2004 Ford Thunderbird

Recalls

1 recall names the 2004 Ford Thunderbird. Newest first.

• Seats › Front assembly › Power adjust

  Jul 8, 2004NHTSA 04V33000024,277 vehicles

  Certain passenger vehicles equipped with power adjustable seats may have been inadequately welded.

  Risk and remedy

  Risk

  The seat may not perform as intended during a crash which could increase the risk of injury.

  Remedy

  Dealers will replace the upper support assembly on the power seats. the recall began on july 20, 2004. owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.

  Full recall details →

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Vehicle speed control9
2. Power train7
3. Engine7
4. Engine and engine cooling5
5. Electrical system4
6. Air bags3
7. Service brakes, hydraulic2
8. Suspension1
9. Fuel system, gasoline1
10. Wheels1

Latest complaints

• Sep 27, 2021MS40,526 mi
  Engine
  The contact owns a 2004 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact approached a stop sign and the vehicle stopped as needed; however, after the contact depressed on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle began to misfire and shuddered for several minutes.…

  The contact owns a 2004 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact approached a stop sign and the vehicle stopped as needed; however, after the contact depressed on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle began to misfire and shuddered for several minutes. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that the failure was related to TSB 05-16-2 (moisture build up on the plugs and on the cylinder) that caused the vehicle to misfire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,526.

• Oct 14, 2020KY10,000 mi
  Vehicle speed control

  Have replaced via ford dealer throttle control sensor twice. First repair 2007. Second repair 2014, and now in 2020. I am facing same problem again. Obviously the control system IS defective. The problem triggers vehicle limp mode while driving and in park.

• Aug 26, 2020NV89,000 mi
  Fuel system, gasoline
  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while inside the vehicle, an abnormal odor appeared as the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who changed the oil and noticed fuel leaking from the fuel tank. The contact…

  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while inside the vehicle, an abnormal odor appeared as the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who changed the oil and noticed fuel leaking from the fuel tank. The contact mentioned that the failure was currently still being experienced. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The contact mentioned nhtsa campaign number: 05v113000 (fuel system, gasoline) as a possible solution to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

• May 4, 2017NJ
  Engine
  2004 ford thunderbird. consumer writes in regards to defective ignition coils causes engine to mis-fire, dealership replaced defective coils under extended one-time warranty repair. consumer states engine mis-fire still exists. *smd the consumer stated the engine misfired due to defective…

  2004 ford thunderbird. consumer writes in regards to defective ignition coils causes engine to mis-fire, dealership replaced defective coils under extended one-time warranty repair. consumer states engine mis-fire still exists. *smd the consumer stated the engine misfired due to defective ignition coils. Two coils were replaced under warranty. The dealer would not replace any other coils that had not experienced any failure. The failure recurred. The check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was unable to be driven. updated 05/4/2017 *js

• Jan 20, 2017MA33,130 mi
  Engine
  Vehicle unexpectedly lost power upon mild acceleration on a city street and developed a rough, skipping and hesitant idle upon warm up. we immediately brought the car in for evaluation at the sarat ford dealership in agawam, ma. they diagnosed the dreaded thunderbird coil on plug failure in this…

  Vehicle unexpectedly lost power upon mild acceleration on a city street and developed a rough, skipping and hesitant idle upon warm up. we immediately brought the car in for evaluation at the sarat ford dealership in agawam, ma. they diagnosed the dreaded thunderbird coil on plug failure in this vehicle at only 33,165 total miles. being that this car IS now over ten years old, I was told that the fomoco extended warranty (10 years and 100,000 miles) on this vehicle, for this very same problem, does not apply. what IS extremely aggravating and really maddening with this IS that they grossly over charged me for the parts. Much more than what ford charges on their own parts website for both the 8 spark plugs and the 8 coil components. rather than trying to help a customer get through this unexpected and expensive mechanical failure (...which they are fully aware of and should help cover) they decide to allow their dealers to price gouge. I have all paperwork from the repair.

• Jun 8, 2016TN2,000 mi
  Vehicle speed control

  On three occasions auto accelerated on its own. Tried to break to no avail. Kept going faster. Shifted to neutral, engine kept racing. Was very difficult to stop vehicle. Went to dealer. They could not find the cause. .One event in a parking lot, one on the interstate and the other when approaching an intersection on a city street auto has only 10,000 miles on it. Incidents occurred 2005 20014 2016.

