2003 Ford F-250 SD problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
178 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
49,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 157 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel is the most frequently named component, appearing in 27 of 178 complaints (15.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 28 | 15.7% |
| Braking behavior | 28 | 15.7% |
| Steering behavior | 24 | 13.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 17 | 9.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 13 | 7.3% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 4 | 2.2% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel | 27 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 21 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 14 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 12 |
| Tires | 12 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 9 |
| Steering | 8 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System | 6 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel: 27; Engine And Engine Cooling: 21; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 14; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 12; Tires: 12; Fuel System, Diesel: 9; Steering: 8; Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System: 6
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 57 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 22 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 28 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 22 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 20 |
| 150,000 and above | 8 |
Under 25,000: 57; 25,000 to 49,999: 22; 50,000 to 74,999: 28; 75,000 to 99,999: 22; 100,000 to 149,999: 20; 150,000 and above: 8
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (57). 21 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 33 |
| 2004 | 30 |
| 2005 | 12 |
| 2006 | 17 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2008 | 14 |
| 2009 | 10 |
| 2010 | 19 |
| 2011 | 12 |
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 4 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
2003: 33; 2004: 30; 2005: 12; 2006: 17; 2007: 8; 2008: 14; 2009: 10; 2010: 19; 2011: 12; 2012: 6; 2013: 4; 2014: 4; 2015: 4; 2016: 3; 2018: 1; 2019: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 28 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 28 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 24 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10005071 · 2003-02-01 (February 1, 2003)
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A FORD F250 SUPER DUTY 6.0 LITER DIESEL PICKUP. THIS IS A NEW ENGINE JUST RELEASED THIS YEAR. THEIR ARE ALREADY MANY SERVICE BULLETINS ON THIS FROM FORD. ONE OF THE MAIN PROBLEMS IS RUNNING ROUGH, STALLING, SLOW RESPONSE FROM A STOP, ETC. FORDS LATEST BULLETINS TO THEIR DEALERS IS THEIR IS NO FIX FOR THIS AT THE PRESENT TIME. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. IT IS MY BELIEVE THESE SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET UNTIL THEY RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I AM WONDERING WHY THEY ARE STILL SELLING THESE TO…
Owner-reported narrative. 275 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005071 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10013599 · 2003-03-28 (March 28, 2003)
MY WIFE AND I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2003 F250. WHILE ON VACATION CAMPING IN FLORIDA THE TRUCK FAILED TO START ONE MORNING. THE TRUCK TOOK 5 DAYS TO REPAIR DUE TO A RUPTURED HIGH PRESSURE OIL LINE INSIDE THE ENGINE WHICH WAS CONSEQUENTLY SHUTTING DOWN ALL FUEL PRESSURE. THE TRUCK IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR ALMOST STALLING ON MY WAY TO WORK LAST WEEK. DEALER INDICATED THIS WAS DUE TO A RUPTURED FUEL LINE INSIDE THE ENGINE WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DUMPING DIESEL INTO THE CRANK CASE....WHERE WILL IT END? TRUCK IS LESS THAN 3 MONTHS OLD AND …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10013599 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10030641 · 2003-08-02 (August 2, 2003)
NEW 2003 F-250 6.0 DIESEL FORD WITH 412 MILES JUST LOST POWER ON THE FREEWAY AT 70MPH...VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH NO STEERING OR POWER BRAKES...FROM ALL THE WEBS SITE ABOUT THESE TRUCK I CAN SEE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM...ACT NOW BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED DRIVING THIS TRUCK...*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10030641 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10041674 · 2003-10-12 (October 12, 2003)
AFTER TOWING MY TRAILER SEVERAL BLOCKS I PULLED OVER AT MY DESTINATION AND REALIZED MY TRAILER LIGHTS HAD GONE OUT. THIS IS UNUSUAL BECAUSE THE TRAILER JUST MADE A 2500 MILE TRIP WITH NO PROBLEMS. AFTER CHECKING THE CONNECTIONS AND OPENING UP THE FUSE BOX TO LOOK FOR BLOWN FUSES I WENT BACK TO CHECK THE LIGHTS AGAIN. UPON RETURNING TO THE TRUCK SEVERAL MINUTES LATER I FOUND THE FUSE BOX AND A PORTION OF THE DASHBOARD IN FLAMES. I SMOTHERED THE FIRE AND FOUND ALL THE ELECTRONICS TO WORK WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PASSENGER POWER SEAT AND THE …
