Most common 2003 Ford F-250 SD problems
Share of the 178 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-250 SD complaints by model year
Best F-250 SD years: 2013, 2014, 2012. Years to avoid: 2019, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2016. Compare all years →
2003 Ford F-250 SD recalls (4)
Exterior lighting › Brake lights
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,…
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.
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…
Remedy: 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…
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Diesel
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.
Remedy: 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.
Vehicle speed control
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat.
Remedy: 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)
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 2003 Ford F-250 SD:
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 request (ir) letter contained about 5,000 consumer reports (mors) and 8,700 field reports (cqis).Ford…
Engine stalling
In a December 3, 2007 letter, Ford advised NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall to replace the cam position sensor (cps) in approximately 1.2 million subject vehicles to address reports of engine stalling.a new design cps with improved performance and durability will be installed as a remedy.owner notifications will begin in December 2007.
Engine stalling
In a June 7, 2005 letter, Ford notified odi that it would be conducting a safety recall of approximately 180,000 Ford f-super duty, excursion and e-series vehicles equipped with 6.0l diesel engines to correct two wiring related conditions that could result in engine stall (NHTSA recall no. 05v-270, Ford no.
Accelerator pedal sensor (etc)
Failure counts from odi?s analysis are stated above; see the additional problem experience discussion in the summary report.Ford data contained duplicative reports for 4 odi complaints and 1 crash.three crashes were allegedly due to intermittent operation of the electronic throttle control (etc) pedal, one crash occurred when an etc disabled vehicle was struck by another motorist, one report contained no detail.the…
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…
What 2003 Ford F-250 SD owners say
Engine & cooling all 74 →
While driving down the road, a spark plug blew out of the engine on my 2003 v10 triton f250 truck. It has 86,000 mi. And still has the factory spark plugs in it at the factory torque settings. The spark plug exploded out of the engine and could have potentially caught the engine on fire (I read in some cases where it did catch the engine on fire with the same incident). It caused some internal damage when blowing out of the engine, but the plug was no where to be found. I have noticed that Ford has a problem, with this particular vehicle and others, with the spark plugs ejecting out of the head, but has done nothing to fix the problem with their engineering defect. I noticed that the head only has three threads holding the spark plug in place and that is not enough to hold one in place with an aluminum head. The potential safety hazard with this problem is high and very severe. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford f-250 SD. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the contact noticed smoke from the rear of the vehicle and there was a loud popping noise. The vehicle was completely surrounded by smoke resulting in a fire. The vehicle stalled. The fire was extinguished independently. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 07V553000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000. Updated 7/1/15 the consumer stated there was no fire, just excessive pressure in the crankcase causing the engine to blow oil out the glow plug. Updated 03/31/16.
Fuel & propulsion system all 24 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford f250 SD. The contact stated that while driving up an incline approximately 45 MPH, there was a sudden reduction in the engine power and then stalled. The vehicle restarted after numerous attempts. A chemical burning odor emitted outside of the vehicle. The failure occurred sporadically and whenever the fuel tank level registered quarter of a tank. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the fuel tank lining was severely damaged and the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford f-250 SD. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the fuel tank was hanging down. The contact looked underneath the vehicle and saw that the fuel tank strap was fractured and the fuel gauge was damaged. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 49,000.
Transmission & drivetrain all 20 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford f250 SD. The contact stated that the vehicle was shut off with the shifter in park when the vehicle slipped out of park and independently began to roll away backward. The contact attempted to enter the vehicle to stop it but was knocked to the ground. The contact sustained injuries to the right shoulder and elbow. The driver side door was opened when the failure occurred and crashed into the gas pump. The vehicle was taken to a body repair facility where the body damages were repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred twice. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for the failure. The failure mileage was 82,349 and the current mileage was 82,360.
I have had rough idle problems since I bought the truck new. This was the first diesel vehicle I have ever owned so in the beginning I thought it was normal, but it kept getting worse. I purchased the truck in April 2003. I have had hard shifting since I bought it. When I back the truck up and then shift into drive it will slam into gear as a vehicle with no transmission fluid reacts. There was a dangerous hesitation when crossing traffic and sometimes the truck would have a 3-5 second stall. It has blown white smoke more recently and would not kick down into passing gear on the freeway. I have had the truck in for service several times and the last time they told me that they had no fix at that time. I just got off the phone with a customer service manager and she tells me that the fix will raise the noise level up 5 decibels. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Ford F-250 SD a good car?
Based on 178 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 F-250 SD rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the F-250 SD at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Ford F-250 SD?
The engine & cooling — 74 complaints, 42% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › diesel. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (24) and transmission & drivetrain (20).
How many recalls does the 2003 Ford F-250 SD have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2003 Ford F-250 SD, the most recent from July 13, 2011 (brake lights). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford F-250 SD?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013, 2014 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2016. See the full Ford F-250 SD years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford F-250 SD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 49,000 miles; 50% 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.