2003 Ford E-150 problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford E-150, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Ford E-150 vehicles were involved in 11 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 4 | 19% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 14% |
| Power Train | 3 | 14% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 14% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 14% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 14% |
| Equipment | 2 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 10% |
| Steering | 2 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford e-150. The contact stated that the cruise control and horn failed to work and the air bag light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.”
Electrical System · filed Feb 9, 2016
“Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford f1-50. The contact experienced the failure april 26, 2014. The vehicle air bags deployed while sitting in traffic. The contact current millage over 240,00. The contact was driving 5 mph in traffice . The contact hit the vehicle in front of him. A police report was filed. The vehicle…”
Seat Belts · filed Apr 28, 2014
“I was sitting at a stop sign. When I accelerated to move, I heard a loud bang noise and then I heard a flapping noise. I turned the engine off and called a tow truck. After towing my handicapped van to the ford dealer, I was told that the engine had a spark plug blow out. I was also informed that the vehicle might…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Feb 14, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
11 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford E-150. The 10 most recent:
Ford: when shifting between park, reverse and/or during 2-3 shift, an intermittent clunk occurs with a torqshift transmission. Model 2003-2014 f-super duty, e series, excursion, f-53 motorhome chassis, low cab forward…
ASI-44534 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2014
Headlight adjustment needed. *kb
19527 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2006
Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code p1131 and/or p1151 - 4.2l engine. *tt
05173 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Headlight adjustment - chassis cab incomplete vehicles. *tt
18735 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2005
Vibration/harshness above 45 mph (72 km/h) after tire balance. *tt
05248 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Intermittent clunk on 3-2 downshift during coastdown/tip-in. Oasis. To include 2005 f-150, e-series and expedition. *tt
18250 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2004
Customer satisfaction program 04n03. Additional warranty coverage for anti-lock brake system module. *tt
04N03 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2004
Low power and/or diagnostic trouble code p0299 or p2263 - turbocharger diagnostic service tip. *tt
18069 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2004
Clunk from front suspension. *tt
17520 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
FRONT BRAKE PAD WEAR. *TT
17381 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2003
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2003 Ford E-150 has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Ford E-150?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.