2003 Ford Econoline
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
Vehicles › Ford › Econoline › 2003
These records cover every 2003 Ford Econoline. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
4 recalls name the 2003 Ford Econoline. Newest first.
Dope, inc. IS recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. these headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dope, inc. Will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. the safety recall began on july 28, 2009. owners may contact dope, inc. At 1-626-272-1798.
Sabersport IS recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. these headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. the safety recall began on may 11, 2009. owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589.
Ford IS recalling 225,000 my 1992-2003 econoline, my 1993-1995 taurus sho, my 1992-1998 crown victoria, my 1993 bronco, f-series, my 1995-1997 f-series super duty stripped chassis, my 1992-1998 mercury grand marquis, and my 1992-1995 lincoln town car vehicles. the affected vehicles were previously repaired using a wiring harness that IS not compatible with…
Risk and remedy
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 event of an electrical short to ground.
Remedy
Dealers will install a new wiring harness, or replace the mating electrical component. the recall began on february 18, 2008. owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
On certain cutaway chassis cab with the school bus option, two brackets and two outrigger members are missing in the area of the fuel tank.
Risk and remedy
Risk
The brackets and outrigger members are intended to enhance crash performance.
Remedy
Ford will send technicians to the owner's location to inspect and add the brackets and outriggers as required. owner notification began on september 3, 2003. owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Owner complaints
22 complaints3 involved a fire2 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system
Fuel tank delamination. This will be the second time I have to replace the fuel tank, sending unit and fuel pump on my E350 diesel van. Ford has had known issues for several years regarding this problem and refuses to accept any responsibility. The inside coating of the tank peels away and clogs up…
Fuel tank delamination. This will be the second time I have to replace the fuel tank, sending unit and fuel pump on my E350 diesel van. Ford has had known issues for several years regarding this problem and refuses to accept any responsibility. The inside coating of the tank peels away and clogs up the fuel system, then they turn around and sell you the same tank so it happens again. Very dangerous vehicle suddenly loses power and will even stall.
- Tires
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford econoline equipped with radar radial RLT-9 tires, size p245/75/r16. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the rear driver's tire blew out. The condition of the road were dry and the approximate temperature was 90 degrees fahrenheit. The failure recurred and…
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford econoline equipped with radar radial RLT-9 tires, size p245/75/r16. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the rear driver's tire blew out. The condition of the road were dry and the approximate temperature was 90 degrees fahrenheit. The failure recurred and the rear passenger tire blew out. The condition of the road was again dry and the approximate temperature was 80 degrees fahrenheit. The tires were not taken to dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin was unavailable. The failure and current mileages on the vehicle was 62,000. The failure and current mileages on the tires were 6,000.
- Engine and engine cooling
No. 2 spark plug blew out of cylinder head. *tr
- Tires
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford econoline E-150. The contact stated that three cooper american prospector 225/70r15 tires on the vehicle have failed. The vehicle began vibrating and the dealer confirmed that the rear driver side tire needed to be replaced. Two weeks later, the rear passenger side…
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford econoline E-150. The contact stated that three cooper american prospector 225/70r15 tires on the vehicle have failed. The vehicle began vibrating and the dealer confirmed that the rear driver side tire needed to be replaced. Two weeks later, the rear passenger side tire blew out and was replaced. one week after the rear tire blew out the front passenger side blew out and was also replaced. The dealer stated that all of those tires must have been defective; however, the contact was not reimbursed for the repairs. The manufacturer stated that there was no warranty or free repair available. the failure mileage was 15,000.
