electrical gremlins, with many complaints centered on the 6.0L diesel's injection control system. Complaints span low-mileage vehicles to high-mileage examples, and several owners note dealers could not reproduce the problems.
- Engine
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
- 31 complaints (33%)
- median 76,159 mi at 5.3 yrs old (26 state mileage)
- filed 2004–2021
Complaints describe the engine shutting off without warning at various speeds, sometimes restarting after several attempts and sometimes requiring a tow. Owners report dealers often could not duplicate the failure, and some were told their VIN was not covered by a related wiring recall. Repairs mentioned include the injection control pressure sensor, fuel injection control module, EGR valve and fuel injectors. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to well over 150,000 miles, at both low and highway speeds.
Recall 05V2700003 related service bulletins
What to check: Ask whether recall 05V270000 was performed and whether the ICP sensor, FICM or injectors have been replaced. Scan for stored codes and note any stumble or hesitation on a test drive.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“Vehicle would stall while driving and surge while stopped. This happened due to the wiring harness being burned and the fuel injection control modulator wiring harness as well as the icp sensor has to be replaced. This is a recall issue for my year and make but not my VIN. The mechanics said it will happen again, it is not safe to drive with this risk.”
NHTSA complaint #10242479, filed 2008-09, 150,000 miles“I own a 2004 Ford Excursion which has on two occasions failed to start and was towed to fairview Ford. The first occurrence the dealer replaced the camshaft sensor and reflashed the computer. The second incident the car was also towed by roadside assistance from my driveway. The tow truck driver was also unable to start the vehicle. I was contacted later in the day by my service advisor saying that the vehicle started fine and they were unable to duplicate the problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #10138060, filed 2005-09, 2,700 miles - Engine cooling
Rough running, smoke and low power (6.0L diesel)
- 20 complaints (21%)
- median 78,318 mi at 6.1 yrs old (17 state mileage)
- filed 2004–2021
Owners describe hard starts, rough running when cold, white or black smoke, surging and a lack of power, often traced to turbocharger, EGR or injector issues. Some report repeated EGR valve replacements and turbo cleaning without a lasting fix, and at least one notes the turbo-to-intercooler hose blowing off under load while towing, causing a sudden drop in speed. Others report coolant entering the engine with heavy smoke on startup. Mostly reported between roughly 47,000 and 120,000 miles, often during towing, cold starts or acceleration.
What to check: Check for excessive exhaust smoke on cold start, listen for turbo flutter or whistle, and ask for service records on the EGR valve, turbo and injectors. Check the charge-air cooler hose clamps.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“My 2004 Ford Excursion threw a spark plug from the cylinder head last week. This caused me to leave my car on the side of the road and try and find a ride home. Once I got the truck home I found the coil had broken off of it's mount and the plug was resting in the hole of the head. The threads are mangled on the plug and stripped out in the head. I have researched this online and found hundreds of complaints about this same issue. Please make Ford take responsibility... Thank you.”
NHTSA complaint #10290540, filed 2009-11, 74,231 miles“While driving, the vehicle surged. The consumer would smelled gas fumes inside the vehicle. The dealership was aware of the problem, but did not resolve it. The turbo would not turn on and would not go over 3500 RPM's and there was a flutter type of sound coming from the driver's side rear quarter panel when the A/C was on only by the rear A/C controller.”
NHTSA complaint #10101818, filed 2004-12, 13,000 miles - Vehicle speed control
Unintended acceleration or surging at idle
Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints
Complaints describe the engine revving and the vehicle surging forward without the accelerator being pressed, sometimes while stopped at a light or at low speed, and occasionally stalling afterward. Some mention cruise control failing to re-engage on hills or surging with a large burst of engine speed. Owners report multiple dealer visits where the problem could not be duplicated. Reported from a few hundred miles up to about 175,000 miles, at idle, low speeds and with cruise control engaged.
