U.S. public vehicle records

2003 Ford F-350 SD problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

132 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

45,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 109 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel is the most frequently named component, appearing in 18 of 132 complaints (13.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Engine operation	24	18.2%
Braking behavior	17	12.9%
Fuel system concerns	15	11.4%
Steering behavior	10	7.6%
Electrical and battery issues	9	6.8%
Transmission and shifting	6	4.5%

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel

Fuel System, Diesel

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Tires

Electrical System

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Tires:Tread/Belt

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel	18
Fuel System, Diesel	16
Engine And Engine Cooling	13
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	13
Tires	9
Electrical System	8
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	5
Tires:Tread/Belt	5

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel: 18; Fuel System, Diesel: 16; Engine And Engine Cooling: 13; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 13; Tires: 9; Electrical System: 8; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 5; Tires:Tread/Belt: 5

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 33; 25,000 to 49,999: 23; 50,000 to 74,999: 21; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 13; 150,000 and above: 9

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (33). 23 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.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2003: 20; 2004: 23; 2005: 9; 2006: 14; 2007: 6; 2008: 17; 2009: 11; 2010: 8; 2011: 9; 2012: 7; 2013: 2; 2014: 1; 2015: 1; 2016: 1; 2017: 1; 2018: 1; 2019: 1

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 24 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 17 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 15 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 10032339 · 2003-08-07 (August 7, 2003)

THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE DRIVING AND IT TOOK OFF REALLY FAST FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 8/5/2003. THE DEALER DID NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM TO THE CONSUMER. WHEN PICKING UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER THE VEHICLE STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER TO DRIVE IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND BRING IT BACK IF IT DOESN'T GET BETTER. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10032339 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10033390 · 2003-08-24 (August 24, 2003)

LOSS OF POWER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE.TOOK IT TO FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO FIX, THAT I SHOULD PULL OVER AND TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND RESET THE COMPUTER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK THIS COULD RESULT IN A SERIUOS (HEAD-ON) COLLISION IF IT OCCUR WHILE PASSING ON A TWO LANE ROAD.

Owner-reported narrative. 15,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10033390 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10016120 · 2003-04-17 (April 17, 2003)

CONSUMER STATES INTERMITTENTLY LOOSE THE BRAKE. NO POWER STEERING. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10016120 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10020294 · 2003-05-21 (May 21, 2003)

THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10020294 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10013704 · 2003-03-31 (March 31, 2003)

I HAD A BRAND NEW 6.0 POWERSTROKE SUPERCHARGER BLOW UP ON ME AND IT ONLY HAD 244 MILES ON IT. SO THE DEALERSHIP GAVE ME A NEW TRUCK. THEN THE NEW TRUCK HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT 8,000 MILES AND IT WAS THE SUPERCHARGER TO BUT IT ALSO BURNT AN INJECTOR OUT AND TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND FORD WAS NOT GOING TO COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT HAD AN AFTER MARKET PART ON IT, EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE FIRST TRUCK ,BUT FIRST TRUCK DID NOT HAVE THE AFTERMARKET PART ON IT . SO I SHOULD NOT BE LIABLE FOR IT. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10013704 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10023816 · 2003-06-26 (June 26, 2003)

NEW F350 DIELEL 6.0, CONTUNIAL INJECTOR PROBLEMS, RUNS ROUGH AND QUITS, TOWED 2X'S, SUCKING DIELES INTO OIL.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 3,330 miles reported. Look up ODI 10023816 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10023530 · 2003-06-22 (June 22, 2003)

STEERING BOX, OIL LEAK, BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER LEAK. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 8 miles reported. Look up ODI 10023530 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10134667 · 2005-08-29 (August 29, 2005)

DT: THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING THAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING. THE BRAKES AND THE STEERING FAILED BECAUSE OF THIS. THE FIRST TIME THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WAS ON 7-1-05. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR REPAIRS, AND THEY REPLACED A BLOWN FUSE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN ABOUT 36 MILES AFTER HE PICKED IT UP FROM THE DEALER. THE CONSUMER TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD HIM THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. HE WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 20…

Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10134667 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10145192 · 2005-12-14 (December 14, 2005)

WIRING HARNESS MELTED, HAD TO BE REPLACED. DEALER AT FIRST ATTEMPTED TO SAY IT WAS A LOOSE OIL CAP THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM, THEN AFTER A WEEK FOR REPAIR SIMPLY SAID THE WIRING HARNESS MELTED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. VEHICLE WAS IN SHOP OVER AT 4,000 MILES, BECAUSE THE HIGH PRESSURE OIL CAP FELL OFF OF THE VEHICLE, AND IT LOST ALL OF ITS OIL, NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE SHOP FOR INJECTORS, FORD KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO FIX THE TRUCK. SO NEEDLESS TO SAY IT IS A FAULTY PRODUCT, IT HAS LOST ALL OF ITS OIL ONCE, ITS PARTS WERE MELTED, WHIC…

Owner-reported narrative. 90,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10145192 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10049321 · 2003-12-06 (December 6, 2003)

2003 FORD F350 SUPERDUTY 6.0 POWERSTROKE. I PURCHASED IT NEW ON NOVEMBER 28, 2003. TWELVE HOURS AND 68 MILES LATER THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AT 45 MILES AN HOUR. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY YET TO FIX PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE ANOTHER NEW TRUCK. THE DEALER WILL NOT GIVE ME ONE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THE RUN-A-ROUND THE DEALER IS GIVING ME. THEY DON'T CARE THAT THE TRUCK WAS JUST PURCHASED. THEY ARE TAKING THERE SWEET TIME OF FIXING THE TRUCK. THERE WERE ALSO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE INJECTORS, PCM, AND TCM. WITH ALL THESE FACTORS AND BEING 12 H…

Owner-reported narrative. 112 miles reported. Look up ODI 10049321 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10080833 · 2004-07-12 (July 12, 2004)

TRANSMISSION FAILURE, NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. BACKED TRUCK UP AND THEN WENT TO PULL FORWARD TRUCK WOULD NOT MOVE. REPLACED OIL PUMP, GEARS, FILTER & GASKET. 28,330 MILES ON TRUCK. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 28,330 miles reported. Look up ODI 10080833 at NHTSA ↗