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2003 Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350) problems, engines and recalls.
Owners filed 516 complaints with the government about the 2003 Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350), most often about engine (37%).
Which engine is in it
400 of the 516 complaints have a VIN we could decode, which tells us the engine.
| Engine | Share | Complaints | What they name most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 Power Stroke diesel | 54% | 217 | engine 50%, fuel system 18%, electrical 13% |
| 5.4 V8 gas | 23% | 91 | too few to split |
| 7.3 Power Stroke diesel | 17% | 68 | engine 18%, fuel system 16%, transmission & drivetrain 12% |
| 6.8 V10 gas | 6% | 24 | too few to split |
Each diesel's page: Ford 6.0 Power Stroke · Ford 7.3 Power Stroke.
Nearby model years
What owners complain about
Share of this year's complaints that name each area.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 15,000 and 98,000 miles; the middle report was at 50,000 miles (403 complaints with a mileage).
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports | Towed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 28 | 17 | 1 | 3 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA, not verified.
In owners' words
Consumer called complaining about having problems with the brakes also states that when he steps into the brake pedal the vehicle turns violently to the left. dealer was contacted and no diagnosis was not done. ts
2003 Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350) owner · NHTSA complaint 8022794
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
2003 Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350) owner · NHTSA complaint 11750135
Truck had no check engine light then caught on fire going down the road and burned to ground within seconds Incident report 46-24-05039 08_30-74 US-30 - PA 74 30 W
2003 Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350) owner · NHTSA complaint 11618329
Recalls 5
11V352000 Jul 2011 Exterior Lighting
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 for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the multi-function switch was shipped with a subcomponent (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, t
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.
09V399000 Oct 2009 Vehicle Speed Control
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 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
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 connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
07V553000 Dec 2007 Engine And Engine Cooling Names the 7.3 Power Stroke
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.
07V078000 Mar 2007 Vehicle Speed Control
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 05v017, 05v388, and 06v286)
04V327000 Jul 2004 Electrical System Names the 6.0 Power Stroke
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.
Fix. 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.
NHTSA recalls for this model year under every name these trucks are filed under. A recall that names an engine applies only to trucks with it. Free at any dealer: check the VIN.
Quick answers
Is the 2003 Super Duty reliable?
We can't score it per truck (heavy-duty sales aren't reported apart from the half-ton). Owners filed 516 complaints about it, most often about engine (37% of them). Compare the diesel generations on their engine pages.
What engine does the 2003 Super Duty have?
By the VINs in owner complaints: 6.0 Power Stroke diesel (54%), 5.4 V8 gas (23%), 7.3 Power Stroke diesel (17%), 6.8 V10 gas (6%).
How many recalls does the 2003 Ford Super Duty (F-250/F-350) have?
5. Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check the truck's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
The whole-line score for 2003, mostly half-tons: 2003 Ford F-Series.
No Lemon Index score: automakers report heavy-duty pickup sales together with the half-ton (one F-Series, Ram or Silverado number), so there is no honest per-truck denominator. These are counts and shares of owner complaints, not failure rates. Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under the truck's 2500/3500 (F-250/F-350) names, all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN (position 8 is the engine code) with NHTSA's vPIC decoder. Complaints filed as just “Silverado” or “Sierra” are left out (they mix 1500s and HDs). Older trucks have had more years to collect complaints, and popular years draw more because more were sold.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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