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2003 Ford Excursion problems

The most common problem on the 2003 Ford Excursion is engine and cooling, typically around 40,000 miles. Its complaint count is close to a typical Excursion model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Year score
72/100
Owner complaints
106
Recalls
5
Service bulletins
191
Worst area
Engine

The worst 2003 Ford Excursion problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Engine
    30
  • Electrical
    26
  • Brakes
    10
  • Tires
    10
  • Fuel system
    9
  • Acceleration
    7
  • Steering
    7
  • Suspension
    6
  • Transmission
    6
  • Body
    4
  • Seat belts
    4
  • Visibility
    4
  • Lights
    3
  • Driver assistance
    2
  • Locks
    1
  • Seats
    1

Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Ford Excursion

Stalling 19Loss of power 7ABS 6Fire or smoke 6Adaptive cruise 5Check engine light 5Pulling 5Won't start 5

Recalls 5

Exterior lighting: brake lightsReported July 13, 2011 · 26,715 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ranger trucks built from january 25, 2011, through april 25, 2011 at the twin cities assembly plant, and service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004 through 2011 model year ranger trucks, 2002 through 2005 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the multi-function switch was shipped with a subcomponent (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate.
Risk
Non-functioning lights could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the switches free of charge. The safety recall began on august 15, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.

Recall number 11V352000 · Recall details

Vehicle speed controlReported October 13, 2009 · 4,500,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk
A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1‑888‑222‑2751.

Recall number 09V399000 · Recall details

Engine and engine cooling: engine: dieselReported December 5, 2007 · 1,176,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3l diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle may function intermittently, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Risk
In the event of an engine stall, a crash could result without warning.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the sensor and replace it with an improved camshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on december 29, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.

Recall number 07V553000 · Recall details

Vehicle speed controlReported March 6, 2007 · 155,584 vehicles affected
What is wrong
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
Risk
Overheating could result in smoke, burn, or an underhood fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on march 12, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673. (note: also see recalls 05v017, 05v388, and 06v286)

Recall number 07V078000 · Recall details

Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v batteryReported July 7, 2004 · 83,687 vehicles affected
What is wrong
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with 6.0l diesel engines, the engine ground stud that attaches the negative battery terminal eyelet to the engine block may be loose.
Risk
If the ground wire is loose, electrical current may flow to the radio suppression strap causing it to heat and potentially melt or ignite adjacent components which could result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the engine ground stud and the radio suppression strap and adjacent components will be inspected for damage and replaced, if necessary. The recall began on july 23, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.

Recall number 04V327000 · Recall details

See all 5 recalls for the 2003 Ford Excursion

Defect investigations

Spark plug ejection from cylinder headOpened September 22, 2005, closed January 4, 2006

On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi?s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi?s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that the federal safety agency would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition is denied.

DP05005

Engine stallingOpened February 15, 2005, closed November 2, 2005

In a june 7, 2005 letter, ford notified odi that it would be conducting a safety recall of approximately 180,000 ford f-super duty, excursion and e-series vehicles equipped with 6.0l diesel engines to correct two wiring related conditions that could result in engine stall (the federal safety agency recall no. 05v‑270, ford no. 05s34).the affected vehicles were built between september 29, 2003 and may 31, 2004.according to ford, vehicles with the conditions may stall without warning and may or may not restart.ford will instruct owners of vehicles included in the recall to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the fuel injector control module wire harness upgraded or replaced and or have a new injection control pressure sensor connector installed.during a may 2005 presentation to odi, ford identified a number of potential failure mechanisms that could affect engine performance in various segments of the subject vehicle population, including the wiring conditions addressed by 05v‑270.the wiring conditions, which both affect engine fueling, were the most likely conditions to result in engine stall.the recalled vehicles comprise approximately 43% of the subject vehicle population and account for 75 of the 113 odi reports that have a valid VIN (66%).the voq complaint rate for the recall population is 45/100k while the rate for vehicles outside the recall population is 17/100k and their trend (by date of receipt) is declining.based on the analysis, odi believes ford?s actions are sufficient to address the current safety risks and the investigation is thus closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety related defect does not exist.further action will be taken if warranted by future circumstances.

EA05003

Engine stallingOpened October 7, 2004, closed February 15, 2005

Twenty five of the odi failure reports are duplicative of ford complaints.twenty odi reports do not contain a VIN (and may or may not be duplicative of ford reports).the 14 alleged crashes and 2 alleged injuries were all minor.submitted during preliminary evaluation (pe) 04-070, ford's response to odi's information request (ir) letter contained about 5,000 consumer reports (mors) and 8,700 field reports (cqis).ford reviewed the complaints and categorized them.the manufacturer reports shown above represent a count of unique vehicles that ford categorized as allegedly stalling due to a subject engine component ('a' category, see ford's ir response letter for further detail); some of these vehicles received multiple reports.odi has not yet confirmed ford's categorization of these reports, nor has odi confirmed ford's categorization of the remaining reports (which ford states do not pertain to the alleged defect).ford submitted nearly 19,000 warranty claims, many of which involved claims for a technical service bulletin (tsb 04-13-08) and field service action (fsa 03b05) which ford identified as potential remedies for stalling complaints.odi has not confirmed that either of these are a remedy for engine stalling complaints.several other dealer communications related to engine stall were also submitted as well as over 50 product modifications, 15 of which involve revisions to the software for the electronic engine control unit.further investigation is required and odi is upgrading pe04-070 to an engineering analysis (ea).during the ea, odi will establish and update manufacturer failure report counts, further investigate the frequency and trend of stalling complaints, and determine the scope and safety implication of stalling events.odi will also investigate ford's remedies, their effectiveness, and whether further action is required.

