Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I moved my vehicle from driveway to park on the street so my husband could park in the driveway. I then turned my vehicle off and roughly 2 hours later, a lady came screaming "fire fire fire!" I went to see where she was talking about and my truck was smoking under the hood, I then called the fire department and they came to extinguish the fire. I was unaware of any recalls as I am the 3rd owner of this vehicle.
On 11/27/2022 at or around 4:30 P.M. my 2003 Ford F-150 burned almost completely, without any mechanical failures or warnings, thirty full minutes after being parked and then after only having been run for three to four miles. The fire department ended up putting it out before it was fully consumed.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Ford f-150. The contact stated that the vehicle was included NHTSA campaign number: 05V017000 (vehicle speed control) and a repair appointment was scheduled with the local dealer. The contact stated that he was not informed by the dealer that the defective part could have been disconnected from the vehicle to avoid a fire which was stated in the recall remedy. The contact stated after his girlfriend parked the vehicle, about four and a half hours later the vehicle unexpectedly was engulfed in flames from the engine. The fire department was called and extinguished the flames. A fire department report was filed. The contact stated that two other vehicles were damaged by the fire. The dealer was notified of the incident and canceled a scheduled appointment however the manufacturer was not made aware of the incident. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford f-150. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated since the day of purchase. The contact also stated that while the vehicle was parked in the car port the vehicle suddenly caught on fire. The fire department came and put out the fire. A fire department report was made. The vehicle was deemed totaled as well as damaged the contact's residence. There were no injuries. The contact contacted a certified mechanic who informed them of a recall for the year/make/model, NHTSA campaign number: 06e056000 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact stated the VIN had not shown to be included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 203,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford f-150. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle from driving, the vehicle began to smoke from the driver's side of the vehicle. The contact stated that shortly after the vehicle caught on fire under the hood on the driver's side. The fire department came to put out the fire and filed a police report. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The contact had contacted the dealership (sam pack's five star Ford address: 1635 s interstate 35e, carrollton, tx 75006 phone: [phone]) who informed that there was no recall on their vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 240,000.
Tl* the contact's boyfriend owns a 2003 Ford f-150. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the ignition coils and all spark plugs would blow out inside of the engine which would cause the vehicle to stall as the check engine light would appear on the dashboard. The contact stated that she has had the ignition coils and sparks plugs replaced on four separate occasions all by independent mechanics however, the failure persisted. The contact also called three separate dealers but was unable to reach a service representative. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. She was referred to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford f-150. The contact stated that the vehicle caught fire while parked in his garage. The vehicle had been driven approximately 10 hours earlier. The insurance investigator was unable to determine where the fire originated or locate any defective parts that May have caused the failure. The engine compartment was damaged, however, the most extensive damage was on the driver side of the vehicle. Ford was notified and refused to take responsibility for the fire. The powertrain was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 12,000. Updated 3/5/08 the consumer stated all 3 investigators stated the fire was a defect in the truck. Fire dept and insurance report. Updated 03/04/08
Driving up a hill at highway speed I heard a loud bang and a clunk and the truck started shaking. I was quite startled. I pulled over immediately, shut it off, and found the spark plug had ejected from cylinder number 6. Not being far from home, I attempted to drive it the rest of the way on less busy roads, but I had to pull over again when I started smelling a strong gasoline smell. I was able to disconnect the fuel injector and drive it the rest of the way home, but I feel there was a danger of an accident when the incident happened due to the sudden loss of power in traffic on a hill, and then a danger of a fire when I had tried to continue driving it with the fuel injector active.
As we started the truck, we heard a loud pop and then the engine was running rough. I could smell gas burning not in a good way, so we turned off the engine and popped the hood. There was gasoline running under the truck, and gasoline coming from the exhaust. A passerby informed us that the f-150 with triton engine is notorious for blowing spark plugs and proceeded to point out which spark plug had blown. I researched this issue when I arrived home after our truck was towed to a mechanic, and discovered that just about every f-150 owner goes through this. Why is this not a defect that Ford is being required to fix? Do people have to die before a defective part is taken care of?
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford f-150. While driving 35 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound from the engine and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lifters failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The mechanic even signed off for the vehicle to pass state inspection. After retrieving the vehicle, the check engine warning indicator illuminated again and the abnormal sound returned. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 247,000.
NHTSA investigations
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 the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
Engine complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2003 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 97 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2003 Ford F-150, 23% of the model year's 423 complaints. The component named most often is engine (23 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Ford F-150 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2003 Ford F-150, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford F-150 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 8 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.