2004 Ford F-350 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the engine shutting off while driving — sometimes at speed, sometimes while slowing for a light — and the truck being hard or impossible to restart; dealerships often could not reproduce the problem or replaced a module without stopping it. A second cluster of complaints covers rough running, surging at idle, and heavy smoke on the 6.0L diesel, with fuel-system and electrical faults showing up both early in the truck's life and again past 150,000 miles. Tire failures (tread separation and blowouts) are also reported, typically while towing or at highway speed.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Engine stalls while driving, hard to restart

   • 79 complaints (50%)
   • median 44,500 mi at 2.5 yrs old (60 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,200 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2025

   Owners describe the engine cutting out without warning at highway speeds, while coasting downhill, or when slowing for a stop, sometimes accompanied by a shudder or a puff of smoke. Several report losing power steering and brake assist as a result and having the truck towed. Dealers and independent shops variously diagnosed the PCM, wiring harness, fuel injection control module, fuel pressure sensor, or fuel system contamination; in many complaints a repair was made and the stalling returned, and some dealers could not duplicate the fault at all. Reported from a few hundred miles up to well over 150,000, with many entries between roughly 25,000 and 100,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service records of any PCM, FICM, or wiring harness work, and take a long test drive that includes coasting to a stop and highway speeds. Have a shop scan stored codes before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ford F-350 diesel-2004 car shut down in the passing lane on pa turnpike. Towed to Ford...no insulation on wiring harness, shorted out the truck. The truck stopped dead in the road..now the Ford dealer fixed it by putting insulation over it to get me back on the road. It had been in the shop the week before, and the week before that because I complained of losing power on the road when I travel. I don't want to have a fire with my family!”

   NHTSA complaint #10137798, filed 2005-09, 63,285 miles

   “Incident occurred in the afternoon, the temp was about 70 degrees. The truck was loaded with my family (5 including myself); we were traveling over a hill at about 50 MPH. A sign indicated a 6 percent grade. On the way up the hill, at about 2000rpm and about 45 MPH we noticed a large amount of black smoke being expelled from the tailpipe. There was no hesitation on power output at that time, then coasting down the other side of the hill the engine shut down. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10122340, filed 2005-05, 11,000 miles
2. 2
   Fuel system

   Rough running, bucking, and heavy smoke (6.0L diesel)

   • 74 complaints (47%)
   • median 60,942 mi at 4.1 yrs old (59 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,200 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2022

   Complaints describe bucking and jerking under light throttle, loss of power, rough idle, and thick black or white smoke from the exhaust, sometimes after the truck overheats without the gauge showing it. Owners who took the truck in were often told the EGR valve, EGR cooler, turbocharger, or fuel injectors needed attention, and repairs were frequently billed to the owner. A few report fuel-system contamination, such as a delaminated tank liner or debris in the filter, found during diagnosis. Reported from very low mileage through roughly 100,000 miles, with several complaints filed after towing a trailer or on long grades.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check for excessive smoke and surging on a cold start and during a hard pull. Ask whether the EGR cooler, EGR valve, and injectors have been serviced, and inspect the fuel filter for debris.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vehicle has been bucking and jerking intermittently since way before above.date it stopped running at a stop sign then bucked and jerked so in 2013 it got so bad that I finally had it checked out. I thought it was transmission, had it checked and was referred to local mechanic who was acquainted with the problem and has worked on several trucks with the 6.0 diesel engine. He said for $1200 you might repair it, no guarantees. He said it had to do with the electronic accelerator. I didn't have it repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10654220, filed 2014-11, 44,000 miles

   “Vehicle was purchased for pulling a horse trailer. Transmission and engine locked at 600 miles. Driver stated there was a real bad jerk. Currently, when driving vehicle was constantly bucking. Vehicle was jerking while cruise control is either on or off, and when pulling trailer on any speed. Dealer performed diagnosis, nothing was found. Dealer also replaced icp, and ap switch to repair transmission lock-up.”

