2003 Ford F-350
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
Vehicles › Ford › F-350 › 2003
These records cover every 2003 Ford F-350. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
3 recalls name the 2003 Ford F-350. Newest first.
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 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Non-functioning lights could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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.
Certain cequent 90 degree 7-WAY right angle adaptors sold by distributors in tow packages for aftermarket sales to tow 5TH wheel rv travel trailers. due to incorrect wiring of the harness, the trailer lights may not operate properly.
Risk and remedy
Risk
If the trailer lights are not working properly, a vehicle crash can occur.
Remedy
All of the defective tow packages are still at the distributor level and have not been sold to any consumers.
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with 6.0L diesel engines, the engine ground stud that attaches the negative battery terminal eyelet to the engine block may be loose.
Risk and remedy
Risk
If the ground wire IS loose, electrical current may flow to the radio suppression strap causing it to heat and potentially melt or ignite adjacent components which could result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the engine ground stud and the radio suppression strap and adjacent components will be inspected for damage and replaced, if necessary. the recall began on july 23, 2004. owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Owner complaints
90 complaints11 involved a crash8 involved a fire7 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Power train
When the 03 Ford F350 dually, is placed in Park, it will just roll away!
- Electrical system · Service brakes · Unknown or other
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
- Electrical system · Engine · Steering
The wires for the camshaft position sensor are failing just like they have in others models of the f series and cause the truck to suddenly die while driving. There was already a recall in place but it doesn't cover this vin and so I would like to request the recall be extended to this trucks vin
- Engine · Service brakes · Steering
As I am sure you must be aware of this issue: I purchased used a 2003 ford -F350. I had many issues and had worked most of them out. There were many issues that were possible I was clearly unaware of. One being of utmost safety to myself and others. My high pressure oil pump located inside the…
As I am sure you must be aware of this issue: I purchased used a 2003 ford -F350. I had many issues and had worked most of them out. There were many issues that were possible I was clearly unaware of. One being of utmost safety to myself and others. My high pressure oil pump located inside the engine of my 2003 ford F-350 6.0 diesel failed. when that happens the engine stops. The high pressure oil pump provides needed pressure to the injectors in order to have a running engine. Being parked and the hpop failing IS one thing however driving 55mph on a 2 lane highway against oncoming traffic on a turn IS a very bad situation. I am fortunate that I am still very strong at the age of 54. My hpop failed going 55mph on a long left hand turn. As the engine shuts down by brakes are limited to a small amount of storage and then they fail. The steering however fails immediately. I was heading strait head on I to a tracktor trailer rig. It took every ounce of strength to attempt to steer this vehicle out of the other land and brake getting it off the road asap. If the big rig had not made an attempt to miss me, I wouldnt be sending this letter. I wonder how many other people had not the strength to steer out of a situation or have time to stop and were killed. The report most likely said" driver fell asleep." or something to that affect. There IS no way this engine should be allowed to continue operation on the road period. Ford should honor all current owners of this vehicle with a very reasonable settlement not to mention having a formal investigation into this matter. I know of no other vehicles on the road that have such an issue. Complete failure of steering and brakes due to an unforeseen internal mechanical issue IS a very poor design. Running out of fuel IS one thing, however running out of control IS absurd. Had I know who to write too sooner I would have.
- Engine · Fuel/propulsion system
Just driving on highway 41 and it just stopped. Engine went dead. Pulled over to side of road and tried starting again and it wouldnt start. Had to get it towed. Its been in shop for 20 days. Needs a new fuel tank because the inner lining IS peeling and particles are going through engine! Need help I purchased this truck in 2015 and its been in shop 7 different times.
- Exterior lighting
My dome and running board lights on my 2003 ford F350 super duty, 4 door truck, stay on when I am driving and when the vehicle IS turned off and locked. Also while driving, the dash vehicle light IS red showing that all 4 doors are open. Ican be parked or moving, the lights stay on. Both my batteries drain. So I hav to carry jumper cables.