- Service brakes, electric
2003 ford aerostar LX van ABS light and brake light on dashboard will come on and stay on one day, and maybe not the next day. Going on for months. Can't predict when this will occur. The ford dealer offer to take care of the problem for less than a $1000 dollars!?!?!? Very generous of them! *Tr
- Vehicle speed control
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford econoloine. the contact received a safety recall notice in september of 2007 for the vehicle speed control. the cruise control was disconnected in october. each month since october, the dealer has informed the contact that the parts would be available the…
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford econoloine. the contact received a safety recall notice in september of 2007 for the vehicle speed control. the cruise control was disconnected in october. each month since october, the dealer has informed the contact that the parts would be available the following month. there had been no failure to date. the purchase date and recall number were unknown. the current mileage was 60,000. updated 03-18-08 *bf the consumer stated the recall number IS 05s28. Updated 03/18/08 *tr
- Vehicle speed control
I received a recall notice in 9/07 from the ford company concerning my 2003 motorhome. it involved the speed control deactivation switch, which they said was defective. when I contacted a local ford dealer as instructed by the letter, I was told the repair had to wait till the parts arrived in…
I received a recall notice in 9/07 from the ford company concerning my 2003 motorhome. it involved the speed control deactivation switch, which they said was defective. when I contacted a local ford dealer as instructed by the letter, I was told the repair had to wait till the parts arrived in december. when I called the dealer lst week, I was told the parts wouldn't arrive until at least february. I called the ford toll-free number and was told the same thing. why are they dragging their feet on this? why does it take so long to get the parts? *tr
- Vehicle speed control
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford econoline. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign ID number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control) in august of 2007. the dealer stated that the part would not be available until march of 2008. the contact felt that the wait time for the repair was unacceptable. there had been no failure to date. the current mileage was 40,000.
- Fuel system, gasoline › Storage
2003 ford econoline with a recall. Customer stated the former owners forwarded the recall notice to them. Although he IS mad because the parts will not be in until december or the beginning of next year. *kb *tr
- Vehicle speed control
2003 econoline speed recall defect I was told to have cruise control disconnected and repair not available until jan. 2008. *Jb
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
We have a 2003 ford econoline van that ejected it's first spark plug this spring costing us towing and $500.00+ in repairs. wednesday, it happened again, this time on the new york state thruway. we were forced to stand in a 10 foot piece of grass between 3 lanes of traffic and a rock cliff with 4…
We have a 2003 ford econoline van that ejected it's first spark plug this spring costing us towing and $500.00+ in repairs. wednesday, it happened again, this time on the new york state thruway. we were forced to stand in a 10 foot piece of grass between 3 lanes of traffic and a rock cliff with 4 small children. after we managed to get 7 people packed into a tow truck and get to the nearest ford dealership, we had to rent a car for 3 days and pay for yet another repair. I investigated and found out that this IS a recurring defect in this type of ford engines. I called the ford motor company to see what can be done to repair the actual engine problem. I was told that my van IS now fixed, so technically it IS fine. I was also told that there IS only a 50% chance that the problem may occur again and if it does I should call back. I want to know what recourse there IS for someone who just doesn't want to drive around with their children in a known time bomb! *tr
- Electrical system › Wiring
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford econoline. the ABS was replaced under recall # 04v444000 (electrical system:wiring), but it did not correct the failure. the vehicle IS drivable, however, the ABS IS burned. the current mileage IS 97,000 and failure mileage was 93,195. updated 08/14/07. *Jb
- Power train › Automatic transmission
Dt*: the contact stated when the vehicle was in reverse, the vehicle felt as if it was slipping on ice or sludge. when the vehicle was in the forward motion, sometimes the same sensation was felt when starting to make a right or left turn. the dealership inspected the vehicle five times, agreed the problems were present however, the diagnostic tests showed everything was normal.
