Most common 2003 Ford F-250 problems
Share of the 116 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-250 complaints by model year
Best F-250 years: 2010, 2009, 2007. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 2012, 2011, 2006. Compare all years →
2003 Ford F-250 recalls (2)
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.
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2003 Ford F-250:
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…
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 owners say
Engine & cooling all 37 →
The contact owned a 2003 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while her husband was driving home, there was black smoke coming from the exhaust, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence and turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 171,000.
I have been trying to get the exhaust manifold bolts replaced by several machine shops and did my own checking on the Ford F-250 Web site and everyone tells me the same thing! Ford knows about the problem but is doing nothing to correct! I have finally found a shop that will fix the broken exhaust manifold blots ! But I would like to know what ford truly knows about this problem . To get it fixed they have to replace all the bolts do to the bolts being so rusted ! Now I only have 121, + miles on my2003 and with the bolts broken it starts admitting gas fumes into the cab . I did check your site and could only find but 1 complaint , so if this is an issue with the exhaust manifold bolts braking and all the ford forums are full of complaints where are they being filed at on your site ? …
Wheels & tires all 22 →
I had lt265/75r16 bf goodrich tires on my truck, with only approx. 12,000 miles on them, the truck does not get driven but once a week. Traveling on the interstate when the passenger front tire exploded. I was able to control the truck and get it off the road without hitting anyone. But my truck sustained $3800.00 in damage. I filed claim with Michelin and sent them the tire, they denied the claim that I must have hit something very hard and that caused the tire to split on the inside lining which then caused the blow out. I have never hit anything and I travel the same two roads all the time with both my vehicles so I know I did not hit anything. Secondly these are "rough terrain" tires so even if I did hit something they should have not split. …
Replaced 4 new tires on my Ford f-250 truck 9/20/2013. Yokohama geolandar h/t-s, lt235/85r16. On approximately 5/10/2016, while on freeway,began to feel a vibration while driving. Felt like wheel out of balance. The left rear tire tread came off the tire causing severe damage to the truck bed. Approximately 28,500 miles on the tires. Tire remained inflated. I contacted yokohama to open a case file. I sent them the tire for examination per their request. They sent me the analysis back with a bunch of photos blaming the failure on road debris. Approximately 5 weeks later on 7/2/2016 I experienced the same vibration while on a trip out of town. This time the right rear tire tread came off the tire causing severe damage to the right side truck bed. Approximately 29,000 miles on the second tire. Contacted yokohama to open another case file. …
Brakes
The customer purchased a vehicle from Metro Motors on May 8, 2026, after visiting the dealership three times and speaking with multiple sales representatives. During each visit, the customer specifically stated that the vehicle would be used to tow a trailer and repeatedly asked whether it was safe and suitable for towing. The sales staff consistently represented that the vehicle was in good working condition, had low mileage, showed no significant issues on the Carfax report, and would be an excellent vehicle for towing. The customer was discouraged from test driving the vehicle because it was low on fuel, and sales staff stated that the only reason it had not sold was the snowplow attached to the front. Immediately after taking possession of the vehicle on May 8, the customer experienced a serious issue with the electronic parking brake repeatedly engaging while driving. …
I had parked my truck in my driveway. I put it in park, set the parking brake and turn off the engine. As I stepped out of the truck the truck rolled down the driveway dragging me about 100 ft stiking the power pole at the end of the diveway. The pole was rotted and fell on the truck crushing me between the body and the driver side front door.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Ford F-250 a good car?
Based on 116 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 F-250 rates better than average: 41% fewer complaints than a typical year of the F-250 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?
The engine & cooling — 37 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the wheels & tires (22) and brakes (15).
How many recalls does the 2003 Ford F-250 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2003 Ford F-250, 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2009 and 2007. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000, 2012, 2011 and 2006. See the full Ford F-250 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford F-250 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 75,000 miles; 41% 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.