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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2004 Ford F-350 Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
18about this part
Share
11%of 159 total for the year
Median mileage
10,500miles
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 18 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2004 Ford F-350, 11% of the 159 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 10,500 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Loss of pulling power on my 2004 Ford 350 super duty. The truck will lose power to pull under even a small load. When pulling out I have to have a large area of no traffic, have had several incidents where I came close to being hit in the side when I had a power failure and pulling onto roadway. I have had the problem looked at by a Ford service center 11 times and they can not repair the problem and refuse to repurchase the truck.”

NHTSA complaint #10149126, filed 2006-01, 29,000 miles

“2004 f350 fx4 ext cab 6.0 diesel torque shift speeds up while driving and at stop lights on its own. (once while backing) my dad will not ride in it any more and claims I am crazy for driving it. Harsh trans lock up at 45 after auto trans was dropped and updated with planetary bulletin at dealer. The trans deal I will continue fighting, but the mind of its own in acceleration is dangerous. Am currently packing a dealer computer with a panic button but have not caught the gremlin yet as it will go for a while in between uproars. …”

NHTSA complaint #10111948, filed 2005-02, 10,500 miles

“On two separate occasions vehicle stalled. The first time it was at 5 MPH, and the second time it was at 35 MPH. Vehicle was taken to the dealer on both occasions, and they were not able to resolve/ duplicate this problem. ....vehicle speeds up on its own and misses out running down the road at 60 MPH. Rpms around 1500 rpms .reprogrammed PCM and TCM to latest calibration.”

NHTSA complaint #10103737, filed 2004-12, 7,572 miles

“While driving transmission hesitated when it switched gears ,and when you would reverse it hesitated so you could back up. Metal flakes were found in the transmission fluid from in the pan. Ford dealer was aware of the problem, and transmission has to be rebuilt. Other transmissions with similar serial #'s were under recall by Ford motor company, but ours wasn't recalled ,and they were unwilling to rebuild it.”

NHTSA complaint #10118627, filed 2005-04, 55,000 miles

“There is a loud clunk from underneath the vehicle when taking off after putting the transmission in drive. The clunk happens about 5 to 10 feet after you begin moving forward and sometimes also when the vehicle shifts from 1st to 2nd gear and 2nd to 3rd gear. *akthe clunk can not only be heard but also felt in the floorboards of the vehicle. Sounds as if something in the transmission as let go.”

NHTSA complaint #10091179, filed 2004-09, 300 miles

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201478%
201357%
201296%
201197%
200914%
200832%
200738%
200632%
200554%
20041811%
200344%
2002109%
20011711%
2000289%
19996416%
199818%
19972114%
19961512%
19951410%
19942223%
19931515%
1992815%
1991310%
1990513%
198925%
1988310%
1987113%
198617%

Other parts of the 2004 Ford F-350

Engine cooling
64 complaints
Fuel system
25 complaints
Electrical system
19 complaints
Engine
16 complaints
Vehicle speed control
13 complaints
Tires
11 complaints
Brakes
10 complaints
Steering
9 complaints
Body and structure
6 complaints
Suspension
4 complaints
Air bags
2 complaints
Equipment
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2004 Ford F-350

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology