Total Complaints
6 filings
FORD MOUNTAINEER · model year
6 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2004FORDMOUNTAINEER carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2004 MOUNTAINEER is vehicle speed control:cruise control with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 2004 MOUNTAINEER, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
6 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE | 1 |
TAILGATE HAS A CRACK IN THE FIBERGLASS, BELOW THE WINDSHIELD TRAVELING DOWN. THERE IS NO IDENTIFIED REASON FOR THIS CRACK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THIS IS COMMONLY SEEN IN THE MOUNTAINEER AND EXPLORERS. THE CRACK INDICATES A MANUFACTURER DEFECT HOWEVER FORD/MERCURY HAS NOT MADE THE RECALL. *TR
Mileage: 54,350
THERE IS A CRACK THAT EXTENDS DOWN THE LIFTGATE ON THE 2004 FORD EXPLORER. I HAVE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS FAILURE. IF THIS CRACK IS NOT REPAIRED INEVITABLY THERE WILL BE WATER DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE LIFT DOOR SUCH AS A FAILURE OF THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER AND REAR WINDOW WIPER. I WISH TO HAVE THIS FAILURE REPAIRED AT MY FORD AUTHORIZED DEALER AT YOUR COST. ADDITIONALLY, THE TWO REAR WINDOWS WILL NOT LET DOWN. I HAVE CHECKED THE FUSES AND HAVE REPLACED ONE THAT WAS BROKEN. IT SOLVED THE PROBLEM ONCE. THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND I HAVE CHECKED THE FUSES AGAIN. THIS TIME NONE OF THEM WERE BROKEN. IF THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT REPAIRED, I BELIEVE ALL THE WINDOWS MAY EVENTUALLY BE FROZEN, POSSIBLY IN THE DOWN POSITION , CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR OR IN THE UP POSITION WHICH WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR GOING THROUGH DRIVE ,THROUGH BANKING, FAST FOODS, TOLL BOOTHS, ETC. *AK MY THIRD COMPLAINT IS THAT MY TURN SIGNALS ARE
THERE IS A CRACK THAT EXTENDS DOWN THE LIFTGATE ON THE 2004 FORD EXPLORER. I HAVE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS FAILURE. IF THIS CRACK IS NOT REPAIRED INEVITABLY THERE WILL BE WATER DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE LIFT DOOR SUCH AS A FAILURE OF THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER AND REAR WINDOW WIPER. I WISH TO HAVE THIS FAILURE REPAIRED AT MY FORD AUTHORIZED DEALER AT YOUR COST. ADDITIONALLY, THE TWO REAR WINDOWS WILL NOT LET DOWN. I HAVE CHECKED THE FUSES AND HAVE REPLACED ONE THAT WAS BROKEN. IT SOLVED THE PROBLEM ONCE. THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND I HAVE CHECKED THE FUSES AGAIN. THIS TIME NONE OF THEM WERE BROKEN. IF THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT REPAIRED, I BELIEVE ALL THE WINDOWS MAY EVENTUALLY BE FROZEN, POSSIBLY IN THE DOWN POSITION , CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR OR IN THE UP POSITION WHICH WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR GOING THROUGH DRIVE ,THROUGH BANKING, FAST FOODS, TOLL BOOTHS, ETC. *AK MY THIRD COMPLAINT IS THAT MY TURN SIGNALS ARE
I DRIVE A 2004 FORD EXPLORER XLT. THIS VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON MY WIFE AND I NUMEROUS DIFFERENT TIMES WITH IN THE 14 MONTHS OF OWNING THE SUV. AT ONE POINT WE WERE ALMOST IN A ACCIDENT WITH OUR 1 YEAR DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE FORD COMPANY 6 DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEIR RESPONSE IS UNLESS FORD CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THEY REFUSE TO ALLOW US TO RECEIVE A NEW VEHICLE. WHEN I ASKED THE ZONE MANGER WHAT THEY CAN DO THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO PUT A COMPUTER INSTRUMENT ON THE CAR AND DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BEFORE THEY WOULD BEGIN TO NEGOTIATE A NEW CAR. THE COMPUTER INSTRUMENT HAS BEEN PUT ON THE CAR THREE DIFFERENT TIMES NOW. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT IF WE BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO FORD WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE CAR STALLING THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO TELL US WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. WE HAVE BROUGHT IT BACK 3 TIMES WITHIN THE 24 HOUR TIME PERIOD AND THEY HAVE COME UP WITH NOTHING. IN TOTAL FORD HAS HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR NEAR THIRTY DAYS AT DIFFERENT TIM
Mileage: 13,000
I DRIVE A 2004 FORD EXPLORER XLT. THIS VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON MY WIFE AND I NUMEROUS DIFFERENT TIMES WITH IN THE 14 MONTHS OF OWNING THE SUV. AT ONE POINT WE WERE ALMOST IN A ACCIDENT WITH OUR 1 YEAR DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE FORD COMPANY 6 DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEIR RESPONSE IS UNLESS FORD CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THEY REFUSE TO ALLOW US TO RECEIVE A NEW VEHICLE. WHEN I ASKED THE ZONE MANGER WHAT THEY CAN DO THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO PUT A COMPUTER INSTRUMENT ON THE CAR AND DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BEFORE THEY WOULD BEGIN TO NEGOTIATE A NEW CAR. THE COMPUTER INSTRUMENT HAS BEEN PUT ON THE CAR THREE DIFFERENT TIMES NOW. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT IF WE BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO FORD WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE CAR STALLING THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO TELL US WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. WE HAVE BROUGHT IT BACK 3 TIMES WITHIN THE 24 HOUR TIME PERIOD AND THEY HAVE COME UP WITH NOTHING. IN TOTAL FORD HAS HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR NEAR THIRTY DAYS AT DIFFERENT TIM
Mileage: 13,000
CONTACT STATED: FAMILY HAD JUST COME BACK FROM A FOUR HOUR ROAD TRIP AFTER USING CRUISE CONTROL. HUSBAND WAS IN CAR WHEN IT IDLED NORMALLY, BUT AS SOON AS IT WAS PUT IN REVERSE IT LURCHED BACKWARD VERY QUICKLY. WHEN VEHICLE WAS STOPPED FINALLY IT WAS THEN PUT INTO DRIVE. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN CAR LURCHED FORWARD. SUBSEQUENTLY, STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY DURING THE ENTIRE EVENT.*AK
Mileage: 20,000
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.