What to check: Check idle quality with the engine warm and the A/C on, and test cruise control engagement and brake-pedal disengagement on a downhill stretch. Ask whether the throttle body or ICP sensor has been serviced.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“I have taken vehicle to armstrong Ford, world Ford, and then sawgrass Ford at least 6 times for the same problem.... My vehicle jumps forward when I am not even pushing on the gas pedal. Or it dies when it's on idle position. They have changed parts, done recall repairs, and the last time I had to pay over $100.00 for them to tell me they couldn't find the cause of the problem. I am afraid one day someone is going to cross in front of me and this vehicle is going to jump forward and hurt someone!!! I am tired of this problem I. …”
NHTSA complaint #10149059, filed 2006-01, 1,000 miles“Drivers side rear seat passenger window spontaneously exploded while car parked in driveway. Nothing had impacted the glass. Ford refuses to honor its warranty, claiming no proof that glass had not been impacted. Glass replaced $529.28 and paint touchup of door damage by falling glass $133.75 minor cut injury from glass fragments.”
NHTSA complaint #10086590, filed 2004-08, 7,334 miles - Electrical system
Door locks, gauges and other electrical faults
- 30 complaints (32%)
- median 92,000 mi at 6.1 yrs old (28 state mileage)
- 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2004–2019
Owners describe central locking and door lock actuators failing, speedometer and temperature gauges working intermittently, power windows operating on their own, and windows or interior electronics quitting. Some report burning smells or smoke from the engine compartment, and in a few cases underhood fires were described. Repair attempts by dealers were sometimes unsuccessful or declined. Mostly reported from roughly 90,000 to 140,000 miles, though some electrical and fire complaints came in at low mileage.
What to check: Test every door lock, window and gauge through several cycles, and inspect underhood wiring for chafing or burnt insulation. Ask whether any harness or fuse repairs have been done.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“Approximately at 04:00 a.m. My truck began to burn by itself. The fire started on the front right side. There was a witness who said he heard the truck radio on and that was what awakened him. The truck was totally burned from front to rear. According to the police officer that called me that was due to a defect from Ford”
NHTSA complaint #10423409, filed 2011-08, 155,987 miles“While driving 35 MPH, a fire started under the hood. Consumer managed to pull over , and put out the fire. Had the vehicle towed. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10116969, filed 2005-03, 14,000 miles
Buying note. Have a diesel Excursion inspected by a shop familiar with the 6.0L engine, checking injector, FICM, EGR and turbo service history, and confirm recall 05V270000 status. Budget for electrical sorting and glass replacement given the age and the reported faults.
Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.
NHTSA recorded 95 consumer complaints for the 2004 Ford Excursion. 78 of the complaints include a mileage, and 32% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 82,400 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 86 technical service bulletins for this model year.
Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Engine cooling22 23%
- Electrical system21 22%
- Fuel system12 13%
- Vehicle speed control9 9.5%
- Engine7 7.4%
- Tires6 6.3%
- Brakes5 5.3%
- Air bags3 3.2%
Also reported: Exterior lighting (3), Latches, locks and linkages (3), Seats (3), Steering (3), Body and structure (3), Suspension (3), Other or unknown (2), Seat belts (2), Electronic stability control (1), Equipment (1).
Example complaints
Engine cooling: “2004 Ford Excursion v-10. Come to a stop and the tach shows normal 650-700 RPM, and within a few seconds car will accelerate to 1800-2000 RPM by itself and the car surges forward. Driver must leave plenty of space between the car and the one ahead to give him time to stop. No crash yet!!!. It does this every time you stop.”
NHTSA complaint #10242858, filed 2008-09, 110,000 milesElectrical system: “While driving the vehicle, it will go into a reduce power mode or sometimes stall. This has happened at various speeds, from around town to highway driving. Very dangerous condition when trying to make left turns and power is lost or engine stalls. Also engine fails to start or starts and stalls right away on occasion. Call Ford customer relations and dealer and they tell me my VIN is not covered under the recall. I am experiencing the same symptoms but I am not covered. Don't want to spend more money at dealer if they don't know what is happening and how to fix it.”
NHTSA complaint #10501155, filed 2013-03, 101,000 milesFuel system: “Total loss of engine power massive amount black soot exiting exhaust while driving recall # 05v270000 was not performed on vehicle ( I am the original owner) never received notice in mail and dealer somehow missed this work and Ford should have followed through on this situation. …”
NHTSA complaint #11405521, filed 2021-03, 59,000 milesVehicle speed control: “Purchased new 2004 Ford Excursion on 3/9/2004. Within a month we discovered a problem with the cruise control. When going down hill, the unit would fail to re-engage as it started back up the hill. Sometimes it would re-engage with a massive surge of engine. Once the engine totally stalled forcing us to fight the vehicle off the road and out of the flow of traffic. After three returns to the dealership, they finally admitted that there is a known defect and Ford is working on determining a fix. We have been calling and waiting since april, 2004 to have this repaired. …”
NHTSA complaint #10082665, filed 2004-07, 500 milesMileage when problems were reported
32% of the 78 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 24,000 and 110,000 miles.