- Tires · Wheels
I am interested in the history of bf goodrich rugged terrain t/a tires made in 2014. I bought a set of four LT 265/75-16 lre for my F350 on 31 may, 2014. they came with a 6 year/50k mile warranty. I had tires rotated per warranty. on 11 april, 2019, I experienced a drivers rear tire failure on…
I am interested in the history of bf goodrich rugged terrain t/a tires made in 2014. I bought a set of four LT 265/75-16 lre for my F350 on 31 may, 2014. they came with a 6 year/50k mile warranty. I had tires rotated per warranty. on 11 april, 2019, I experienced a drivers rear tire failure on the florida turnpike (with cruise control set @ 77mph) causing minor damage. contacted dealer who said "road hazard" not covered. contacted bfg who requested tire remains be sent for analysis (to prove road hazard). on 10 may departed from home to go to virginia. 150 miles up I75 had tire vibration again. pulled over in tifton, ga and checked tire time with ir gun. all tires running between 95-108 f. felt tires and had a bulge in drivers front. installed spare and started looking for a bfg dealer that had two tires in inventory (one to install/one to carry in case of further trouble with set). As I approached macon, ga, another tire started vibrating. within 5 miles - it blew hard at the drivers rear position again causing over $3200 damage. called emergency tire service and replaced the three remaining tires from the 2014 set. notified bfg and they only wanted the third failure (second blow) for analysis. customer service rep stated all tire bulges are caused by "road hazards". in summary - I experienced three failures in just over 800 miles on a set of tires that only have 17,000 miles on them (remaining tread IS 11/32 per dealer inspection). since I still have all of the tires - photos available upon request. first tire did show one section 7 inches long with four radial splits starting at the rim. second tire has numerous radial splits but none are closely clustered. IS my experience unique to my set of conditions or are there other similar occurrences. thank you for any help or insight you can provide (xxxxx) parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(B)(6).
- Unknown or other
The passenger side rear spark plug blew out of the socket
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350. While driving 50 mph, the contact crashed into another vehicle. None of the air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center and the dealer was not contacted as of yet. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a neck fracture that required medical attention. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 147,000.
- Unknown or other
For several years, we have had exhaust gases going into our truck cab. we do not drive the truck due to this reason. one year ago, we took the truck to diesel specialists here in las vegas. they said that there was a problem with the manifold. they tried to fix it and it was good for about a…
For several years, we have had exhaust gases going into our truck cab. we do not drive the truck due to this reason. one year ago, we took the truck to diesel specialists here in las vegas. they said that there was a problem with the manifold. they tried to fix it and it was good for about a week until it started to force exhaust gases back into the cab of the truck. I understand that there IS a large recall of ford vehicles doing the same issue. it appears that ford IS still making vehicles with faulty equipment on them. we would have taken our truck back to the dealer but we do not have a warranty.
- Tires › Tread/belt
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350 equipped with bf goodrich rugged terrain t/a tires, size: 285/75/16. While driving 75 mph, the front passenger side tire sustained tread separation. The contact stated that there was damage down to the fender and fender well of the vehicle. The contact stated…
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350 equipped with bf goodrich rugged terrain t/a tires, size: 285/75/16. While driving 75 mph, the front passenger side tire sustained tread separation. The contact stated that there was damage down to the fender and fender well of the vehicle. The contact stated that the tire was still fully inflated. The contact stated that aaa was able to replace the tire, but all of the remaining tires also showed evidence of tread separation. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vin and dot number were unknown. The approximate vehicle failure mileage was 150,000 and the tire failure mileage was 20,000.
- Engine
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!
- Engine · Power train
I was driving down the road and I heard a loud pop. The engine had a very abrupt loss in power and began shaking as I tried to accelerate. I was on a 2 lane road and had no choice but to try and maintain my speed to prevent causing an accident from being rear ended. After driving several miles to a…
I was driving down the road and I heard a loud pop. The engine had a very abrupt loss in power and began shaking as I tried to accelerate. I was on a 2 lane road and had no choice but to try and maintain my speed to prevent causing an accident from being rear ended. After driving several miles to a place I could safely stop, I checked under the hood an a spark plug had been shot from the engine. after reviewing this on the web, there are many complaints like mine where spark plugs were shot out of engines. Nhtsa needs to evaluate this as review. Had the engine caught fire I would not have known and I had no where to pull off the road. This IS a result of an cylinder head with inadequate threads for spark plugs to thread into and take hold over time the aluminum weakens and this happens. If this wasn't a problem why did ford redesign cylinder heads after these model engines to accommodate more threading to hold the spark plugs in the engine?
