2004 Ford Explorer Structure Problems

NHTSA component category: STRUCTURE · data through 07/12/2026

80Structure complaints

6.1%Of all 1,304 complaints

#4Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How structure ranks on this vehicle

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION308 · 23.6%

STRUCTURE:BODY209 · 16%

POWER TRAIN108 · 8.3%

STRUCTURE80 · 6.1%

VISIBILITY59 · 4.5%

Share of the 1,304 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2004 Ford Explorer overview page.

What owners report

“WHILE DRIVING SMOKE BEGAN COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE ENGINE BOGGED DOWN AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE ENGINE RAN ROUGHLY AND SMOKE EMITTED FROM…”NHTSA complaint 10101156 — filed 11/05/2004

“PAINT IS COMING OFF DRIVERS RUNNING BOARD. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR ONLY 3 WEEKS.”NHTSA complaint 10074887 — filed 06/06/2004

“OTHE VEHICLE WAS RECEIVED ON 2/16/2004, ON 2/18/2004 THE DRIVERS SIDE RUNNING BOARD BROKE WHEN I STEPPED ONTO IT WHEN ENTERING THE VEHICLE ON THE…”NHTSA complaint 10059066 — filed 02/26/2004

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Structure complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2004 Ford Explorer have structure problems?

Structure is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 2004 Ford Explorer: 80 of 1,304 complaints on file (6.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2004 Ford Explorer have in total?

1,304 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 58 involved a crash, 15 involved a fire, 83 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's structure category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STRUCTURE category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.