2003 Ford F-550 SD problems
The 2003 Ford F-550 SD has 40 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (48%) concerns fuel system. After that come engine (20%) and suspension (5%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 40 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Fuel system 48% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 2 and 6
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 61,000 miles 38 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 | 4 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 6 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 6 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 5 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 4 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 4 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 38 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 61,000 miles. For fuel system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 61,000 miles (19 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a crash; 6 complaints mention a fire; 2 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 87% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 10 model years of the Ford F-550 SD with enough data (22 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 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.
Dt: the contact stated that the seat belt locked around his chest limiting movement to the point of causing slight whiplash. The consumer was trying to get a diet pepsi positioned in a cup holder tray. While the consumer was restricted, he had become infuriated with the problem and tried to get the seat belt off and it had gotten too close to a narrow bridge guard rail and the consumer lost control of the vehicle resulting in a $500,000 accident.
While vehicle was parked a fire started under the hood. Vehicle was totaled. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Engine failed and vehicle stopped working. The culprit was the ford fuel tank that had delaminated. The tank had to be replaced. The cost: $2223.41. Additionally, there was a loss of revenue as this vehicle is used for production purposes. Ford denied responsibility for any defects of their fuel tanks. With no other choice, we had to pay for the repairs out of pocket. This is a safety issue, as these vehicles are used for commercial usage daily.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-550 sd. While driving unknown speeds, the engine stalled without warning and the fuel tank disintegrated. The float filter and filter were clogged. The contact called a local dealer (vision ford, 1500 s white sands blvd, alamogordo, nm 88310) and was advised to schedule a service appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 107,550.