Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. When the accelerator pedal was depressed the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal had not seized. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. 06/01/17updated *lj
2003 Ford F-150: sudden unintended acceleration
9 of the 423 complaints about the 2003 Ford F-150 describe sudden unintended acceleration.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 143,000
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 2 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Sudden unintended acceleration by model year
What owners say
Pulling into a parking space in front of a medical clinic, going maybe 5 -8 MPH and I had the brake depressed and suddenly the vehicle lunged forward at full throttle and hit a building--you can see the skid mark in the first picture. I ended up hitting a building and when it got stopped the tires just kept spinning until I shut it off. The air bags did not deploy, myself and my grandchildren were hurt. Major building damage as well. Mileage at time this happened 140,000
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle suddenly accelerated at 50 MPH and caused the contact to lose control. As a result, the contact crashed the vehicle into a median wall and the air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained head and eye injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was 195,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. While attempting to slow the vehicle down, it suddenly accelerated without warning. The contact depressed the brake pedal and was able to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was pending diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,381.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was unable to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 143,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-150. The contact stated that the driver was driving at an unknown speed when the accelerator pedal became stuck in a partially depressed position. The vehicle began to surge forward until shifted into neutral and stopped. The contact examined the vehicle and noticed that the plastic cover used to protect the throttle was jammed, causing the failure. The plastic cover was removed and the failure did not recur. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. The failure mileage was 78,000. .updated 09/19/11 *bf the consumers son was able to throw the gear shift into neutral and pulled over to the side of the road with the engine still accelerating. He shut the vehicle off. The consumer stated when he arrived on the scene, he started the vehicle again and the engine was still in the accelerated position. The consumer pushed on the accelerator hard a couple of times and managed to stop it from accelerating. Upon inspection, the throttle cable had come loose and wedged itself in such a way that the throttle could not return to its normal position. Updated 09/30/11
10/10/06 7:20 pm I was sitting at a red light with my daughter in my ford f150 2003 truck, when it began sudden acceleration. I placed both feet on the brake, and pushed the brake down as far as it would go to try and hold the truck in place. I could feel the brake pedal jumping under my feet as the truck was trying to move forward. I didn't think the brakes were going to hold the truck in place. I could hear the trucks motor racing louder and louder from inside the cab with all the windows up. The trucks RPM registered a 5. Keeping both feet on the brake I put the truck in park and turned the engine off. I feel very lucky no one was injured. I called the ford house in the nearest town and reported the incident to see if they could fix the problem. They advised me they have never had a report of this nature regarding ford vehicles. I have since done research regarding this matter and their vehicles appear to be in litigation in which ford has been required to disclose documents that reveal the breadth of the problem. (defects in the design of the electronic speed control ("cruise control"). "the report I read states almost no ford vehicle is exempt!" in addition there are prior consumer complaints with the 2003 ford f150 in regards to the same experience that I had. I do not know if this is the problem with my truck, but the experiences appear to be the same. I plan to follow up by taking my truck to the ford house I called with my complaint along with copies of the report I found, "ford: sudden unintended acceleration & stuck throttles, and recent filed consumer complaints. Hopeful someone will listen.
While driving the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning.
When the consumer started the vehicle the gas pedal went to the floor. The vehicle also experienced sudden acceleration. *nlm *cb *jb ea04006 has ifs
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
- Risk
- This could result in an underhood fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1‑888‑222‑2751.
Recall number 07V336000 · Recall details
Vehicle speed control
- 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
Questions about the 2003 Ford F-150 sudden acceleration
Is sudden unintended acceleration a common problem on the 2003 Ford F-150?
9 of 423 owner complaints about the 2003 Ford F-150 (2%) mention sudden unintended acceleration. The model year with the most reports is 2018.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Ford F-150?
There are 2 recalls and 2 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Ford F-150
Fire or smoke 32Tire blowout 18No deployment 16Adaptive cruise 12Check engine light 9Engine failure 9Door locks 8Grinding brakes 7Fuel leak 7Seat belt 7Whining noise 7Wipers 7ABS 6Ball joint 6Brake failure 6Fuel smell 6Loss of power 5Water leak 5
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