2003 Ford F-250 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
380 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Ford F-250, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 5 defect investigations. It scores 25/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 65,927 miles.
Typical
Where 2003 sits among all F-250 years
What owners report
“On going problems will stall at highway speeds can't pull across intersection loss of power trans will shift or not steering all over road smokes baddly when started”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 F-250
“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…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 F-250
“1 of the tank straps busted off and the tank began sagging and almost touching the ground, thus causing a severe fire hazard.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 F-250
“I had parked my truck in my driveway. I put it in park, set the parking brake and turn off the engine. As i stepped out of the truck the truck rolled down the driveway dragging me about 100 ft stiking the power pole at the end of the diveway. The pole was rotted and fell on the truck crushing me…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 F-250
“Truck had no check engine light then caught on fire going down the road and burned to ground within seconds Incident report 46-24-05039 08_30-74 US-30 - PA 74 30 W”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 F-250
“Brake lines completely rusted through causing brake failure while driving. This is the seconded time.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 F-250
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 287 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 16,100 and 102,173 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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…
Fix: 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.
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…
Fix: 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…
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL REPLACEMENT WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES WITH THE BRAND NAMES: NATIONAL, CARQUEST P/NOS. 515020, 515021, 515025, 515053, 515054, 515059, AND 515060, SHIPPED BETWEEN JANUARY 23, 2006, AND DECEMBER 20, 2007, SOLD FOR LIGHT DUTY AND MEDIUM DUTY…
Fix: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE HUB ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 7, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL TOLL-FREE AT 877-489-6659.
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.
Fix: 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.
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SPEED CONTROL, GASOLINE OR NATURAL GAS ENGINES, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY OVERHEAT.
Fix: 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…
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 07V553000.
Led to recall campaign 05V270000.
Technical service bulletins
129 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2003 Ford F-250. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2003 Ford F-250 reliable?
The 2003 Ford F-250 drew 380 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 25/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 2003 Ford F-250 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Ford F-250 are engine (117 complaints), wheels & tires (43), and fuel system (35).
At what mileage do 2003 Ford F-250 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Ford F-250 problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 16,100 and 102,173 miles.
Does the 2003 Ford F-250 have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 Ford F-250. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.