2004 Ford F-150 Review
2004 Ford F-150 Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Exceptional ride and handling characteristics, attractive and functional interior designs, multiple cab and bed configurations, most payload and towing capacity in the half-ton class.
Cons
- Feels sluggish even with larger V8, no available side airbags, not much interior storage space.
What’s new
The F-150 is fully redesigned for 2004. It's bigger, more powerful and offers a greater variety of features and body styles than ever before.
Edmunds says
A class leader when it comes to ride, handling and hauling capability, but a little extra poundage and its lack of side airbags keep it from completely rolling over the competition.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2004 Ford F-150 2dr Regular Cab XL Rwd Styleside 6.5 ft. SB (4.6L 8cyl 4A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.28 per gallon for regular unleaded in New Mexico.
Monthly estimates based on costs in New Mexico
$259/mo for F-150 XL
F-150 XL
vs
$237/mo
Avg. Large Truck
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2004 Ford F-150.
5 star(78%)
4 star(13%)
3 star(6%)
2 star(2%)
1 star(1%)
684 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
5 out of 5 stars
Drive it like you stole it
natureschild88, 07/02/2013
2004 Ford F-150 4dr SuperCab FX4 4WD Flareside 6.5 ft. SB (5.4L 8cyl 4A)
Simply put: best vehicle I have ever owned. I bought my '04 FX4 with 50k miles. After owning for 5 years, I sold it with 174k miles on it. Every mile was hard driven. I have a heavy foot, like to
floor it, frequently jump curbs with it, drive it like I stole it. Towed a 19' boat from San Diego to Lake Havasu and back on multiple occasions. Previous owner replaced the transmission: he was … towing a 26' cabin cruiser with it - something you need an f250 for. Only thing I did was replace alternator and serp belt. Oil changes every 5-7k miles with MobilOne 5-20 full synthetic. I sold the truck to buy a newer model. At 174k miles, excellent resale value. Felt like crying the next day. Best truck.
5 out of 5 stars
Strong running truck
fordfan95, 10/20/2014
2004 Ford F-150 2dr Regular Cab XL Rwd Styleside 6.5 ft. SB (4.6L 8cyl 4A)
truck is now over 11 years old, and is still running strong with 84,000 miles on it. truck tends to be problematic in the large 5.4 version with cam phasers and broken spark plugs, however the 4.6 does not suffer from these problems. this past winter we have had more snow and more colder days than in decades, and having it sit in below zero weather for 3 days straight, it cranks first … start without missing a beat. parts are EXTREMELY cheap being as the 4.6 is the most common fleet vehicle engine, so parts are easily accessible and readily available. the body and frame are extremely durable and after 11 years in the heart of the salt belt, its completely rust free.
4.38 out of 5 stars
Best truck I've owned
fobserver, 12/12/2011
2004 Ford F-150 2dr Regular Cab FX4 4WD Styleside 6.5 ft. SB (5.4L 8cyl 4A)
I've had Toyota, Nissan, Chevy and Dodge trucks over the years. This is the first Ford truck I've owned. Bought it used with 97K miles. Only owned it for 3 months now, but I believe it's the best built pickup I've ever owned. I do have some concerns however. A tear appeared out of no where in the drivers seat, there is a whizzing/scraping sound coming from the right front (possibly brake … issues). And the cam phaser knock that is common for these engines. Also the 4x4 will go into 4HI with no problem, but you have to mess with it to get it to go into 4LO, and then you have to mess with it some more to get it to come back out of 4LO. Have not towed with it yet, but I'm sure it's great at that.
4.63 out of 5 stars
Love this truck but you will have issues along the way.
bigbertha, 03/01/2012
2004 Ford F-150 4dr SuperCab Lariat 4WD Styleside 5.5 ft. SB (5.4L 8cyl 4A)
This is a wonderful truck to own. It looks good drives good and is dependable. However, expect one if not all of the window regulators to go out. Ford used cheap plastic parts so the gear will go bad eventually. Second, the spark plugs for 04-08 models were designed poorly and get seized into the heads. Expect a bill of anywhere from 800-2000 to replace them as Ford charges by hour to … remove them because they break off. Last, the timing gears are plastic and break and result in thousands of dollars in repairs.
VCT Solenoid & cam phasers also go bad. Google all the known issues with this truck first. These are the major ones to expect. If you're able to work through them it's a good truck.
2004 F-150 Highlights
SuperCab
XL
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $24,285 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 15 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $259/month |
Seating | 6 seats |
Drivetrain | rear wheel drive |
Max Towing Capacity | 9,500 lbs. |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the F-150 include:
- Alarm
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriverNot RatedPassengerNot Rated
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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