• Oct 18, 2015PA35,000 miCrash
  Power train

  Driving on a highway at 50mph coming to a town and a red light I removed my foot from the gas pedal and applied the brakes the car did not slow I applied more pressure on the brakes the car slowed some but the engine kept reving the transmission was not down shifting the car was not stopping I grabbed the shift lever and switched gears but to late and we hit the car in front of us stopped at the light.

• Apr 23, 2015OK60,000 mi
  Electrical system · Engine · Power train
  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that the key was extremely difficult to turn over to start the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle stalled on numerous occasions without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times and they replaced the filter, the rear…

  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that the key was extremely difficult to turn over to start the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle stalled on numerous occasions without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times and they replaced the filter, the rear module, the vapor management valve, the vent solenoid and the throttle body but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

• Oct 28, 2014WA83,000 mi
  Electrical system · Power train · Vehicle speed control
  As I was parking my car, it suddenly accelerated at a very high rate of speed. I was parking by a wooded area, and was propelled about 2 car lengths into the bushes in the woods (barely missing a tree) before I was able to stop the car. not certain if the car stopped because of my braking, or…

  As I was parking my car, it suddenly accelerated at a very high rate of speed. I was parking by a wooded area, and was propelled about 2 car lengths into the bushes in the woods (barely missing a tree) before I was able to stop the car. not certain if the car stopped because of my braking, or because the thick bushes would not permit the car to travel any further. I had the car towed to the ford dealership, but the service dept. Has not been able to find the problem. I am absolutely certain this was not a "driver error" situation and am very concerned about continuing to drive this vehicle should this occur again and I hit someone or something less forgiving than the bushes in the woods. *tr

• Sep 12, 2014CA34,200 mi
  Engine
  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where…

  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition coils were misfiring. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 34,200.

• Jun 7, 2014WA25,000 miCrash
  Power train · Vehicle speed control
  Coming off I-5 freeway in west washintong state. stopped for red light and then moved into left turn lane but car kept picking up speed, applied brakes (hard) slowing down but auto not wanting to stop. applied emergency brake, car slowed down more, could hear engine racing and feel it still…

  Coming off I-5 freeway in west washintong state. stopped for red light and then moved into left turn lane but car kept picking up speed, applied brakes (hard) slowing down but auto not wanting to stop. applied emergency brake, car slowed down more, could hear engine racing and feel it still wanting to go. slipped car into neutral on the auto transmision, now forward progress slowing down greatly but still hit rear of car in front of me. ford in body repair shop so have not been able to take to ford to exam for any defect(s). I only use my right foot to accelrate and brake so I know I was not stepping on gas pedal & other foot using brake at same time. car had been on cruise control prior to accident set at 60 mph for I-5 driving. *tr

• Aug 22, 2013TN30,000 mi
  Engine
  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the engine misfired and lost throttle response without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the coil over plug assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer…

  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the engine misfired and lost throttle response without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the coil over plug assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 36,000. The vin was not available.

• Jul 5, 2013LA97,512 mi
  Engine
  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while e driving 20 mph, the engine misfired. The failure recurred frequently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who stated that there were two ignition coils that failed. The ignition coils were replaced however, the contact…

  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while e driving 20 mph, the engine misfired. The failure recurred frequently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who stated that there were two ignition coils that failed. The ignition coils were replaced however, the contact later noticed oil on several cylinders in the engine. The failure was not corrected. The failure was reported to the manufacturer. The failure and current mileage was 97,512.

• May 24, 2013MS39,730 mi
  Suspension
  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that upon inspection, it was determined that the suspension needed to be replaced. The contact also stated that the suspension was previously replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the suspension…

  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that upon inspection, it was determined that the suspension needed to be replaced. The contact also stated that the suspension was previously replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the suspension needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 39,730. ..updated 08-07-13 *bf

• Apr 1, 2013TN55,000 mi
  Power train
  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the transmission would not shift correctly and exhibited a severe hesitation. The vehicle was driven to a nearby transmission center where the contact was informed that the transmission would…

  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the transmission would not shift correctly and exhibited a severe hesitation. The vehicle was driven to a nearby transmission center where the contact was informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

• Dec 20, 2011CA18,500 mi
  Engine and engine cooling
  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. the contact stated that when starting the vehicle, the engine would misfire and lose throttle response. The vehicle later stalled and was taken to the dealer. the dealer advised the contact that the misfire was due to a faulty engine coil. the…

  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. the contact stated that when starting the vehicle, the engine would misfire and lose throttle response. The vehicle later stalled and was taken to the dealer. the dealer advised the contact that the misfire was due to a faulty engine coil. the dealer replaced the engine coil but the repair did not remedy the failure. the failure mileage was 18,500. updated 01/18/12*lj

• Jul 15, 2011CA6,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling

  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. the contact stated that the spark plugs were causing damage to the engine. the dealer advised the contact to have the spark plugs removed and replaced with a different model spark plug. the manufacturer was aware of the failure yet no repairs were performed on the vehicle. the current and failure mileage was 6,000.