- Fuel/propulsion system
Vehicle stalled at 55 mph on highway. *tr
- Structure › Body
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350. The contact stated that the bed of the vehicle was rusted and caused sharp edges to develop. The contact was unable to utilize the bed. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
- Engine
I called ford motor company my 2003 ford F350 sd. Sc. 4X4 5.4 eng. With the problem with both exhaust manifolds rotting away & the studs & nuts that hold the exhaust manifolds to engine heads that they were all rotting away , they told me we won't fix the problems for free . I would like for to…
I called ford motor company my 2003 ford F350 sd. Sc. 4X4 5.4 eng. With the problem with both exhaust manifolds rotting away & the studs & nuts that hold the exhaust manifolds to engine heads that they were all rotting away , they told me we won't fix the problems for free . I would like for to investigate this problem before many people will get injury or many fatality will happen when the exhaust manifolds fall off and catch on fire & burn up because fire comes out of the engine to the exhaust manifolds . I talked to many ford dealers they told me that they have replaced many of these exhaust manifolds with the same problems I have & had to charge the owner of these trucks & many other years of these ford trucks . Please help me & many other owners of these ford trucks to make ford motor company recall this problems before people will die & fix this problem for free . Thanks *tr
- Electrical system
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350. The contact stated that after removing the key from the ignition switch, the engine continued to operate erroneously. After reinserting the key into the ignition the contact was able to shut the engine off. The contact stated that the failure recurred…
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350. The contact stated that after removing the key from the ignition switch, the engine continued to operate erroneously. After reinserting the key into the ignition the contact was able to shut the engine off. The contact stated that the failure recurred multiple times. The contact also indicated that while attempting to start the vehicle the key would sporadically become stuck in the ignition switch or she would be unable to turn the ignition switch to start the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 40,000.
- Engine and engine cooling
Cracked "y" pipe IS leaking diesel exhaust fumes into cab of truck. this occurred previously when the truck was under warranty back in 2004 but now it IS not under warranty nor IS there a recall. I have brought this up to several dealers in the area but unless it IS under warranty they won't…
Cracked "y" pipe IS leaking diesel exhaust fumes into cab of truck. this occurred previously when the truck was under warranty back in 2004 but now it IS not under warranty nor IS there a recall. I have brought this up to several dealers in the area but unless it IS under warranty they won't cover the repair. however, I feel it IS a major safety hazard which I feel should be addressed immediately, as diesel fumes are linked to cancer or could leak to an accident if someone IS overcome by the fumes, which could lead to a death. please look into this hazard and let me know if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer. I do know from talking to mechanics that this does occur often in these trucks.
- Service brakes
I thought my foot slipped off the brake and taped the rear end of the car in front of me. Scratched the bumper of the car I tapped. I was on I 95S towards fredericksburg, va when my brake warning light came on. Taped brake and the pedal almost went to the floor, but I did have some braking. Got the truck to the repair shop, diagnosed will hole in brake line caused by rust. Replaced 18 ft of line. *tr
- Engine
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350. The contact stated that the engine coolant level was found to be prematurely low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, who advised the contact that the head gasket head bolts were defective. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 130,000.
- Fuel/propulsion system
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350. The contact stated that smoke began emerging from under the hood. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection where they stated that there was a hole in the fuel line and diesel fuel had leaked onto the engine. The dealer stated that the fuel…
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350. The contact stated that smoke began emerging from under the hood. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection where they stated that there was a hole in the fuel line and diesel fuel had leaked onto the engine. The dealer stated that the fuel line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 158,057.
- Power train
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F350. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph the transmission started slipping and the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart vehicle. The vehicle was neither repaired nor taken for diagnosis. The manufacturer was notified of incident. The failure mileage was 47,000. *tr
- Vehicle speed control
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, he lost control of the vehicle as the vehicle independently decelerated to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer stated that the air blockers failed and needed to be…
TL* the contact owns a 2003 ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, he lost control of the vehicle as the vehicle independently decelerated to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer stated that the air blockers failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and acknowledged the failure but provided no assistance. The failure and the current mileage was 98,000.
- Fuel system, diesel
Have ficm failure and multiple fuel injectors fail, when took to diesel shop was informed that this IS common failure and they had at least 6 in repair shop with same problem. *tr
- Fuel system, diesel
Strong diesel fuel odor at idle in cab with windows closed. Strong diesel odor around front of truck. No visible leaks or damp areas. fear fire hazard. *tr
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.
