2003 Ford Expedition problems & reliability
615 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford Expedition, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
39 complaints report injuries (70 injured, 3 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Ford Expedition vehicles were involved in 104 fatal crashes with 52 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 127 | 21% |
| Electrical System → | 104 | 17% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 61 | 10% |
| Air Bags → | 59 | 10% |
| Tires → | 57 | 9% |
| Power Train → | 50 | 8% |
| Engine → | 44 | 7% |
| Visibility → | 37 | 6% |
| Structure → | 32 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 21 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 82,000 miles (middle 50% between 40,000 and 120,970 miles), based on 442 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My truck stopped working in November 2025. I was told I needed fuel pump and filter. I replaced those and still didn't crank. I was then told I needed a circuit box. Purchased a circuit box and had it put on. Got my truck back February 2026. March 08,2026, truck went out again. I kept my truck maintenance and don't…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 9, 2026
“The contact owns a 2003 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the front end of the vehicle was shaking abnormally, vibrating, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, there was a loud booming…”
Engine · filed Feb 11, 2025
“My Ford Expedition started randomly stalling and it stalled in the highway. The engine just shut down in the middle of the highway and it was such a scary a life endangering experience. This total loss of power in the middle of the highway when vehicles are traveling at highway speeds can cause death very, very easily…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jan 19, 2024
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
152 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford Expedition. The 10 most recent:
This article supersedes TSB 22-2219 to update the Parts List and Service Procedure to clarify applicable steps by vehicle application. Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles…
TSB 24-2188 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 24, 2024
For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle…
SSM 51536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2023
Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles equipped with 4WD may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the…
TSB 22-2219 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 21, 2022
Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 vehicles equipped with TOD transfer cases may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the…
TSB 20-2307 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 16, 2020
This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2000 and newer Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled…
TSB 20-2233 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 13, 2020
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel…
TSB 19-2026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2019
Ford: some vehicles may exhibit oil separation from the internal lube found in the unitized cartridge seal. Oil separation appears to be and is often misdiagnosed, as an axle lube leak. *pe
TSB-08-19-3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2009
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Low tire indicator on - tpms system sensor wake up. *tt
0637 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
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 Expedition has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 Expedition?
- · 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 82,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.