• Apr 15, 2011OR20,000 mi1 injury
  Air bags › Side/window

  TL* the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The contact stated the rear side air bag on the driver side deployed abnormally while the contact was driving. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer and the door was removed but the dealer could not provide a reason for the air bag failure. The failure and current mileage was 20,000. updated 05/25/11 *bf the consumer checked the injured box. Updated 06/06/11

• Jun 27, 2010GA38,000 mi
  Vehicle speed control
  I have a 2004 ford thunderbird. for the second time in the past 8 months, my car went into limp mode unexpectedly while driving. on a 50 mile an hour road, my car suddenly dropped to 20 mph. I immediately activated my hazard lights, but came very close to getting rear ended. the throttle bodies…

  I have a 2004 ford thunderbird. for the second time in the past 8 months, my car went into limp mode unexpectedly while driving. on a 50 mile an hour road, my car suddenly dropped to 20 mph. I immediately activated my hazard lights, but came very close to getting rear ended. the throttle bodies on these cars evidently go out an alarming rate. this will be the second time I have narrowly avoided being in an accident because of this problem. I had the problem addressed once already, and now it IS happening all over again. *tr

• Jan 28, 2010CA15,000 mi
  Vehicle speed control
  Car intermittently goes into shut down mode(decelerates, will not take gas) during driving. this has happened while trying to merge onto a highway and almost resulted in me being rear needed by an tractor trailer. This IS happening during the middle of highway traffic and has placed me in sever…

  Car intermittently goes into shut down mode(decelerates, will not take gas) during driving. this has happened while trying to merge onto a highway and almost resulted in me being rear needed by an tractor trailer. This IS happening during the middle of highway traffic and has placed me in sever safety situations. I am told by ford this IS a throttle body problem and apparently this IS wide spread for numerous ford automobiles (escape, thunderbird,mustang, lincoln, thunderbird...) of the years 2002-2005. ford needs to be held to task for this repair! this IS dangerous!!*cw

• Jan 15, 2010MD35,840 mi
  Wheels
  Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The vehicle was purchased approximately july 2006 with the original wheels. The left rear wheel has cracks and corrosion which also made an indentation in the rear passenger side tire and caused it to leak. The mechanic had to sand the rim in order to…

  Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. The vehicle was purchased approximately july 2006 with the original wheels. The left rear wheel has cracks and corrosion which also made an indentation in the rear passenger side tire and caused it to leak. The mechanic had to sand the rim in order to remove the corrosion at cost to the owner. They also had to reposition the tire to offset the part of the tire that had the indentation in it. The contact was responsible for paying $42 for the repair. They also added some form of glue which IS a safety risk. The tire mechanic did not provide a warranty. The other tires were not diagnosed for rust corrosion which the contact IS concerned about the safety risk involved. The failure mileage was 35,840.

• Sep 16, 2008FL21,696 mi
  Service brakes, hydraulic
  ABS & wheel speed sensor dash lights illuminated. Had mechanic inspect causes and diagnose using ABS fault codes. Vehicle required a new ABS brake / wheel speed sensor replacement on left front hub assy. Ford does not sell this part individually only as an assembly consisting of major brake and…

  ABS & wheel speed sensor dash lights illuminated. Had mechanic inspect causes and diagnose using ABS fault codes. Vehicle required a new ABS brake / wheel speed sensor replacement on left front hub assy. Ford does not sell this part individually only as an assembly consisting of major brake and suspension details as a unit. This cost IS @ $580. Mechanic was able to purchase a hub unit from napa auto parts @ $236.17. with only 21,696 miles total this part should not have failed so pre-maturely and parts should be made available for this as a detail of an assembly not a whole assembly consisting of un-needed parts directly from ford. IS there a notice regarding this item? *Tr

• Jan 7, 2008FL48,000 mi
  Engine and engine cooling › Engine

  Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford thunderbird. while driving 55 mph, the contact heard a screeching noise and the vehicle began to vibrate without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the engine mount failed and needed to be replaced. the part IS unavailable. the powertrain was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 48,000.

