Most common 2003 Ford F-350 problems
Share of the 90 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-350 complaints by model year
Best F-350 years: 2009, 2007, 2013. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 1997. Compare all years →
2003 Ford F-350 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-350:
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-350 owners say
Engine & cooling all 26 →
The wires for the camshaft position sensor are failing just like they have in others models of the f series and cause the truck to suddenly die while driving. There was already a recall in place but it doesn't cover this vin and so I would like to request the recall be extended to this trucks vin
I was driving down the road and I heard a loud pop. The engine had a very abrupt loss in power and began shaking as I tried to accelerate. I was on a 2 lane road and had no choice but to try and maintain my speed to prevent causing an accident from being rear ended. After driving several miles to a place I could safely stop, I checked under the hood an a spark plug had been shot from the engine. After reviewing this on the web, there are many complaints like mine where spark plugs were shot out of engines. NHTSA needs to evaluate this as review. Had the engine caught fire I would not have known and I had no where to pull off the road. This is a result of an cylinder head with inadequate threads for spark plugs to thread into and take hold over time the aluminum weakens and this happens. …
Speed control & acceleration
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford f-350. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, he lost control of the vehicle as the vehicle independently decelerated to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer stated that the air blockers failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and acknowledged the failure but provided no assistance. The failure and the current mileage was 98,000.
Without prior warning while in traffic vehicle surged forward while pressing the brake pedal, causing a collision with a tree. There were minor injuries. Both driver and passenger were transported by ambulance.
Electrical system
The wires for the camshaft position sensor are failing just like they have in others models of the f series and cause the truck to suddenly die while driving. There was already a recall in place but it doesn't cover this vin and so I would like to request the recall be extended to this trucks vin
Dt: when the consumer went to start the vehicle it wouldn't start. The vehicle sat for over 12 hours. It had just come out of the shop and it had a down strap installed. The fire started in the right hand side of the dashboard. All the contents of the truck were destroyed. Both the police and fire dep artment responded to the fire.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Ford F-350 a good car?
Based on 90 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 F-350 rates average: 30% fewer complaints than a typical year of the F-350 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-350?
The engine & cooling — 26 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › diesel. Next are the speed control & acceleration (13) and electrical system (11).
How many recalls does the 2003 Ford F-350 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2003 Ford F-350, 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-350?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2007 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000 and 1997. See the full Ford F-350 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford F-350 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 43,000 miles; 53% 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.