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Engine coolingPart report

2004 Ford Thunderbird Engine cooling Problems

Complaints
5about this part
Share
15%of 34 total for the year
Median mileage
18,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2004 Ford Thunderbird, 15% of the 34 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 18,500 miles.

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.

“While driving a wrench light came on and the car would not move. It was like the transmission would not engage, even though it was in gear. I had to turn the car off, then restart the engine. After doing this the car ran ok for about 2 miles then the same thing happened. This time when restarted the check engine light stayed on. The dealer reset the computer. On 10-09-04 the same thing happened. The dealer now has the car trying to find the trouble. Each failure came without warning, causing the potential for a rear-end collision, because the car comes to a dead stop in traffic.”

NHTSA complaint #10095550, filed 2004-10, 4,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2004 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated that the spark plugs were causing damage to the engine. The dealer advised the contact to have the spark plugs removed and replaced with a different model spark plug. The manufacturer was aware of the failure yet no repairs were performed on the vehicle. The current and failure mileage was 6,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10412445, filed 2011-07, 6,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2004 Ford Thunderbird. While driving 55 MPH, the contact heard a screeching noise and the vehicle began to vibrate without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the engine mount failed and needed to be replaced. The part is unavailable. The powertrain was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 48,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10214046, filed 2008-01, 48,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2004 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, the engine would misfire and lose throttle response. The vehicle later stalled and was taken to the dealer. The dealer advised the contact that the misfire was due to a faulty engine coil. The dealer replaced the engine coil but the repair did not remedy the failure. The failure mileage was 18,500. Updated 01/18/12”

NHTSA complaint #10440568, filed 2011-12, 18,500 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine cooling: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2005311%
2004515%
200339%
20022426%
19975432%
19966528%
19954919%
19946120%
199317140%
19922715%
19911413%
1990118%
19891310%
198878%
198747%
1986730%
198517%
1984623%

Other parts of the 2004 Ford Thunderbird

Vehicle speed control
9 complaints
Engine
7 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
7 complaints
Electrical system
4 complaints
Air bags
3 complaints
Brakes
2 complaints
Fuel system
1 complaints
Suspension
1 complaints
Wheels
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