Most common 2003 Ford E550 problems
Share of the 65 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford E550 complaints by model year
What 2003 Ford E550 owners say
Engine & cooling all 20 →
Since May 2nd, 2003 have had farm truck, f550 6.0 liter diesel 4x4 cab & chassis, into dealer six (6) times for a problem with 6.0 liter diesel motor, have asked twice to fix leaking transmission/transfer case and have complained once about severe front end shake (to which no responce was made and after discovering Ford had installed drive position only tires on front axle, replacement was made with proper steering tires). Truck used for long distance transportation of hay, straw, cattle and machinery. Engine since having 2,000 miles has rough idle, excessive smoking, engine miss (skip) under load or idling, poor fuel economy. On August 1st, 2003 the engine lost power, a short while later stalled, while under load and on a major interstate. This caused significant loss of braking capacity on the pulling unit, with a heavier load or on a grade this could have been serious. …
2003 Ford super duty f350 6.0 liter diesel: the first time I tried to pull my 5th wheel with this truck, it would buck furiously and I could only stop the bucking by depressing the accelerator pedal to the floor of immediately let up off the pedal. During this trip with the 5ht wheel in tow, at 815 miles the engine quit at the most inopportune times. I was climbing a 5% grade and traveling in the truck slow lane on interstate 68. I managed to get the rig to the shoulder but still in a very dangerous situation. It took 3 hours to get the rig moved to a safe location. The fuel injection control module (ficm)had failed. Ford has designed this ficm no less than 4 times. The mechanic told me that I had a fuel injector misfiring since day one of this truck being in service. The truck was out of service for 5 days while repairs were made. …
Wheels & tires
Since May 2nd, 2003 have had farm truck, f550 6.0 liter diesel 4x4 cab & chassis, into dealer six (6) times for a problem with 6.0 liter diesel motor, have asked twice to fix leaking transmission/transfer case and have complained once about severe front end shake (to which no responce was made and after discovering Ford had installed drive position only tires on front axle, replacement was made with proper steering tires). Truck used for long distance transportation of hay, straw, cattle and machinery. Engine since having 2,000 miles has rough idle, excessive smoking, engine miss (skip) under load or idling, poor fuel economy. On August 1st, 2003 the engine lost power, a short while later stalled, while under load and on a major interstate. This caused significant loss of braking capacity on the pulling unit, with a heavier load or on a grade this could have been serious. …
Ford factory installed left front tire had tread seperation at ~70mph in apache county route 15 in arizona, a two lane road. Fortunate there was no traffic or could have been fatal, took entire road to regain control. Caused significant damage to my 2003 f250 est >$1000, flail type damage to fender (it ripped the bottom of the fender from the bolts and rolled the steel fender up into the well), damaged the bumper, well, etc. Easily could have cut brake lines and sensors, and could have reached the engine compartment components including steering. Possibly could have hit driver with open window. Tire is still inflated, half of tread appears intact, half is in several parallelagram type pieces. Tire is a general ameritrac, m+s 235/85 r16, load range e, 120/1160, 4 ply 2 steel 2 polyester, dk73916 32622, e4 009113
Transmission & drivetrain
Was taking vehicle in for a fuel smell that was intermitent on 7-30-03 to ricart Ford when I threw in the clutch to shift and lost hte clutch it went to the floor so I proceed to the break down lane and that is when I noticed the smoke and flames coming from under the hood. The dealer ship was 1/2 mile away and in sight when this happened. I got out of the truck and called 911 then the dealer.
Since May 2nd, 2003 have had farm truck, f550 6.0 liter diesel 4x4 cab & chassis, into dealer six (6) times for a problem with 6.0 liter diesel motor, have asked twice to fix leaking transmission/transfer case and have complained once about severe front end shake (to which no responce was made and after discovering Ford had installed drive position only tires on front axle, replacement was made with proper steering tires). Truck used for long distance transportation of hay, straw, cattle and machinery. Engine since having 2,000 miles has rough idle, excessive smoking, engine miss (skip) under load or idling, poor fuel economy. On August 1st, 2003 the engine lost power, a short while later stalled, while under load and on a major interstate. This caused significant loss of braking capacity on the pulling unit, with a heavier load or on a grade this could have been serious. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Ford E550 a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the E550 to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 65 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Ford E550?
The engine & cooling — 20 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › diesel. Next are the wheels & tires (10) and transmission & drivetrain (9).
How many recalls does the 2003 Ford E550 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2003 Ford E550. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford E550 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 34,000 miles; 78% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.