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2003 Ford F-250 SDProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 178 owner complaints about the 2003 Ford F-250 SD, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 4 safety recalls.

58
CarFlaw IndexSolid year28% below the F-250 SD median · #16 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Free fix at dealersOwner complaints17821 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage60kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 10, 2019. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Ford F-250 SD has problems

178 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling723
Power train201
Tires180
Steering151
Electrical system147
Vehicle speed control101
Suspension100
Fuel system, gasoline90
Fuel system, diesel90
13 other systems368

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

4 recalls

2003 Ford F-250 SD 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.

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.

Mileage at failure

When do engine and engine cooling problems start?

60kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 63 engine and engine cooling complaints. 83% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
27under 30k miles52under 100k miles11100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other F-250 SD 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 F-250 SD median. How we score

'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
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
5 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Ford F-250 SD, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
    No recall
  2. ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR (ETC)EA04006 · closed Feb 10, 2005
    No recall
  3. ENGINE STALLINGEA05003 · closed Nov 2, 2005
    Led to recall 05V-270
  4. ENGINE STALLINGEA06012 · closed Dec 7, 2007
    Led to recall 07V-553
  5. ENGINE STALLINGPE04070 · closed Feb 15, 2005
    No recall
In owners' words

What F-250 SD owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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.…
Complaint 10715929 · May 12, 2015 · 81,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-250 SUPERDUTY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT…
Complaint 10425995 · Sep 19, 2011 · 108,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F250 SUPER DUTY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE RIGHT REAR SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN…
Complaint 10378582 · Jan 25, 2011 · 77,000 miles

Own a 2003 F-250 SD?

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