2003 Ford Econoline problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford Econoline, alongside 2 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).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 23% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 14% |
| Structure | 3 | 14% |
| Tires | 3 | 14% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 9% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 5% |
| Power Train | 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
“Fuel tank delamination. This will be the second time I have to replace the fuel tank, sending unit and fuel pump on my e350 diesel van. Ford has had known issues for several years regarding this problem and refuses to accept any responsibility. The inside coating of the tank peels away and clogs up the fuel system…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Oct 10, 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford econoline equipped with radar radial rlt-9 tires, size p245/75/r16. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the rear driver's tire blew out. The condition of the road were dry and the approximate temperature was 90 degrees fahrenheit. The failure recurred and the rear passenger…”
Tires · filed Jul 23, 2012
“Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford econoline e-150. The contact stated that three cooper american prospector 225/70r15 tires on the vehicle have failed. The vehicle began vibrating and the dealer confirmed that the rear driver side tire needed to be replaced. Two weeks later, the rear passenger side tire blew out and was…”
Tires · filed Sep 15, 2009
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
18 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford Econoline. 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: vehicles mistakenly charged $100 powertrain warranty deductible for fuel injector repair or repairs. No model or model years provided. *pe econoline, excursion and f-series super duty vehicles, model years…
CSP-48B01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2008
Merlin multiplex system when a proer/ground lug is not correctly tightened or becomes loose for any reason; erratic system operation is possible.
TSB T2007-03 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 2007
Engine or fuel system concerns when using fuel with greater than 5% biodiesel concentration. *tt
17467 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated - system lean diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) - service tips. Various models including 2004 f-series. *tt
04174 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 2004
Low power, poor fuel economy, fuel gelling cold, excessive white smoke cold, or hard start. *mj this oasis updates previous oasis dated 12/01/03. *tt
17406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2004
Emission recall 04e10: compressed natural gas (cng) vehicles - fitting connector replacement. *mj
04E10 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2004
Certain 2001 through 2003 model year econoline compressed natural gas (cng) vehicles - rear high -pressure fuel line inspection. In some of the affected vehicles, the cng fitting connectors may develop a fuel leak at…
04E09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2004
Air bag lamp illuminated. *tt
17385 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2003
Vehicles equipped with a 7.3l engine (after serial number 0661894) - under valve cover (uvc) harness retainer clip released for service. Includes 2003 econoline, super duty, f650/750 and excursion. *tt
16258 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 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 Econoline has 2 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 Econoline?
- · 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.