PE04070

Accelerator pedal sensor (etc)Opened February 23, 2004, closed February 10, 2005

Failure counts from odi?s analysis are stated above; see the additional problem experience discussion in the summary report.ford data contained duplicative reports for 4 odi complaints and 1 crash.three crashes were allegedly due to intermittent operation of the electronic throttle control (etc) pedal, one crash occurred when an etc disabled vehicle was struck by another motorist, one report contained no detail.the injuries were minor.an issue involving fixed etc pedals was investigated also, however failure reports and populations are not shown above; see summary report for detail.although ford has used etc based throttle control systems for many years, the pap feature was new for my 2002.the subject etc sensor produces two output signals which the engine management system (ems) utilizes to:1) determine fueling requirements; and 2) perform sensor diagnostics.one signal is linearly proportional to throttle pedal position; the second is a digital signal.by design, the detection of a sensor fault results in the engine returning to (or remaining at) the idle state.ford identified a defect in the pap etc sensor which prematurely affected an output signal; the migration of internal sensor lubricant caused a loss of proportional signal.the failure mechanism is progressive and as the sensor deteriorates, the ems will detect a fault, store a fault code, illuminate a warning lamp, and the engine may remain at/return to idle.in the early stages, normal operation can be regained by pedal re-application.the failure progresses until the engine remains at idle.the engine does not stall, power assisted steering and braking systems are unaffected. Ford corrected the etc sensor defect and conducted field service action (fsa) 03b03 to replace etc pedals, addressing 50% of vehicles.at agency request to improve completion rate, ford extended fsa 03b03 for 6 months.based on odi's analysis of available data, ford's action has appropriately resolved the etc sensor proplem in the subject vehicles.the closing of the investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist, and should not be considered as having any precedential value or effect binding the agency in future defect investigations. See the attached summary report for additional information.

EA04006

Accelerator pedal sensor failure (etc)Opened September 26, 2003, closed February 18, 2004

The subject vehicles for this investigation include model year 2002 and 2003 excursion and f super duty trucks equipped with 7.3l diesel engines and an optional power adjustable pedal (pap) feature.the subject vehicles utilize an electronic throttle control (etc) system to control engine speed and power.the accelerator pedal position sensor of the etc system was replaced under ford's field service action (fsa) 03b03 (announced in february 2003) due to concerns that it may not operate as designed and as a result, may cause the vehicle to continue to idle or unexpectedly slow when the accelerator is applied.certain complaint and warranty information related to the vehicles involved in fsa 03b03 has not been provided by ford, as discussed in detail in ford's response letter (dated december 2, 2003) to odi's preliminary evaluation information request.this additional information, which is required to adequately assess the safety implications of the alleged defect, will be obtained and analyzed during the engineering analysis phase of the investigation.the manufacturer failure report counts will be determined at that time.

PE03044

Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Ford Excursion 191

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 191 bulletins for the 2003 Ford Excursion

What 2003 Ford Excursion owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jan 2, 2023 · Tires · NC

My wife, two young daughters, and I were traveling out of town for the New Year. As we were traveling southbound on I-85 between Greensboro, North Carolina and Thomasville, North Carolina, I started to notice that the vehicle was starting to vibrate. Over the course of the next +\- 10 miles the vibration became much worse and eventually forced me to get off of the highway. I exited the highway at exit 103 on I-85 southbound (NC-109) and was able to get the vehicle to a National Tire and Battery Shop located at 2 Cloniger Dr, Thomasville, NC 27360. Upon inspection, they noticed a large bulge in the driver side rear tire and told me that they thought that I might have broken a belt inside of the tire. They were able to get it off and put on the full size spare, thus allowing us to get to our destination. I strongly believe that had I not exited the highway when I did, there was a high likelyhood that the tire could have blown thus causing us to crash. With that said, this failure put my entire family at risk. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The tire has only been inspected by the National Tire and Battery that took it off and replaced it with the full size spare. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The problem started they day of the incident as we were traveling southbound on I-85 between Greensboro, North Carolina and Thomasville, North Carolina. Tire Size - LT 265/75 R 16