   NHTSA complaint #10059526, filed 2004-03, 600 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Surging or high idle that pushes the truck forward

   • 39 complaints (25%)
   • median 18,000 mi at 1.5 yrs old (31 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2019

   Owners report the engine revving on its own while stopped at a light or idling, with the truck lurching or creeping forward even with the brake applied. Some describe unintended acceleration while driving and with cruise control engaged, and a few report the speed control failing to disengage promptly when the brakes are pressed. Dealers replaced the control module, throttle and accelerator components, EGR valves, and turbochargers, and reprogrammed modules, but several owners say the behavior came back. Mostly reported under about 45,000 miles, often within the first few thousand miles of ownership, and typically at idle or low speed.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Sit with the truck idling in drive on a flat surface and watch for rpm wander or creeping. Check whether the PCM/TCM was reflashed per the drivability bulletins, and test that cruise control cancels on the first brake application.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Since new vehicle purchase, my Ford f350 diesel p/u experienced engine surging (200-250 RPM) while stopped with the automatic transmission in drive. The surge was significant enough to lurch the truck forward with the brake applied, such as at a stoplight. In several cases, I almost rear ended other vehicles before applying the brake hard enough to stop the truck from moving forward. I later learned to anticipate the surge using the brakes to minimize movement of the truck while stopped. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10314198, filed 2010-02, 3,000 miles

   “While stopped at a traffic light my diesel truck suddenly lurched forward. I was able to step on the brake pedal firmly enough to prevent hitting the vehicle in front of me.”

   NHTSA complaint #10052327, filed 2004-01, 2,500 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   No-start or electrical power loss

   • 16 complaints (10%)
   • median 73,142 mi at 4.5 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2025

   Owners report the truck failing to start or cutting out completely, with diagnosis pointing to the computer module, fuse box, wiring harness, or a chafed wire shorting out. In several complaints the same module was replaced more than once and the problem returned, and one owner noted that a replaced fuse box did not stop it. Others describe low battery voltage on snow-plow-equipped diesel trucks. Reported across the mileage range, from under 5,000 miles up to around 180,000, with no clear pattern by season.

   Recall 11V3520004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for records of PCM, fuse box, or harness replacement, look for chafed or repaired wiring near the engine and firewall, and test every electrical function including turn signals and lighting on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “For unknown reasons on 12/20/13 at 0030 hrs my truck caught on fire as it sat in my driveway. I drove the truck last on 12/14/13. The fire started in the engine compartment on the drivers side. I have owned the truck for about 8 months and it had 105000 miles on it when I purchased it. The fire department advised it could be due to some type of electrical issue near the master cylinder. I told them that I have not done any work under the hood in months and that was oil/filter change. Still under investigation.”

   NHTSA complaint #10556774, filed 2013-12, 111,000 miles

   “While driving 30 MPH the vehicle stalled without warning. This caused lost of steering and brakes. The dealer told the consumer that he was using the wrong gas but the consumer is using high diesel octane. Please provide any additional information. The consumer stated there was a technical service bulletin which stated there was a problem with wire chaffing.”

   NHTSA complaint #10054178, filed 2004-02, 400 miles
5. 5
   Tires

   Tire tread separation and blowouts

   • 11 complaints (7%)
   • median 42,500 mi at 4.8 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2021

   Owners describe tread peeling off or the tire bursting at highway speeds, in some cases damaging fenders, bumpers, and doors, and in one complaint contributing to a collision with another vehicle. Several note the tires had substantial tread left and did not lose pressure before failing, and some found cracks or cuts on the inner sidewalls of the remaining tires. Complaints involve both original-equipment and aftermarket tires in several sizes. Mostly reported between roughly 14,000 and 80,000 tire miles, often at 40-70 mph and frequently while towing.

   Recall 04V229000

   What to check: Inspect the inner and outer sidewalls of every tire for cracks or bulging regardless of remaining tread, and check that the load range on the sidewall matches the truck's axle rating.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “General tires - ameritrac mts lt 235/85r16 - on 9/23/2010 we were driving on I-75 in 2004 Ford F-350 super duty dually - the left front treat separated from the tire, the tire didn't loose tire pressure, but it came apart. It damaged the left front fender, front bumper, and driver side door. These tires had over half of the tread remaining. Luckily we were able to keep control of the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10357235, filed 2010-09, 50,051 miles

   “On 6-13-09 I had a tire explode on my 2004 Ford f350 super duty pickup truck while driving on the northeast extension of the pa turnpike. We were pulling a 5th wheel trailer loaded with atv's and my husband and I had our 11 year old niece and 12 year old nephew with us. We struck a minivan. The minivan incurred damage to passenger side rear quarter panel. Our truck incurred damage to the driver's side front quarter panel, the driver's side front door, the front bumper, the ABS sensor, and the running board. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10350576, filed 2010-08, 38,000 miles

Buying note. This model year draws repeated complaints about stalling and idle surging in the 6.0L diesel, so a thorough test drive with a code scan and a look at service history matters more than mileage alone. Tires and wiring deserve a hands-on inspection, and records showing which bulletins and updates have been applied are worth asking for.

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.