2003 Ford F-250 SD problems
NHTSA has received 229 complaints about the 2003 Ford F-250 SD, and 34% of them involve engine. Next are fuel system (10%) and tires (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 229 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 34% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 14
- Injuries and deaths
- 5 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 46,000 miles 205 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 76 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 23 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 23 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 26 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 24 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 10 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 9 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 8 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 205 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 46,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 58,000 miles (68 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 14 complaints mention a fire; 5 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 15th most-complained-about out of 27 model years of the Ford F-250 SD with enough data (154 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
My husband was driving home whien his vehicle veered sharply to the left. At this point he could no longer control the vehicle. He then slammed into a large rock in the side of an eight foot bank. The vehicle then flipped onto its side and slid another 20-30 feet. Our vehicle is a 2003 ford f250 and now has $20,000.00 worth of damage. We tried to discuss this matter with a few of the employees of the ford dealership we initially bought it at.
The truck stalls without warning while driving. When this occur, the truck loses all power, including brakes and steering. This has resulted in two accidents. In one of the accidents, the truck went into a ditch and the air bags failed to deploy upon impact. The occupants sustained minor injuries. The dealership performed a diagnostic test, but no failure code was found. The manufacture is providing no assistance in this matter.
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.
Extremely poor fuel economy on ford 7.3 l diesel engine. Bought vehicle new approx 1 year ago, vehicle was getting 18 miles per gallon until dec. 2003. As of jan. 2004 the vehicle mileage has been 9 miles be gallon. Vehicle has loss of power and has been in the dealer repair shop for this problem. Ford diagnostic say there is not a problem with the engine. If anything, a diesel engine should get better mileage as it is broken in. Current vehicle mileage is approx. 25500 miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-250 sd. The contact stated that while performing an oil change, he noticed that the frame was rusted severely.the contact performed a thorough inspection of the vehicle and also discovered that the fuel tank straps were severely rusted. The front strap was completely detached from the vehicle and the second strap was partially hanging from the vehicle.