2004 Ford E-350: common problems

Owners of the 2004 Ford E-350 filed 46 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 46
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Fuel system 35% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 22% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
4 Equipment 11% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
6 Tires 9% of all complaints
7 Engine 7% of all complaints
8 Seat belts 7% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Fuel system: 16 complaints (35% of all).
Engine and cooling: 10 complaints (22% of all).
Electrical system: 5 complaints (11% of all).
Equipment: 5 complaints (11% of all).
Powertrain: 5 complaints (11% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 46 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

stalls while driving10 · 22%
loss of power / limp mode3 · 7%
seat belts3 · 7%
A/C or heater2 · 4%
fuel system, fuel smell2 · 4%
oil leak or consumption2 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 4%
tires: bulges, blowouts2 · 4%
warning lights, check engine2 · 4%
windows, sunroof2 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Fuel system	16	0
Engine and cooling	10	0
Electrical system	5	0
Equipment	5	0
Powertrain	5	0
Tires	4	1
Engine	3	0
Seat belts	3	0
Structure	3	0
Air bags	2	0
Fuel/propulsion system	2	0
Steering	2	0
Vehicle speed control	2	0
Latches, locks, linkages	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The rear tire blew out and we began to swerve and then started to do 360 degree turns and then hit a guardrail and flipped 1.5 times. One person was killed and several more were injured severely. The front passenger had to have the jaws of life to remove her from the vehicle.
Tires · crash · 2008-09-24 · NHTSA complaint #10243325
At 68,450 miles, several issues occurred: 1) oil pressure switch blew out of the housing, 2) oil was visible in coolant, 3) oil was leaking from engine, 4) idle vacillated up and down w/o any action on part of the user. Took van to dealer, who claimed to have repaired these items.
Engine · 2017-08-21 · NHTSA complaint #11018700
All gauges stop working when it rains but starts and runs ok. Power windows do not work when it rains but starts and runs ok.
Electrical system · 2015-11-30 · NHTSA complaint #10807492
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford e-350. While driving approximately 25 mph, the front air bags deployed without warning. The contact sustained burns on both forearms, but did not receive medical attention. There was no police report filed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or diagnosed.
Air bags · 2015-06-24 · NHTSA complaint #10727008
While driving 70 mph, the vehicle stalled and was towed to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the fuel injector, fuel tank, fuel pump, and the engine needed to be replaced. The technician also stated that the silver coating in the fuel tank was from one of the damaged parts.
Engine · 2015-02-02 · NHTSA complaint #10680645
The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, he noticed smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. Both technicians advised the contact that the egr cooler and the head gasket would have to be replaced.
Engine · 2013-10-21 · NHTSA complaint #10548763
Sidewall separated completely on one tire and the tread is separating from the body if another tire. Both tires are the same make and model. Dean mud terrain sxt m+s lt245/75-r16 dot on tire with sidewall separation up11-dnw-0108 dot on tire with tread lug separation up11-dnw-0108 failures occurred at the same time on…
Tires · 2013-06-19 · NHTSA complaint #10520686
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford e350. Equipped with bf goodrich t/a a/s tires, size: lt245/75r16. The contact stated that recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 12t019000 (tires: tread/belt) was received july of two thousand twelve.
Tires · 2012-09-26 · NHTSA complaint #10477119

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20031
20043
20057
20066
20074
20083
20097
20103
20113
20123
20132
20153
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,571 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 15% most complained about).

On average one model year of the E-350 has 27 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 46, above average.

What to check before buying

Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Ford E-350?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 46. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (22%), loss of power / limp mode (7%), seat belts (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Ford E-350?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2004 Ford E-350 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2004 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.