2003 Ford E-350Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 46 owner complaints about the 2003 Ford E-350, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 7 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.1× the E-350 median · #8 of 32 years by complaints

Safety recalls7Free fix at dealers Owner complaints4611 with a crash, fire or injury Typical failure mileage102kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 12, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: BuickRiviera99, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Ford E-350 has problems

46 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

9Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury

8Fuel system, diesel

6Service brakes, hydraulic

6Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury

5Steering

4Engine

2Vehicle speed control

2Fuel system, gasoline

2Seat belts

107 other systems2 crash/fire/injury

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Electrical system	9	3
Fuel system, diesel	8	0
Service brakes, hydraulic	6	0
Engine and engine cooling	6	1
Steering	5	0
Engine	4	0
Vehicle speed control	2	1
Fuel system, gasoline	2	0
Seat belts	2	0
7 other systems	10	2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

7 recalls

2003 Ford E-350 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Vehicle speed control

Recall 09V-399 · Oct 13, 2009 · 4,500,000 vehicles

Risk. A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Equipment adaptive/mobility

Recall 08V-478 · Sep 18, 2008 · 6 vehicles

Risk. THE USER OF THE LIFT COULD BE INJURED SHOULD THE LIFT MOVE UNINTENTIONALLY.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Vehicle speed control: cruise control

Recall 08V-051 · Feb 4, 2008 · 225,000 vehicles

Risk. AS A RESULT, THE FUSE IS LOCATED IN THE OUTPUT CIRCUIT RATHER THAN IN THE INTENDED INPUT POWER FEED CIRCUIT, AND MAY NOT OFFER THE INTENDED PROTECTION IN THE…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Vehicle speed control

Recall 07V-336 · Aug 3, 2007 · 3,600,000 vehicles

Risk. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 3 more recalls

no report yet

Equipment adaptive/mobility

Recall 04V-589 · Dec 15, 2004 · 501 vehicles

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE WHEELCHAIR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY SECURED POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO A WHEELCHAIR OCCUPANT.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Electrical system: wiring

Recall 04V-444 · Sep 13, 2004 · 214,849 vehicles

Risk. THE ELECTRICAL SHORT MAY CAUSE AN ABS MALFUNCTION THAT WOULD ILLUMINATE THE ABS WARNING LIGHT, OR THE MODULE MAY OVERHEAT RESULTING IN A BURNING ODOR, SMOKE,…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 04V-445 · Sep 13, 2004 · 253,076 vehicles

Risk. THESE HOT PARTICLES MAY IGNITE THE AIR FILTER ELEMENT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM DAMAGE OR UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other E-350 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the E-350 median. How we score

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 2 11 14 11 26 23 19 41 43 51 69 50 79 63 72 59 52 53 46 46 55 53 18 39 10 17 19 16 13 17 7 5 13 3 3 2 25 17 3 2 2 0 0

'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Ford E-350, and the recalls they led to.

Sep 22, 2005
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
No recall
Apr 13, 2010
HVAC Switch FailuresEA10003 · closed Mar 5, 2012
No recall
Dec 7, 2009
HVAC Switch FailuresPE09055 · closed Apr 21, 2010
No recall

In owners' words

What E-350 owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

2003 FORD CUTAWAY VAN WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE DRIVER NOTICED SMELLED A BURNING SMELL AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE CENTER OF DASH. PULLED VEHICLE OVER AND GOT OUT OF VEHICLE. SMOKE CONTINUED AND FLAMES BEGAN TO CONSUME VEHICLE UNTIL ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED MANY HVAC…
Complaint 10427875 · Sep 29, 2011

F-350 DIESEL RUNNING ERRATICALLY. THAN WILL NOT SHIFT RADIO STOPPED WORKING NO POWER ALL ELECTRONICS STOPPED WORKING. SMELT INSULATION BURNING ON WIRES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY DISABLED. TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER FOUND FUSE BOX MELTED. ASKED DEALER TO ALSO CHECK OUT ALTERNATOR, [MAYBE PUTTING OUT TO MUCH…
Complaint 10252619 · Dec 23, 2008 · 82,000 miles

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD E350 SUPER DUTY. THE VEHICLE WAS CONNECTED TO A 2004 PHOENIX CRUISER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD NOT OPERATE ABOVE 30 MPH. A LOCAL FORD DEALER STATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE 30 TO 40 DAYS TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT PURCHASED AND…
Complaint 10226631 · May 5, 2008 · 26,175 miles

Own a 2003 E-350?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.