- Structure
Dt: the contact stated that a dealer called montgomary ford sold three 15 passenger vans to a public school called harmony community school. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
2003 econoline made a loud popping sound in the engine compartment, lost power shortly after. Vehicle later caught on fire. *ts ***no answer required*** after the noise was heard the driver pulled to vehicle onto the side of the road and that's when the driver noticed that the vehicle was on…
2003 econoline made a loud popping sound in the engine compartment, lost power shortly after. Vehicle later caught on fire. *ts ***no answer required*** after the noise was heard the driver pulled to vehicle onto the side of the road and that's when the driver noticed that the vehicle was on fire. the driver and firemen were injured while attempting to extinguish the fire. a recall was received in october 2004. the recall referenced safety recall 04s22 and 04s23. *nm
- Electrical system · Equipment · Service brakes, hydraulic · Suspension · Tires · Wheels › Rim
2003 ford econoline defective part repairs.***no answer required***. *Mr the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the eighth time to repair the alarm. the alarm still wasn't fixed. the tires and/or rims are defective. the brakes, shocks and a/c failed. the vehicle also lost power. *nm
- Electrical system
2003 ford econo-line van caught on fire in the engine compartment.*mr the consumer had the ABS recall repaired in dec 2004. the fire seemed to originate in the area of the ABS system/ master brake cylinder. *nm
- Engine and engine cooling
Vehicle constantly stalled while driving at any speed. Vehicle had been to the dealer on three separate occasions. Dealer was unable to determine the cause of the problem.*ak
- Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Vehicle was parked outside the owner's home. Owner was awakened, and to discovered that the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department was notified and extinguished the fire. the vehicle was an econoline van modified for persons with disabilities. *Ak *tc
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Manufacturer's recall gm04s22 was issued for the anti lock brake system. However, the dealer continued to state they did not have the parts for three months. *Ak
- Structure › Frame and members
Consumer complained about having problems with front cab of vehicle been redisigned. Also the way the vehicle was redisigned it did not allow consumer to see a bilnd spot.*ak
- Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and attachments
The consumer believed the entire door on the vehicle was designed incorrectly. *jb
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
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…
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 nhtsa 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 nhtsa?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition IS denied.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10148820This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the ball joint assembly may cause a perceptible increase in steering effort.
- 10096433Merlin multiplex system when a proer/ground lug IS not correctly tightened or becomes loose for any reason; erratic system operation IS possible.
- 10026321Ford: vehicles mistakenly charged $100 powertrain warranty deductible for fuel injector repair or repairs. No model or model years provided. Econoline, excursion and f-series super duty vehicles, model years 2002-2005. Updated 10/24/08. Csc letter was received. Updated 10/27/08.
- 10013116Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated - system lean diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) - service tips. Various models including 2004 f-series.
- 10013077Various 2003 vehicles equipped with premium CD-6 radios - CD-6 shuffle feature between discs not available.
- 10008288Low power, poor fuel economy, fuel gelling cold, excessive white smoke cold, or hard start. This oasis updates previous oasis dated 12/01/03.
- 10008195Air bag lamp illuminated.
- 10007812Emission recall 04e10: compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles - fitting connector replacement.
- 10007783Certain 2001 through 2003 model year econoline compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles - rear high -pressure fuel line inspection. In some of the affected vehicles, the CNG fitting connectors may develop a fuel leak at one or both of the fitting locations.
- 10007319Engine or fuel system concerns when using fuel with greater than 5% biodiesel concentration.
- 10004879Vehicles equipped with a 7.3L engine (after serial number 0661894) - under valve cover (uvc) harness retainer clip released for service. Includes 2003 econoline, super duty, f650/750 and excursion.
- 10003748New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included.
- 10002641Vehicles with the controller area network (can) may exhibit a powertrain control module (pcm) non-communication event, which could lead to an unnecessary pcm replacement using normal diagnostics. Various models including the 2003 super duty.
- 10002627Repeated blown fuses for rear in vehicle circuits with inoperative rear brake or tail lamps.
- 10001943Exhaust air rush noise and lower power.
- 10001937False failure of the vapor management valve (vmv).
- 10001687Engine replacement for vehicles manufactured with an incorrectly machined crankshaft.
- 625804Dedicated CNG regulator bowl kit available.
Every Ford Econoline model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.