2003 Ford F-150 engine problems
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2003 Ford F-150 — 7% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“I moved my vehicle from driveway to park on the street so my husband could park in the driveway. I then turned my vehicle off and roughly 2 hours later, a lady came screaming "fire fire fire!" I went to see where she was talking about and my truck was smoking under the hood, I then called the fire…”
filed Aug 18, 2026
“On 11/27/2022 at or around 4:30 P.M. my 2003 Ford F-150 burned almost completely, without any mechanical failures or warnings, thirty full minutes after being parked and then after only having been run for three to four miles. The fire department ended up putting it out before it was fully consumed.”
filed Dec 7, 2022
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
This SKU is an Oil Dipstick. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect the dipstick tube. The dipstick tube inner diameter may be small enough that it prevents installation of the OE…
DOR-N3Z7B-03 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 20201999-2008 7.3l/6.0l/6.4l/4.5l diesel f-super duty - clean the charge air cooler (cac) system after certain turbo or engine failures - service tip. *nj
20228 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2008Some 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, 2007Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Engine problems in other F-150 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 4 | 4% |
| 2024 F-150 | 11 | 6% |
| 2023 F-150 | 27 | 7% |
| 2022 F-150 | 38 | 6% |
| 2021 F-150 | 82 | 8% |
| 2020 F-150 | 127 | 18% |
| 2019 F-150 | 319 | 24% |
| 2018 F-150 | 503 | 22% |
| 2017 F-150 | 311 | 22% |
| 2016 F-150 | 317 | 16% |
| 2015 F-150 | 264 | 15% |
| 2014 F-150 | 178 | 12% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2003 Ford F-150
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.