2003 Ford F-350 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
268 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Ford F-350, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 5 defect investigations. It scores 34/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 29,900 miles.
Typical
Where 2003 sits among all F-350 years
What owners report
“Driving along loud noise pulled over to find a spark plug blew out of the engine block taking the threads with it. No fire thank goodness!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 F-350
“Engine failure/injectors- 5/19/03,6/16/03,8/14/03,10/4/03 we purchased this truck 4/17/03”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 F-350
“I was under the truck working on it and the truck was on I had the emergency brake on and the truck went into reverse and ran me over”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 F-350
“I have had two general - ameritec tires lose the treads and blow out in the last month. One had 39500 the other had 40000. I have a truck (f-350) with dual wheels, both were in back. The tires came with the truck and were not overly worn.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 F-350
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 191 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 50,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 18,000 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 07V553000.
Led to recall campaign 05V270000.
Technical service bulletins
122 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2003 Ford F-350. 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-350 reliable?
The 2003 Ford F-350 drew 268 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 34/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 2003 Ford F-350 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Ford F-350 are engine (82 complaints), fuel system (34), and electrical (30).
At what mileage do 2003 Ford F-350 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Ford F-350 problems around 50,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 18,000 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2003 Ford F-350 have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 Ford F-350. 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.