2004 Ford Explorer — Known Issues & Recalls

All four side curtain airbags deployed suddenly while you were driving slowly in a parking lot, with no collision or impact. The airbag deployment caused shrapnel to hit your face and eyes, and you experienced significant head and neck pain. This unexpected deployment with no apparent trigger is a serious safety concern, especially if it were to happen at highway speeds.

Your son's 2004 Ford Explorer hit a tree on the passenger side after hydroplaning in rain, but the airbags failed to deploy during the crash. Both your son and his passenger were injured and taken to the hospital, with your son treated for body soreness and released the same day, while his friend remained hospitalized overnight. The airbag system should have deployed to help protect the occupants during this impact.

Both side airbags in your 2004 Ford Explorer deployed without warning while you were driving at less than 35 mph on a normal road—not during an accident. You and your passenger were injured by the deployment, and the dealership was unable to identify why it happened or fix the problem. This suggests a potential electrical or sensor malfunction in the airbag system that needs to be diagnosed and repaired.

Your side airbags deployed while you were driving slowly on a bumpy road looking for a parking space, even though there was no collision. The insurance company confirmed there was no impact or reason for the airbags to deploy. This suggests a malfunction in the airbag sensor system that may require diagnostic testing and possible replacement of faulty sensors or the airbag control module.

Your car is leaking oil from under the hood, which is causing smoke for about 5 minutes. This is a fire hazard and needs immediate attention. The repair will likely involve identifying the source of the leak and replacing the faulty gasket, seal, or damaged component.

Your gas tank needs replacement, but Ford has stopped manufacturing this part for your vehicle. You've contacted Ford asking them to either produce a new tank or cover the cost of repair at a Ford dealership, but they've declined and only provided junkyard contacts instead. You're concerned about using a salvaged tank that may have damage from previous draining.

Your right rear wheel may not have been properly reassembled after a tire service, with multiple lug nuts found missing or loose. This could cause the wheel to come off while driving, which is a serious safety hazard. The dealer denied warranty coverage and reimbursement, claiming work was done "as is" without guarantee. Proper repair will require a technician to remove the wheel, inspect all studs and lug nuts for damage, and torque them to Ford's specifications.

Your wheel studs have repeatedly detached while driving—this happened at least three times across different wheels. Even after having studs replaced by a mechanic and replacing several yourself, the problem kept coming back. This is a serious safety issue because loose wheel studs can lead to a wheel separating from your vehicle while you're driving. The fix will involve replacing the damaged studs and investigating why they keep coming loose, which might require checking the wheel hubs or lug nuts for defects or damage.

Your Michelin CrossTerrain tires are experiencing tread separation, where the rubber is peeling away from the tire structure. Three of your four tires have already failed this way. This is dangerous because tread separation can cause sudden tire failure, especially at highway speeds, which could result in loss of control.

You noticed a bumping sensation while driving that worsened over a day, and when you checked your right front tire, you found a large bulge on the tread. Within hours, the tire's threads began separating badly, forcing you to deflate it to prevent a blowout. You still have three matching tires on your vehicle with only 36,000 miles and a 60,000-mile warranty, but you're concerned about their safety. The fix will likely involve replacing all remaining tires with a more reliable brand.

Your driver and front passenger seat belts are not retracting and locking properly. This is a safety concern since seat belts need to work correctly to protect you in a crash. The dealership told you the seat belts are out of warranty and you'd have to pay for diagnosis and repair. The issue appeared around 110,000 miles.

Your seat belts on both the driver and passenger sides aren't locking properly. While the buckle itself works fine, the locking mechanism that's supposed to keep the belt secure and retract it isn't functioning correctly on either side. This happens whether you're driving or parked. The seat belt retractor mechanism will likely need to be inspected and possibly replaced.

Your engine stalls when cruise control is engaged while driving downhill at around 35 mph — the engine RPM drops below 500 and dies, causing you to lose power steering and brakes. This makes it difficult to steer and brake, creating a serious safety risk if you're on a curve, approaching a traffic light, or near pedestrians. The problem doesn't occur at higher speeds and may require diagnostic work on the cruise control system and engine idle control components.

Your brake lines are showing signs of severe corrosion and rot, with brake fluid leaking from multiple locations on your vehicle. You've had to pay for repairs to both the power steering and brake lines, and your ABS warning light is coming on intermittently. The brake lines may need to be replaced with new copper or steel tubing, and the ABS system may need inspection to ensure it's functioning properly.

Your car has multiple issues: the back windows have fallen off their tracks and won't roll back up, the AC and heater aren't working at all, and the engine is running too lean on fuel. You're also hearing loud knocking from the timing chain and tensioners, the transmission is failing, and the engine is burning oil. These problems will require visits to a mechanic for window track repair, HVAC system diagnostics, fuel system adjustment, and engine work on the timing chain and transmission.

Your engine stalls when you turn the steering wheel all the way to the left or right while making tight turns at normal speeds. A mechanic suspects a power steering pressure sensor or switch may be failing, which should signal the engine to increase idle speed when the power steering system is working harder. The sensor appears to be part of the power steering pump assembly, but Ford dealers have been unable to help locate or replace it on your older vehicle.

You've experienced tread separation on a second tire, causing complete failure. This is a serious safety issue where the tire tread peels away from the tire structure. You may need to replace the affected tires and have a mechanic inspect your vehicle to determine if there's an underlying cause like alignment problems or suspension wear.

Your driver's seat suddenly reclines backward on its own, both while driving and when parked. This issue started when the vehicle was about 3 years old and has persisted for 15 years despite attempted repairs. You may need to replace the entire seat since the recline mechanism appears to have failed.

Your transmission is shifting roughly and with violent clunking sounds, especially when shifting into reverse or downshifting while driving. You may experience delayed shifts followed by aggressive engagement into gear, slow acceleration with sudden jerking, or the car lurching backward when shifting into reverse in parking situations. The problem creates safety concerns during low-speed maneuvering, and mechanics have found metal shavings in the transmission fluid, suggesting internal wear. Fixing this typically requires transmission fluid service, filter replacement, or in severe cases, transmission rebuild or replacement.

Your Explorer's roof has rivets that trap water instead of allowing rain to run off naturally. Water pooling in these rivets causes rust to accumulate, which can lead to further damage over time.