Owner-reported narrative. 14,296 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041674 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10000672 · 2003-01-01 (January 1, 2003)
MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME WHIEN HIS VEHICLE VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT. AT THIS POINT HE COULD NO LONGER CONTROL THE VEHICLE. HE THEN SLAMMED INTO A LARGE ROCK IN THE SIDE OF AN EIGHT FOOT BANK. THE VEHICLE THEN FLIPPED ONTO ITS SIDE AND SLID ANOTHER 20-30 FEET. OUR VEHICLE IS A 2003 FORD F250 AND NOW HAS $20,000.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE. WE TRIED TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER WITH A FEW OF THE EMPLOYEES OF THE FORD DEALERSHIP WE INITIALLY BOUGHT IT AT. SOMEONE IN SERVICE TOLD US SOMETHING DEFINATLY DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT WITH THE STEERING. THE OWNER OF THE DE…
Owner-reported narrative. 4,750 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000672 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10005069 · 2003-02-01 (February 1, 2003)
TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING. WHEN STOPPING THE VEHICLE IT WOULD NOT MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP IN SHAWNEE OK. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS DISASSEMBLED THE INNER PUMP ROTOR WAS BROKE AS WELL AS 1-2 AND 2-3 SHIFT VALVES WERE STUCK. MILAGE WAS 3, 822. NOV 13, 2002. ON JAN 31 2003 WHILE GOING TO THE STORE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE OR OVERDRIVE BUT WOULD MOVE IN FIRST AND SECOND AS WELL AS REVERSE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO PLACE OF PURCHASE WALT'S LIVE OAK FORD WHERE THEY HAVE STATED IT WOUL…
Owner-reported narrative. 8,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005069 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10016267 · 2003-04-21 (April 21, 2003)
MY 2003 F250 FORD WILL MOVE FORWARD WHEN YOU START THE ENGINE AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS IN PARK. IT DOES NOT DO THIS EVERY TIME BUT IT HAS DONE IT AROUND TEN TIMES SINCE WE PURCHASED IT. THE TRUCK WILL MOVE FORWARD , SOMETIMES ABOUT FOUR TO SIX INCHES. THERE IS NO WAY OF TELLING WHEN IT WILL DO THIS. I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID FORD TOLD THEM THIS IS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS VEHICLE. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10016267 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10020563 · 2003-05-27 (May 27, 2003)
I PURCHASED A 2003 FORD F-250 SUPER DUTY CREW CAB WITH 6.0 DIESEL IN LATE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN OREGON. I PULLED INTO THE FORD HOUSE IN COOS BAY ON SATURDAY. THEY COULDN'T WORK ON IT UNTIL MONDAY. TUESDAY THEY SAID IT WAS AN INJECTOR SEAL PROBLEM. THEY SAID THEY DRAINED 28 QUARTS OF FLUID FROM THE CRANKCASE, WHICH HAD A 15 QT CAPACITY. THE REST, THEY SAID, WAS DIESEL BLOW-BY. THEY REPLACED 3 SENSORS AND 1 INJECTOR AND INSTALLED A NEW COMPUTER UPDATE. WE PICKED UP THE TRUCK AND LEFT TOWN THE FOLLOWING THU…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10020563 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10033337 · 2003-08-22 (August 22, 2003)
WE PURCHASED A 2003 F250 SUPER DUTY 6.0 DIESEL WITH 15,000 MILES ON IT ON FRIDAY. WE LEFT FOR VACATION ON SATURDAY TRAVELING 10 HOURS AWAY TO TENNESSEE.TRUCK WAS GREAT AT FIRST. TOWED OUR CAMPER FINE. BUT THEN ON WEDNESDAY EVENING WE WERE SIGHT SEEING ON SOME TWISTY WINDING ROADS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF TENNESSEE WHEN IT SHUT DOWN WITH NO WARNING! I WAS ON A STEEP INCLINE WITH 5 TEENAGERS IN THE VEHICLE. NO POWER STEERING! GOT IT STARTED ON GOT TO A PULL OFF A FEW FEET UP THE ROAD WHEN IT STALLED AGAIN. LUCKILY, FAMILY MEMBERS WHERE IN FRONT …
Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10033337 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10054238 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)
WENT TO START TRUCK , STARTER TURNED SLOWLY, TRUCK WOULD NOT START. TRIED AGAIN, SAME RESULTS, BUT WITH THE SMELL OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE ACCOMPANIED BY A FAIR AMOUNT OF SMOKE EMANATING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AT THE REAR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE FIRE IT SELF EXTINGUISHED. DAMAGE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. TRUCK TOWED TO DEALER. *CB
Owner-reported narrative. 7,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10054238 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10267369 · 2009-04-30 (April 30, 2009)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F250 SUPER DUTY. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED AND SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE VEHICLE STILL FAILED TO START AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT A NEW FUEL INJECTION CONTROL MODULE WAS NEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V270000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED AT THE CONTACT'S …
Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10267369 at NHTSA ↗