Problems · by component
2004 Ford Explorer service brakes, hydraulic problems
35 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2004 Ford Explorer cite service brakes, hydraulic, 2% of all 1,408 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
35
2% of all complaints
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLVO VNL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON AN INCLINE WHEN HE APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE AND THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ROLLED AWAY. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE SLACK ADJUSTER ON THE SECOND AXLE WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 415,000.”
“I PURCHASED A 2004 FORD EXPLORER IN JULY 0F 2011, AND TRADED IN MY 2001 OLDSMOBILE OF 5 YEARS. I ALSO PURCHASED THE 12 MONTH 12,000 MILE WARRANTY. BEFORE DRIVING IT OFF THE LOT I HAD THE DEALER FIX THE ABS SYSTEM BECAUSE THE LIGHT WAS ON. THERE IS A CRACK GOING DOWN THE BACK OF THE TRUNK BUT NOTHING ELSE WAS WRONG AT THE TIME SO I LEFT THE CRACK ALONE. IN APRIL OF 2012 I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A BELT, CHECK TRANS, SHOCKS, BALL JOINTS, AND A TICKING IN THE HEATER WHEN KNOB WAS TURNED TO HEAT (NOT COOL). I TOLD HIM TO JUST FIX WHAT WAS ON THE WARRANTY AND ALSO GIVE IT A OIL CHANGE. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE TRANS WAS FINE. AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK MY HEAT WENT OUT AND I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC BUDDY THAT MY BRAKES, ROTTERS, EMERGENCY BRAKE PADS AND THE BACK TIRES WERE SHOT. SO I HAD HIM REPLACED THEM BECAUSE THIS WAS ALSO NOT COVERED ON WARRANTY. JUST LAST WEEK MY RPM STARTED JUMPING WITH MILES OVER 65.(NO LIGHTS WERE ON AT THE TIME)SO I TOOK IT TO 6 DIFFERENT PLACES GETTING ESTIMATES ON WHAT COULD BE WRONG. ALL SHOPS SAID THE SAME THING. "START WITH FUEL FILTER, OIL FILTERS AND OIL CHANGE". THE DAY AFTER I PAID FOR ALL THIS THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME…”
“I BACKED SUV OUT OF GARAGE AND PUT IN PARK, GOT OUT OF VEHICLE WHILE STILL RUNNING (TO CLOSE GARAGE DOOR), CLOSED THE SUV DOOR, TURNED AROUND AND SAW THAT SUV WAS MOVING FORWARD INTO MY GARAGE. I OPENED THE SUV DOOR WHILE IT WAS MOVING AND JUMPED IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, PUSHED ON THE BRAKE AND SUV DID NOT STOP, I WAS LOOKING DOWN AT THE FLOOR TO SEE WHY SUV DID NOT STOP, PULLED UP MY FOOT AND PLACED IT BACK DOWN ON THE BRAKE. SUV STILL DID NOT STOP. IT THEN MADE A LOUD NOISE LIKE THE ENGINE WAS REEVING UP AND THEN THE SUV TOOK OFF FORWARD, RAN THROUGH THE BACK OF MY GARAGE, RAN THROUGH MY BACK YARD, RAN OVER A TREE IN THE YARD, RAN THROUGH MY BACK YARD FENCE AND MY NEIGHBOR'S FENCE AND CRASHED INTO THE BACK SIDE OF NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE. ALL WHILE THIS WAS OCCURRING, I WAS INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WITH MY LEFT LEG STICKING OUT OF THE CAR (SINCE I JUMPED IN THE SUV IN A HURRY, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT MY LEG WAS STILL OUT OF THE SUV), I CONTINUALLY ATTEMPTED TO STEP ON THE BRAKES (EACH TIME LIFTING MY FOOT UP SO THAT I COULD PLACE IT DIRECTLY ON THE BRAKE), THE ENGINE REEVED UP AGAIN WHILE GOING THROUGH THE YARD. THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED THE SUV WAS THE TALL CONCRETE…”
“WERE A FAMILY A FORD EXPLORER MY FAMILY HAS 4 OF THEM RANGING FROM THE YEARS 1996,99,2002,2004 AND EVERYONE OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE SERIOUS ISSUES. RANGING FROM ROTTING SUSPENSION PARTS,TO WHEEL BEARING ISSUES ON NEWER MODELS,ROTTING FUEL AND BRAKE LINES,THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN AMERICAN MADE COMPANY THAT IS JEOPARDIZING THE LIVES OF AMERICAN AND CHILDREN WITH TOTAL DISREGARD OF HUMAN LIFE,BUT I BET YOU THE OWNERS OF FORD DON'T HAVE THESE ISSUES THEY PROBABLY DRIVES FOREIGN HAHA BUT SERIOUSLY SOMEONE WILL GET HURT BY THIS AND IT COSTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OUT OF POCKET TO FIX AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS PLEASE DO A RECALL ITS SO UNFAIR AT THIS POINT. *TR”
“MY 2004 FORD EXPLORER CAUGHT ON FIRE TODAY. THE FIRE BEGAN UNDER THE HOOD. PER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE STARTED AROUND THE CRUISE CONTROL AND BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AREA. FORD DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL OUT FOR THIS YEAR MODEL, UNLIKE THE 2003 AND OLDER MODELS, BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN TO SEVERAL POINTS, DROP THE KIDS OF AT SCHOOL, ONE AT DAYCARE, AND A STOP FOR BREAKFAST. NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH OUR CAR. AFTER ARRIVING TO WORK, MY WIFE GOT A CALL THAT HER CAR WAS ON FIRE. THERE WERE NO SIGNS, MALFUNCTIONS THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WERE ALWAYS PERFORMED. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE BRAKING FROM SPEEDS OF 25 MPH, THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE SENSOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 92,505.”
Showing 6 of 35 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.