Filed Oct 8, 2021 · Suspension · 110,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Excursion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the suspension made an abnormal popping sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an air bubble had formed on the front passenger’s side tire which he linked to the suspension failure. The tire was not replaced. The contact also stated that after he replaced the radio inside the vehicle, the radio had become defective after the second day of installation. The contact stated that an abnormal buzzing sound was coming from the speakers. Upon investigation, he linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 04V327000 (Electrical System). Additionally, the contact also mentioned that the vehicle would stall while at a complete stop without warning. The contact had a friend inspect the vehicle and he informed him that the camshaft needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 07V553000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). A dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Filed May 26, 2020 · Steering · 189,000 miles · TN

The vehicle has a steering issue. It will pull to the right mostly but occasionally to the left. So you spend the entire drive correcting the wheel to try to keep the vehicle in the road. Towing is impossible with this issue because it causes the trailer to go in to a snaking motion because of the constant steering correction. This occurs when ever the car is in motion.

Filed Jan 10, 2020 · Brakes · 160,000 miles · KY · crash

Pavement was wet...cit was dark ....a car suddenly stopped in the roadway..my anti lock brakes locked up causing me to skid into the car in front of me..causing rear damage to it...my airbag also did not deploy..was going about 25mph..but seemed to increase in speed skidding on the pavement it caused me to lose my safe driving discount on my istate farm insurance...had to pay a higher premium for 3yrs because of it..I have recently gotten my safe driver discount back can get statefarm documentation later if needed

Filed Jan 8, 2019 · Engine · 200,106 miles · TN

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an injector failure. The vehicle was not repaired. A local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,106.

Filed Nov 7, 2018 · Acceleration, Engine · 123,000 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle accelerated independently to approximately 75-80 MPH. The contact had to apply excessive force to the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle. Also, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in a recall. No further assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 123,000.

Filed May 17, 2018 · Steering · 235,000 miles · MO

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. While reversing the vehicle, the steering wheel failed to operate. The contact noticed that the steering wheel bolts were fractured. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 235,000.

Filed Nov 14, 2017 · Engine · 40,000 miles · VA

Faulty exhaust manifold bolts break off and cause excessive noise, exhaust enters the drivers cabin, vehicle will not pass emissions inspection and is expensive to repair. I have 4 ford vehicles with this problem. First incident was at around 50,000 miles and 48 months after purchase. Ford refused to make repairs under any portion of the factory warranty. They claim lifetime emissions warranty doesn't cover it, nor the 100,000 powertrain warranty. I have spent over $8000.00 making repairs to these exhaust manifolds. Triton v-10 gas engine.

Filed Jul 14, 2017 · Transmission · 17,000 miles · PA

The 6.8 and 5.4 engines have been failing due to defective valve train cam followers. I am having the 3rd engine installed in my excursion. The cam followers are failing and spitting them out causing catstropic engine failure. I have been in contact with anthony bariana who works for holman distribution in new jersey @ 1‑800‑521‑1223 ext 305 and he confirmed that the 6.8 and 5.4 engines have had the same problem as my truck at an abnormally high rate. Mt truck is currently at matthews paoli ford 610‑644‑4700 and the general manager bryan lippincott told me that they have replaced 6 state farm truck engines in 2.00 months 6.8 liter same as mine identical problem. Ford has done nothing from what I see doing some research but this is an ongoing problem and ford has done nothing to address the problem and made no attempt to find the root cause and have a fix so this will stop costing consumers thousands of dollars. I was driving on my street and without warning the engine started to shake so I shut it off and had it towed to the dealer matthews ford located in paoli pa.

Filed May 13, 2017 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · CA · crash · 1 injury

Tamara recall while driving or stopped the cars power does 100% shut off. No codes or warning lights. In dec/2016 driving on a on a east on charleston blvd in nv, after pulling out of cit bank parking lot going about 45 MPH the light turned red and when I went to break the pedal was hard and that's when I saw no power. By then it was too late and we were going to crash. I had no power steering or ABS and I hit the car. It caused 12000 of damage to the car in front of me. No airbags deployed. Only bumper and fog light damage to my truck thankfully. After that the problem didn't re accur until 2/2017 and left me stranded over night on the road and now last night 5/13/2017 the car was off no keys in the ignition and I saw smoke that came from where the battery sits not sure what that was but odd it was. It has no rhythmic pattern, I have replaced the battery fuses relay and fuel pump, also checked cam shaft and crank sensor. It has spark gas air and compression. It's a very large and heavy death trap when it's not working properly other wise I love my truck and it need to be fixed

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Questions about the 2003 Ford Excursion

Is the 2003 Ford Excursion reliable?

Owners have filed 106 complaints about the 2003 Ford Excursion, close to a typical Excursion model year.

What is the 2003 Ford Excursion year score?

The 2003 Ford Excursion scores 72 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Ford Excursion: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.

What is the most common problem with the 2003 Ford Excursion?

Engine and cooling, with 30 complaints, typically around 40,000 miles. Next is electrical (26).

How many recalls does the 2003 Ford Excursion have?

5 recalls, covering exterior lighting, vehicle speed control and engine and engine cooling.

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