2003 Ford F-150: complaints, problems and recalls

THE WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE DOESN'T REACH OUT ENOUGH IN ORDER FOR THE CONSUMER TO SEE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PH *TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002141 at NHTSA ↗

WE PURCHASED A 2003 FORD F150 SUPERCREW FX4 IN OCTOBER OF 2002. ON DECEMBER 2,2002 THIS VEHICLE LOST CONTROL OF IT'S BRAKES AND ACCELERATION PEDAL. IT WAS PICKED UP THAT DAY AND TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED. IT IS STILL TO THIS DAY AT THE DEALERSHIP. WE HAVE NOT HAD POSSESSION OF IT SINCE. THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY TRIED TO FIX IT BUT WE UNABLE, UNTIL 01-22-03 WHEN WE WERE TOLD IT WAS FIXED. BUT EVEN SO WE ARE NOT GIVEN A GUARANTEE BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT IS. THEY DO NOT FEEL SAFE WITH IT ON THE ROAD ALSO. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ACTIN…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,694 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003377 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE GAS PEDAL WOULD GET STUCK THE VEHICLE WOULD PICK UP SPEED.CONSUMER STATES THE BRAKE PEDAL ALSO DID NOT SLOW VEHICLE DOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10004608 at NHTSA ↗

HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS, SINCE DECEMBER 2002. A NEW SEAT BELT WAS ORDERED "TWICE". THE SECOND ONE ORDERED WAS DUE TO THE TECHNICIAN NOT BEING COMFORTABLE WITH IT. JANUARY 20, 2003 WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, HAD TO COME TO A PANIC STOP, SEAT BELT ON DRIVER'S SIDE DID NOT LOCK. A FORD MOTOR CO. ENGINEER NOW STATES THAT THE SEAT BELT IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. IF A SEAT BELT DOES NOT LOCK DURING A PANIC STOP FROM SUCH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, WHY DO WE HAVE SEAT BELTS? ON JANUARY 31, 03 COMING HOME FROM THE ENGINEER INSPECTION,…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005290 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10009573 at NHTSA ↗

WE OWN SEVERAL FORD F-150 TRUCKS. IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS WE HAD FOUR SEPARATE PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR AXLES. ONE TRUCK THE AXLE BROKE AND THE WHEEL CAME COMPLETELY OFF. ANOTHER TRUCK THE AXLE WAS DESTROYED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE LAST TRUCK IS BRAND NEW WITH LESS THAN 2000 MILES AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM YESTERDAY. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011046 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER, THE FORCE WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. 8JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10011868 at NHTSA ↗

ON, MARCH 21, 2003 I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 FORD F-150 XLT. WE WERE DRIVING BACK HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP AT 65 MPH WHEN WE STARTED DOWN A SMALL HILL, THE TRUCKS FRONT END STARTED SHAKING AND VIBRATING PRETTY BAD, AND DIDN'T STOP SHAKING AND VIBRATING UNTIL I CAME TO A STOP. I PULLED ONTO A SIDE STREET AND STOPPED. I LOOKED FOR A PROBLEM AND COULD SEE NOTHING WRONG. PUT THE TRUCK IN DRIVE AND CONTINUED MY WAY HOME, THE PROBLEM HAD NOW STOPPED. ON APRIL 1, 2003 I WAS DRIVING ON THE EAST-WEST EXPRESSWAY IN ORLANDO, AT ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN I STARTED …

Owner-reported narrative. 325 miles reported. Look up ODI 10013827 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2003-09-22 (September 22, 2003)

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, THE PITMAN ARM TO STEERING GEAR RETAINING NUT WAS NOT FULLY TIGHTENED TO THE REQUIRED SPECIFICATION.

Consequence: IF THE PITMAN ARM TO GEARBOX ATTACHMENT NUT LOOSENS, A NOISE AND A LOOSE FEEL IN THE STEERING COULD OCCUR. IF THE CONDITION PROGRESSED AND SERVICE WAS NOT SOUGHT, THE NUT COULD BACK OFF COMPLETELY AND THE PITMAN ARM COULD SEPARATE FROM THE GEAR CAUSING A LOSS OF STEERING. IF THE WARNING IS NOT HEEDED AND STEERING IS LOST, A CRASH MAY RESULT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE PITMAN ARM RETAINING NUT TO SPECIFICATIONS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON OCTOBER 1, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.

Reported: 2007-03-06 (March 6, 2007)

ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SPEED CONTROL, GASOLINE OR NATURAL GAS ENGINES, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY OVERHEAT.

Consequence: OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE, BURN, OR AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS INTO THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 12, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673. (NOTE: ALSO SEE RECALLS 05V017, 05V388, AND 06V286)

Reported: 2007-08-03 (August 3, 2007)

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.

Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERS FOR INSTALLATION OF A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2007, AND MAILING COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.

Reported: 2011-07-29 (July 29, 2011)

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN 1997 THROUGH 2003 MODEL YEAR FORD F-150, 2004 MODEL YEAR FORD F-150 HERITAGE, 1997 THROUGH 1999 MODEL YEAR F-250 LESS THAN 8,500 LBS. GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR), AND 2002 AND 2003 LINCOLN BLACKWOOD VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 20, 1995, THROUGH AUGUST 4, 2004, ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ROAD DEICING CHEMICALS MAY CAUSE SEVERE CORROSION OF THE FUEL TANK STRAPS WHICH SECURE THE TANK TO THE VEHICLE.

Consequence: AS A RESULT OF THE CORROSION, ONE OR BOTH STRAPS MAY FAIL ALLOWING THE FUEL LINES TO SEPARATE FROM THE TANK, OR IN SOME CASES, CAUSING THE TANK TO CONTACT THE GROUND. EITHER SCENARIO MAY RESULT IN A FUEL LEAK PRESENTING A FIRE HAZARD.

Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND INSTRUCT THEM TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO A FORD OR LINCOLN DEALER TO HAVE THE FUEL TANK STRAPS REPLACED WITH STRAPS THAT HAVE INCREASED CORROSION PROTECTION. EARLY IN THIS CAMPAIGN, IF REPLACEMENT STRAPS ARE NOT AVAILABLE, DEALERS MAY INSTALL A CABLE SUPPORT UNDER THE STRAP AS AN INTERIM REPAIR OR A STEEL REINFORCEMENT OVER THE EXISTING STRAP AS A PERMANENT REPAIR. ANY REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332. FORD'S RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS 11S21