• Aug 29, 2007MT4,225 miCrash1 injury
  Power train › Automatic transmission
  2004 ford thunderbird was left running parked in the driveway. Vehicle started to roll backwards. We thought the vehicle was just rolling. Did not realize during that split second that the car had engaged in reverse on its own. Vehicle door hit a person standing behind the open door knocking him to…

  2004 ford thunderbird was left running parked in the driveway. Vehicle started to roll backwards. We thought the vehicle was just rolling. Did not realize during that split second that the car had engaged in reverse on its own. Vehicle door hit a person standing behind the open door knocking him to the ground. Vehicle continued in reverse with driver's door open, struck another vehicle in the driveway before driving into a retaining wall. The first transmission on the car was defective and replaced at about 2000 miles. There IS only 4200 miles on the car now and the second transmission IS dangerously bad. *Tr

• Jun 13, 2007KY55,000 mi
  Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel · Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline

  Wrench light comes on and vehicle comes to a stop.

Service bulletins

Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.

• 10109070The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer to historical DTCs and the PC/ED, Section 3 No DTCs Present Index chart for further information.
• 10048099Ford/lincoln/mercury: may have sludge buildup in throttle body leading to less airflow or engine idling rpm fluctuation and hard starts or battery disconnect or dead battery after keep alive memory (kam) clear. Models 2003-05 thunderbird, 05-06 mustang, 06-08 fusion, 04-05 explorer, 05-06 expedition, 05-07 F-150; 2003-06 LS, 06 zephyr, 05-06 navigator; 06-08 milan.
• 10026402Ford/lincoln mercury: certain 2003-2005 model year lincoln LS and ford thunderbird vehicles equipped with 3.9L engine with extended warranty coverage on ignition coil assemblies and on 2003 my vehicles only , engine valve cover gaskets.
• 10022290Automatic transmission solenoid emissions warranty extension. Sample consumer letter attached.
• 10017925Water/moisture in cop wells - dtc p0301-p0308 - 3.9L engine - vehicles built through 5/1/2004.
• 10017917Unusual engine noise or engine knock concerns due to regular fuel.
• 10017898Delayed or harsh reverse engagements - 5r55s transmission - vehicles built prior to 09/23/2004.
• 10014703Moisture in storage compartment.
• 10014594Vibration felt for a few miles of driving after parking.
• 10014086General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
• 10013401Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) c1145 and/or c1155 stored in anti-lock brake system (ABS) module.
• 10013371Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) and electronic throttle control (etc) lamps on with both diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p2106 and p2135.
• 10013306Improperly formulated transmission fluid that, over time, may cause delayed/harsh reverse engagements. Customer satisfaction program 04b22. 5R55s/e & 5r44e transmission fluid additive. Supplement #1. Supplement #2. Supplement #3.
• 10013116Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated - system lean diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) - service tips. Various models including 2004 f-series.
• 10011162Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
• 10011159Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair.
• 10009344ABS warning indicator on with diagnostic trouble code c1145 and/or c1155.
• 10009342Key-in-ignition warning chime sound whenever the driver's door IS open (even with no key in the ignition), the easy exit feature inoperative when the key IS removed from the ignition, or the steering column (and seat if applicable) moving back and forth when the key IS removed from the ignition on vehicles with a ford accessory remote start kit.
• 10009321Inoperative electric rear window defroster (heated backlite) grid lines, integral antenna concerns.
• 10008991Steering gear squeak when turning the steering wheel, especially during low speed parking maneuvers.
• 10008258Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on, e displayed for gear position, harsh shifts, and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0705 and p1702 after powertrain control module (pcm) reprogramming.
• 10008246Steering gear noise.
• 10008239Electtronic throttle control warning message or lamp on - malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p2106 - possible driveability symptoms.
• 10008194Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0300-p0308 or p0350-p0358.
• 10008173Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p2106 stored in the pcm (powertrain control module).
• 10007423Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) u0300 (internal control module software incompatibility) stored in the pcm with no other dtc's present.
• 10007344An intermittent malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0462 (fuel level sensor a circuit low) or p2067 (fuel level sensor b circuit low) caused by an improperly installed remote start system.
• 10007323Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with ignition coil related diagnostic trouble codes (p035x).
• 10004912Squeaking noise when switching climate control between panel, floor and panel/floor modes.
• 10004027Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips.
• 10003744Engine misfire or rough running condition with coil on plug (cop) ignition systems may be more accurately diagnosed using the optional worldwide diagnostic system (wds) coil on plug (cop) kit. 2003 super duty f series included.
• 636096Excessive electrical system current draw which could result in a discharged battery and a no crank condition. Service tips.

Every Ford Thunderbird model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.