2003 Ford E-350 problems & reliability
46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford E-350, alongside 6 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.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Ford E-350 vehicles were involved in 22 fatal crashes with 17 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 | 9 | 20% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 8 | 17% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 13% |
| Steering | 5 | 11% |
| Engine | 4 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 4% |
| Suspension | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 17 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 34 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 91,255 miles (middle 50% between 63,150 and 107,874 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“To whom it may concern, i recently purchased a 2003 ford econoline e150 vin# [XXX] . from a private party in the state of michigan, im am being refused insurance because the van is coming up as incomplete , the van was sent and finished by Elk automotive Inc , on [XXX] MPV [XXX] they company that manufactured it ,gave…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Feb 12, 2025
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford e-350 pulling a 24-footer auto trailer. While driving 30 mph and attempting to reduce speed, the brake pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard. The contact used the trailer brakes to stop the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact mentioned that…”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 6, 2018
“I was stopped at a stoplight on a highway ramp in town behind another vehicle waiting for the light to turn green. As I sat waiting, the van suddenly accelerated into the vehicle ahead of me while the brakes were still fully applied! I did not have my foot on the gas pedal, just on the brake. The acceleration was so…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Feb 10, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- HVAC Switch Failures
Engineering Analysis EA10003 · opened Apr 13, 2010 · closed Mar 5, 2012
- HVAC Switch Failures
Preliminary Evaluation PE09055 · opened Dec 7, 2009 · closed Apr 21, 2010
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
18 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford E-350. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the…
DOR-X8B9R-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2018
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
Ford: runs rough, lacks power, hard start, no start. Some vehicles and trucks equipped with 6.0l engine may exhibit a runs rough, lacks power, hard to start, no start concern with or without diagnostic trouble code…
TSB-10-12-6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 11, 2010
Brake booster system may exhibit a brake pedal kickback and/or grabbing condition when applying the brakes. *nj
071110 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 19, 2007
Headlight adjustment needed. *kb
19527 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2006
Cracks in the left or right spring tower flange. *tt spring tower weld repair and replacement procedure. *tt
0511 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Headlight adjustment - chassis cab incomplete vehicles. *tt
18735 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2005
Diagnostic trouble code b1876, b1880, b1915 and/or b1920 in the ecs module - vehicles equipped with aftermarket high current devices. *tt
032306 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 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
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-350 has 6 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-350?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 91,255 miles — worth a pre-purchase inspection if the car is near that mileage.