2004 Ford Thunderbird Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 12%of 34 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 57,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Ford Thunderbird, 12% of the 34 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 57,500 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“As I was parking my car, it suddenly accelerated at a very high rate of speed. I was parking by a wooded area, and was propelled about 2 car lengths into the bushes in the woods (barely missing a tree) before I was able to stop the car. Not certain if the car stopped because of my braking, or because the thick bushes would not permit the car to travel any further. I had the car towed to the Ford dealership, but the service dept. Has not been able to find the problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #10650850, filed 2014-10, 83,000 miles“I was driving in very heavy traffic in downtown beverly hills. I was stopped at a traffic light and when the light turned green my car jerked and rapidly acelerated. My car started to go faster and faster and the brakes would not work they were frozen. The car was going so fast and it would not stop. My passenger and myself were screaming and to avoid running over pedestrians I ran up a curb. This accident was so sevre that my car hit a traffic light and it fell onto my car. There were several witnesses to this accident. …”
NHTSA complaint #10127862, filed 2005-07, 9,500 miles“The contact owns a 2004 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated that the key was extremely difficult to turn over to start the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle stalled on numerous occasions without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times and they replaced the filter, the rear module, the vapor management valve, the vent solenoid and the throttle body but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10712474, filed 2015-04, 60,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10048099Aug 1, 2012Ford/lincoln/mercury: may have sludge buildup in throttle body leading to less airflow or engine idling rpm fluctuation and hard starts or battery disconnect or dead battery…
- 10026402May 20, 2008Ford/lincoln mercury: certain 2003-2005 model year lincoln ls and ford thunderbird vehicles equipped with 3.9l engine with extended warranty coverage on ignition coil assemblies…
- 10013371Jun 7, 2005Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) and electronic throttle control (etc) lamps on with both diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p2106 and p2135.
- 10013116Sep 6, 2004Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated - system lean diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) - service tips. Various models including 2004 f-series.
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 5 | 19% |
| 2004 | 4 | 12% |
| 2003 | 4 | 12% |
| 2002 | 21 | 23% |
| 1997 | 4 | 2% |
| 1996 | 8 | 3% |
| 1995 | 15 | 6% |
| 1994 | 24 | 8% |
| 1993 | 37 | 9% |
| 1992 | 27 | 15% |
| 1991 | 13 | 12% |
| 1990 | 38 | 27% |
| 1989 | 22 | 18% |
| 1988 | 29 | 32% |
| 1987 | 24 | 39% |
| 1986 | 5 | 22% |
| 1985 | 9 | 64% |
| 1984 | 10 | 38% |
Other parts of the 2004 Ford Thunderbird
9 complaintsEngine
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsEngine cooling
5 complaintsAir bags
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaintsWheels
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 Ford Thunderbird
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology