Check a VIN

2003 Ford F-250 SD problems

The most common problem on the 2003 Ford F-250 SD is engine and cooling, typically around 60,000 miles. Its complaint count is close to a typical F-250 SD model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Year score
69/100
Owner complaints
178
Recalls
4
Service bulletins
87
Worst area
Engine

The worst 2003 Ford F-250 SD 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.

Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Ford F-250 SD

Stalling 23Tire blowout 11Loss of power 9Fire or smoke 7Check engine light 6Power steering loss 6Won't start 6Ball joint 5Hesitation 5

Recalls 4

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

See all 4 recalls for the 2003 Ford F-250 SD

Defect investigations

Engine stallingOpened June 22, 2006, closed December 7, 2007

In a december 3, 2007 letter, ford advised the federal safety agency that it will conduct a safety recall to replace the cam position sensor (cps) in approximately 1.2 million subject vehicles to address reports of engine stalling.a new design cps with improved performance and durability will be installed as a remedy.owner notifications will begin in december 2007. The subject vehicles are durable, full-sized, medium duty trucks commonly used for commercial purposes, rescue/emergency response, and commercial or recreational towing.cps failure is comparable to unexpectedly turning the key off since the signal it produces is vital to the electronic engine control system.cps signal loss terminates fuel injection resulting in an engine stall.once stalled, the engine may restart right away, or may restart after a delay (typically 5 to 10 minutes), or may not restart at all.in addition to exposing the driver and other motorists to crash risk due to loss of motive power or vehicle disablement, engine stalling also effects the power assisted steering and braking. Through consumer interviews, odi determined that cps failures occurred without any form of warning, at any vehicle speed (50% at highway speeds), and under any driving condition, such as accelerating.consumers reported that about a third of the vehicles failed to restart, with another third reporting delayed restarting.half the vehicles that did restart experienced another stall on the same or a subsequent drive cycle (before cps replacement) re-exposing those consumers to the risks associated with a stalling event.in their voq reports, half of the odi complainants described difficulty controlling the vehicle due to lose of power assist systems, especially those who were towing at the time of the incident. The one alleged injury incident occurred in an intersection when a subject vehicle stalled while turning across oncoming lanes of traffic.although unsubstantiated, the complainant alleged an injury to a child occupant during odi's interview.the other crash allegations mostly involved low speed, loss of control incidents often caused by lack of power assist; no injuries are reported in these incidents, and property damage, if any, was minimal.consumers also reported other incidents with significant safety risks, such as disablement in a lane or on a shoulder of a high-speed roadway or interstate, or extended disablement in remote areas during severe weather conditions. The population above is ford's estimate of the 1.4 million subject vehicles produced that are currently registered.the ford complaint and warranty counts noted above are current as of ford's last submission dated june 21, 2007; they do not include f-450, f-550, or econoline counts as these products were not formally within scope of the investigation when failure information was requested.warranty data analysis indicates that about half the claims involved a stall while driving event ( ford's assessment) and that poor cps durability was a longstanding concern.ford reported that the new cps design should meet or exceed their 10 year, 150k mile life expectancy design requirement.

EA06012

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

Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Ford F-250 SD 87

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

See all 87 bulletins for the 2003 Ford F-250 SD

What 2003 Ford F-250 SD owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jul 10, 2019 · Fuel system · 49,000 miles · MN

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-250 sd. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the fuel tank was hanging down. The contact looked underneath the vehicle and saw that the fuel tank strap was fractured and the fuel gauge was damaged. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 49,000.

Filed Nov 11, 2018 · Fuel system · 113,000 miles · MO

The rear fuel tank strap failed while traveling on a state highway.

Filed Dec 14, 2016 · Wheels · 120,000 miles · MN

I have american eagle - 20 " eagle alloy wheels. They are approximately 24 months old. This summer a spoke cracked all the way through on one wheel. The dealer would not warranty it and I had to purchase a replacement. This week I noticed another of the wheels cracked all the way through. I have not hit any major pot holes, curbs or anything else. My truck is not a work truck or used for mudding or off road, it is a pavement princess driven back and forth to work. I am worried there is a manufacturer defect and that the wheels are not safe.

Filed Jun 1, 2016 · Electrical · 160,000 miles · KY · fire

I have had several problems with the spark plugs blowing out of motor and breaking coil causing it too leak fuel vapors out possibly causing a fire this has happened several times. Three different certified mechanics have advised this is caused to defect in the aluminum heads from factory not having enough threads causing the spark plug to blow out. Possibly causing injury or fire. This issue needs addressed as it is a safety concern. We had a small engine fire causing slight damage to engine compartment that had to be repaired.

Filed Feb 9, 2016 · Acceleration · 85,000 miles · LA

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-250 super duty. While attempting to use the cruise control, the vehicle speed function would not work. The contact stated that the switch became hot and failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). The failure mileage was 85,000.

Filed Dec 13, 2015 · Engine · 102,000 miles · KS

5.4 liter motor blows spark plugs out of the engine, because some moron at ford designed an engine with 2 or 3 threads per plug port on aluminum heads. Ford is paying a class-action lawsuit for model years 2004 - 2008, but mine is a 2003. Thanks for the screw-job, ford.

Filed Jun 23, 2015 · Engine · 108,000 miles · WI

A spark plug blew out while acelerating from a stop sign, this has happened 3 separate occasions. A smell of unburnt fuel was present while driving to ford dealer for repair.

Filed May 14, 2015 · Fuel system · 120,000 miles · FL

1 of the tank straps busted off and the tank began sagging and almost touching the ground, thus causing a severe fire hazard.

Filed May 12, 2015 · Engine · 81,000 miles · KS

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-250 sd. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the contact noticed smoke from the rear of the vehicle and there was a loud popping noise. The vehicle was completely surrounded by smoke resulting in a fire. The vehicle stalled. The fire was extinguished independently. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 07v553000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000. Updated 7/1/15*cn the consumer stated there was no fire, just excessive pressure in the crankcase causing the engine to blow oil out the glow plug. Updated 03/31/16.

Filed Nov 5, 2014 · Fuel system · 89,919 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-250 sd. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact mentioned that the transmission had to be shifted into neutral and then to drive before the vehicle would resume normal function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician diagnosed that the fuel pump relay box needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 89,919.

Used buying checklistWhat to check on a 2003 Ford F-250 SD before you buy

Compare the 2003 Ford F-250 SD

F-250 SD vs Ram 2500F-250 SD vs Chevrolet Silverado 2500F-250 SD vs GMC Sierra 2500

Other model years

199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026

Questions about the 2003 Ford F-250 SD

Is the 2003 Ford F-250 SD reliable?

Owners have filed 178 complaints about the 2003 Ford F-250 SD, close to a typical F-250 SD model year.

What is the 2003 Ford F-250 SD year score?

The 2003 Ford F-250 SD scores 69 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Ford F-250 SD: 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 F-250 SD?

Engine and cooling, with 74 complaints, typically around 60,000 miles. Next is fuel system (24).

How many recalls does the 2003 Ford F-250 SD have?

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

Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford F-250 SD engine?

Yes, 1 recall: 07V553000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Ford F-250 SD have bad engine?

The Ford F-250 SD model years with the most engine complaints are 2004 (114 complaints), 2002 (105 complaints) and 2001 (99 complaints).

Share your experience with the 2003 Ford F-250 SD

Tell other buyers what went wrong and what it cost. We review every report before it appears, and we never publish names, emails or VINs.

No names, contact details or links. Reports about a dealer or a person are not published.

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used 2003 Ford F-250 SD?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history
Is this car on a recall?Check VIN