Complaints by year filed
Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
Recalls and investigations
- 11V352000Jul 13, 2011Exterior lighting › Brake lightsCovers: Ford Excursion 2002–2005, Ranger 2004–2011, F-350 2002–2007 +5 more
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ranger trucks built from january 25, 2011, through april 25, 2011 at the twin cities assembly plant, and service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004 through 2011 model year ranger trucks, 2002 through 2005…
- 05V270000Jun 10, 2005Electrical system › WiringCovers: Ford Excursion 2004–2005, E-350 2004–2005, F-550 SD 2004–2005 +4 more
Certain pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans equipped with 6.0l diesel engines may experience stalling without warning while driving and may or may not restart.
Recall details for the 2004 Ford Excursion → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls
NHTSA investigations
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 86 on record; the latest 10 are shown.
- 10243490Sep 7, 2023Transmission and drivetrain. When performing any transmission fluid changes or topoffs involving MERCON SP, MERCON LV has replaced all versions of MERCON SP and can be used going forward. Mixing MERCON LV and MERCON SP in the…
- 10189008Feb 10, 2021Transmission and drivetrain. This SKU is a Transmission Line. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the connector. The transmission line connector may have an incorrect thread size, which…
- 10148818Oct 2, 2018Steering. This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly…
- 10109070Sep 21, 2016Engine cooling, Engine. The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB…
- 10056196May 1, 2014Transmission and drivetrain. Ford: when shifting between park, reverse and/or during 2-3 shift, an intermittent clunk occurs with a torqshift transmission. Model 2003-2014 f-super duty, e series, excursion, f-53 motorhome…
- 10055629Feb 1, 2014Engine cooling, Transmission and drivetrain. Ford: on some trucks, there is a no crank situation and if voltage on transmission range sensor at pin 21, is less than 5 volts, disconnect the engine cooling fan clutch, electronically, and recheck…
- 10034571Jun 11, 2010Fuel system. Ford: runs rough, lacks power, hard start, no start. Some vehicles and trucks equipped with 6.0l engine may exhibit a runs rough, lacks power, hard to start, no start concern with or without…
- 10030848Dec 9, 2009Engine cooling. Ford: some vehicles equipped with the 6.0l engine may experience a p006a, p132, p0401 or p0402 diagnostic trouble code (dtc) with a lack of power condition, surge, or turbocharger flutter after…
- 10030836Aug 1, 2009Transmission and drivetrain. Ford: multiple vehicles with a torq shift transmission intermittent clunk when shifting between drive, reverse and park and/or during 2-3 upshift. Models f super duty; e series; excursion; f53…
- 10028826Jun 1, 2009Engine cooling, Fuel system. Ford: some vehicles with diesel engines may experience no starts, hard starts or rough running when cold and may be accompanied with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0611, p1378 and/or all 8…
Other model years of the Ford Excursion
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 65 | 84,000 | 2 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2004 | 95 | 82,400 | 2 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 106 | 57,000 | 5 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 129 | 63,050 | 4 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 209 | 81,350 | 6 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2000 | 533 | 80,000 | 5 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1999 | 7 | 82,500 | 1 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
All Ford Excursion model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Ford Excursion?
Owners of the 2004 Excursion most often report sudden stalling or loss of engine power and electrical gremlins, with many complaints centered on the 6.0L diesel's injection control system. The issues reported most often: Engine stalls or loses power while driving; Rough running, smoke and low power (6.0L diesel); Unintended acceleration or surging at idle.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2004 Ford Excursion have?
NHTSA recorded 95 consumer complaints for the 2004 Ford Excursion as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2004 Ford Excursion is reported most often?
Engine cooling is named most often, in 22 complaints (23% of the total), followed by electrical system with 21.
Has the 2004 Ford Excursion been recalled?
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
At what mileage are problems with the 2004 Ford Excursion reported?
Among the 78 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 82,400 miles and the middle half falls between 24,000 and 110,000 miles; 32% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.