- Engine stalling
Twenty five of the odi failure reports are duplicative of ford complaints.twenty odi reports do not contain a vin (and may or may not be duplicative of ford reports).the 14 alleged crashes and 2 alleged injuries were all minor.submitted during preliminary evaluation (pe) 04-070, ford's response to odi's information…
Twenty five of the odi failure reports are duplicative of ford complaints.twenty odi reports do not contain a vin (and may or may not be duplicative of ford reports).the 14 alleged crashes and 2 alleged injuries were all minor.submitted during preliminary evaluation (pe) 04-070, ford's response to odi's information request (ir) letter contained about 5,000 consumer reports (mors) and 8,700 field reports (cqis).ford reviewed the complaints and categorized them.the manufacturer reports shown above represent a count of unique vehicles that ford categorized as allegedly stalling due to a subject engine component ('a' category, see ford's ir response letter for further detail); some of these vehicles received multiple reports.odi has not yet confirmed ford's categorization of these reports, nor has odi confirmed ford's categorization of the remaining reports (which ford states do not pertain to the alleged defect).ford submitted nearly 19,000 warranty claims, many of which involved claims for a technical service bulletin (tsb 04-13-08) and field service action (fsa 03b05) which ford identified as potential remedies for stalling complaints.odi has not confirmed that either of these are a remedy for engine stalling complaints.several other dealer communications related to engine stall were also submitted as well as over 50 product modifications, 15 of which involve revisions to the software for the electronic engine control unit.further investigation IS required and odi IS upgrading pe04-070 to an engineering analysis (ea).during the ea, odi will establish and update manufacturer failure report counts, further investigate the frequency and trend of stalling complaints, and determine the scope and safety implication of stalling events.odi will also investigate ford's remedies, their effectiveness, and whether further action IS required.
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.
- 10014083Memontary return to idle during aggressive acceleration - diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0123.
- 10013413Vehicle lean sag when observed from rear of vehicle.
- 10013316A cold weather reverse engagement stall.
- 10012965Service tips before arc welding on the frame or body of a unit.
- 10012958Lack of power, surge, and/or diagnostic trouble codes p2263 or p0299.
- 10011181Low power and/or diagnostic trouble code p0299 or p2263 - turbocharger diagnostic service tip.
- 10011174Dtc u1262 (scp communication bus fault) stored in the instrument cluster (ic).
- 10011164Rear axle popping/chatter noise - dana 80 model dual rear wheel (drw).
- 10010734Vacuum pump inoperative or runs continuously - climate control defaults to defrost. Oasis. To also include 2005 super duty f-series, excursion, and f650/750.
- 10010731Multiple vehicles - fuel level indication concerns - service tip. Various models including 2005 super duty f-series, excursion, expedition, explorer, mountaineer and aviator.
- 10009334Low/oscillating line pressure or low/no pto torque due to incomplete pto wiring installation.
- 10008594Equipped with 100I dual media radio - speed adjust volume function not supported. Owner guide update.
- 10008581Cooling system-motorcraft premium gold engine coolant-serivce tips.
- 100083416.0L diesel engine power module (depm) fuel injector control module monitor trailer tow wiring IS not reimbursable.
- 10008334Engine-light tick or rattle type noise from engine after cold start.
- 10008310Engine-cylinder head deck leak-4.6 and 5.4L engines-new service-only gasket and cylinder head kits availability.
- 10008255No start or constant engine misfire - fuel injection control module (ficm) diagnosis - 6.0L diesel.
- 10008201Warning indicators-parking aid-reverse sensing system (rss) and forward sensing system (fss)-false activation of warning tone-service tips. Update.
- 10008119Oil/dust film at cac connections.
- 10008118Low charging system voltage while snow plowing.
- 10008109Harsh engagement or shift issues with pulsating cooler lines and erratic line pressure.
- 10008107Lack of power and/or diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0103 - air induction system water/snow deflector kit.
- 10008106Water in fuel light on, which does not turn off after water has been drained from the horizontal fuel conditioning module (hfcm).
- 10007425Climate control defaults to defrost.
- 10007424Oil leak from front or rear of engine.
- 10007414Harsh/slipping engagements, upshifts and/or downshifts on vehicles with torqshift - adaptive shift strategy.
- 10007400Transmission gear ratio error - diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0730 on vehicles with torqshift transmission.
- 10007399Driveability concerns and set diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) p2614 (camshaft position output circuit open) and p2617 (crankshaft position output circuit open).
- 10007395Air bag light on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) b1871 or b1935 following ecs/rcm replacement.
- 10007341False diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's set during use of active commands with wds.
- 10007321Low power condition and/or diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p2263. 6.0L diesel engine. Also includes my2003 ford f450/550.
- 10007317Oil leak that seems to be coming from head gasket area. Including ford f450/550 my2003.
- 10004881Accessory drive belt squealing noise from the engine area when the engine fan clutch IS engaged while operated in hot dusty climates. Various models including 2003 f450/550.
- 10004025Steering wheel fight after riding over bumps/ruts. 2003, 2004 F450 and F550 models included.
- 10002783Rough idle and/or hesitation when acclerating on certain super duty vehicles equipped with a 5.4L or 6.8L engine.
- 10002626Excessive drive-away shudder or vibration under moderate to heavy acceleration from a stop.
Every Ford F-350 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.