2003 Ford F-350 problems & reliability
90 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford F-350, 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.
5 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Ford F-350 vehicles were involved in 63 fatal crashes with 25 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 | 19 | 21% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 11 | 12% |
| Engine | 7 | 8% |
| Tires | 7 | 8% |
| Steering | 6 | 7% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 4% |
| Power Train | 4 | 4% |
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 43,000 miles (middle 50% between 14,000 and 110,000 miles), based on 57 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was under the truck working on it and the truck was on I had the emergency brake on and the truck went into reverse and ran me over”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 13, 2026
“The wires for the camshaft position sensor are failing just like they have in others models of the f series and cause the truck to suddenly die while driving. There was already a recall in place but it doesn't cover this vin and so I would like to request the recall be extended to this trucks vin”
Steering · filed Sep 20, 2021
“As I am sure you must be aware of this issue: I purchased used a 2003 ford -f350. I had many issues and had worked most of them out. There were many issues that were possible I was clearly unaware of. One being of utmost safety to myself and others. My high pressure oil pump located inside the engine of my 2003 ford…”
Steering · filed Jan 5, 2021
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
- ENGINE STALLING
Preliminary Evaluation PE04070 · opened Oct 7, 2004 · closed Feb 15, 2005
Technical service bulletins
36 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford F-350. The 10 most recent:
Service tips before arc welding on the frame or body of a unit. *tt
18406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2005
Lack of power, surge, and/or diagnostic trouble codes p2263 or p0299. *tt
18397 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2005
A cold weather reverse engagement stall. *tt
18376 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Warning indicators-parking aid-reverse sensing system (rss) and forward sensing system (fss)-false activation of warning tone-service tips. *mj update. *tt
0471 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 31, 2004
Memontary return to idle during aggressive acceleration - diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0123. *tt
042411 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Vehicle lean sag when observed from rear of vehicle. *eh
04236 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 29, 2004
Vacuum pump inoperative or runs continuously - climate control defaults to defrost. Oasis. To also include 2005 super duty f-series, excursion, and f650/750. *tt
18223 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2004
Multiple vehicles - fuel level indication concerns - service tip. Various models including 2005 super duty f-series, excursion, expedition, explorer, mountaineer and aviator. *tt
18217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2004
Rear axle popping/chatter noise - dana 80 model dual rear wheel (drw). *ar
031603 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 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
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 F-350 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 F-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 43,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.