NHTSA Safety Recalls
2004 Ford Ranger Recalls
The 2004 Ford Ranger has 12 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on April 28, 2023.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2004 Ford Ranger. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 12
- Owner complaints
- 405
- Crashes reported
- 42
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
3 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2004 Ford Ranger, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
12 recalls on the 2004 Ford Ranger
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 23V306000
- Reported
- April 28, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 231,942
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2006 Ranger
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 23V125000
- Reported
- February 24, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 98,550
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2006 Ranger
Air bags: frontal
- Campaign
- 21V076000
- Reported
- February 17, 2021
- Vehicles affected
- up to 144,340
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2006 Ranger
Air bags: frontal
- Campaign
- 21V081000
- Reported
- February 16, 2021
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,067
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2009, 2011 Ranger, 7 other models
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 17V787000
- Reported
- December 11, 2017
- Vehicles affected
- up to 328,213
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- NHTSA advisory
- do not drive until repaired
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2006 Ranger
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 17V788000
- Reported
- December 11, 2017
- Vehicles affected
- up to 328,213
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- NHTSA advisory
- do not drive until repaired
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2006 Ranger
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 16V036000
- Reported
- January 25, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 361,692
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2006 Ranger
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 15V322000
- Reported
- May 28, 2015
- Vehicles affected
- up to 362,327
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2006 Ranger
Exterior lighting: tail lights
- Campaign
- 11V352000
- Reported
- July 13, 2011
- Vehicles affected
- up to 26,715
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 108, lamps and reflective devices
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2009, 2011 Ranger, 7 other models
Structure: frame and members: underbody shields
- Campaign
- 04V331000
- Reported
- July 14, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,395
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and fire
- Same campaign
- only the 2004 Ford Ranger
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 06E065000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001–2003, 2005 Ranger, 9 other models
Exterior lighting: headlights
- Campaign
- 09E025000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2000–2003, 2005 Ranger, 46 other models
2004 Ford Ranger complaints by year
NHTSA has received 405 owner complaints about the 2004 Ford Ranger, the newest on October 20, 2026. Of these, 42 describe a crash (10%) and 3 a fire; owners reported 35 injuries and 2 deaths.
In complaints about the 2004 Ford Ranger, the component group named most often is the air bags (47%), followed by the structure (11%) and the suspension (7%).
8 of the 2004 Ford Ranger's 12 recalls also concern the air bags.
Where 2004 Ford Ranger owners gave the mileage (219 complaints), the median was 66,803 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Air Bags189
- Structure46
- Suspension29
- Power Train27
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic19
- Vehicle Speed Control19
Complaints received, by year
| 2003 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 27 | |
| 2005 | 23 | |
| 2006 | 27 | |
| 2007 | 13 | |
| 2008 | 9 | |
| 2009 | 11 | |
| 2010 | 22 | |
| 2011 | 10 | |
| 2012 | 4 | |
| 2013 | 11 | |
| 2014 | 12 | |
| 2015 | 19 | |
| 2016 | 58 | |
| 2017 | 29 | |
| 2018 | 82 | |
| 2019 | 15 | |
| 2020 | 11 | |
| 2021 | 6 | |
| 2022 | 4 | |
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 3 | |
| 2026 | 2 |
Complaints about the 2004 Ford Ranger peaked in 2018, when NHTSA received 82. 22% arrived between 2003 and 2007, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2004 vehicles, the 2004 Ford Ranger drew 1.8× the complaints of the median Ford Ranger year in the same window: 5th highest of the 16 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 4/5
- Side: 5/5
The 405 complaints about the 2004 Ford Ranger are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
2004 Ford Ranger crash tests and safety technology
NHTSA rated 2 versions of the 2004 Ford Ranger: Regular Cab and Supercab.
For the 2004 Ford Ranger, NHTSA lists no electronic stability control, forward collision warning or lane departure warning. Forward collision warning became standard on the Ranger with the 2020 model year, 16 years after this one.
Photos: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, NHTSA test vehicle 1121, shown from static.nhtsa.gov. Ratings, rollover risk and technology of the 2004 Ford Ranger: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API, retrieved October 28, 2026; NHTSA terms of use. How the tests work
Ford Ranger by model year
Other 2004 Ford models
Newest record on this page: October 20, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted