2003 Ford FORD TRUCK: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
12 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
50,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 7 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 12 complaints (8.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 3 | 25.0% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 16.7% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 8.3% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 8.3% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | 1 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Tailgate:Latch | 1 |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 1 |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 1 |
Air Bags: 1; Air Bags:Frontal: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner: 1; Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump: 1; Latches/Locks/Linkages:Tailgate:Latch: 1; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 1; Power Train:Manual Transmission: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 2 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 2 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 5 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 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2005 | 7 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
2002: 1; 2003: 1; 2005: 7; 2008: 2; 2021: 1
Pattern summary
Air Bags leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 1 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10048975 · 2003-12-01 (December 1, 2003)
AS A SAFETY MGR FOR 23 YEARS, & DEFENSIVE DRIVING INSTRUCTOR, I FEEL THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MANUFACTURING TRUCKS WITH SHINY, NON TEXTURED METAL FENDERS, BUMPERS, OR MUD FLAPS. WITH MOST TRUCKS SITTING HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE CAR, THESE BUMPERS, FENDERS, AND SOME MUD FLAPS ACT LIKE MIRRORS, REFLECTING HEADLIGHTS DIRECTLY BACK INTO THE EYES OF FOLLOWING CARS, USUALLY AT DIRECT EYE LEVEL. THERE IS NO SAFE DISTANCE TO BACK AWAY SUFFICIENTLY TO STOP THIS BLINDING GLARE. THE ONLY OPTION I HAVE FOUND IS TO PULL OFF THE ROAD TO LET THEM G…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10048975 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10114485 · 2005-03-22 (March 22, 2005)
ALL 4 RIMS ON MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED HAD SEVERE CORROSION AROUND THE LUGS: NUTS AREA. CLEARLY A MAJOR DESIGN / QUALITY ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO RIM PERFORMANCE ISSUES. FORD REPLACED THE RIMS UNDER MY BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRENTY, HOWEVER THE EXACT RIMS WERE PLACED BACK ON THE VEHICLE. FORD USES A NEWER RIM ON LATER MODEL EXPLORER LIMITED MODELS, CLEARLY THEY CHANGED VENDORS.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10114485 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10124000 · 2005-06-02 (June 2, 2005)
DT: WHILE DRIVING THE FUEL PUMP SHUT-OFF SWITCH KEPT DISCONNECTING .. THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES, AND EVERYTHING WENT OUT, AND VEHICLE BARLEY GOT OFF ONTO THE SIDE OF ROAD. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER CHECKED THE SWITCH, CONNECTED IT, AND IT RAN FINE. THEN, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WOULD FIX IT IF IT WAS A FAULTY SWITCH.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10124000 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10129388 · 2005-07-19 (July 19, 2005)
MY 2003 FORD EXPEDITION WAS PARKED ON AN INCLINE WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SET. THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE HILL AND HIT A BUILDING. IT DAMAGED THE BUILDING AND THE VEHICLE(YET TO BE DETERMINED IN AMOUNT). TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. CALLED THE FORD SATISFACTION LINE AND THEY ARE LOOKING INTO IT. THE TRUCK SHOULD NOT ROLL DOWN AN INCLINE IN PARK. I WATCHED THE VEHICLE ROLL. I REFUSE TO PLACE MY 3 CHILDREN BACK IN THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION CAN BE FIXED. I BELIEVE THERE IS A…
Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10129388 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10133793 · 2005-08-22 (August 22, 2005)
ON JULY 30, 2005,WE WERE TOTALLY STOPPED, WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WHEN WE WERE STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY A DRIVER GOING ABOUT 50 MPH (IN A 30 MPH ZONE). WE WERE IN A 2003 FORD WINDSTAR SPORT VAN WITH QUAD-CAPTIAN SEATS. OUR FRONT SEATS BOTH COLLAPSED BACKWARD AND MINE ON THE PASSENGER STRUCK OUR 9-YR OLD SON WHO WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND ME. HE IS SMALL FOR HIS AGE. HE HAD A BUMP ON HIS FOREHEAD, AND HIS KNEE, AND STILL HAS MUSCLE PAIN IN THE THIGH OF THIS LEG. IF THERE HAD BEEN A FULL-SIZE ADULT SITTING BEHIND EITHER FRONT SEAT, THERE COULD HAVE…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10133793 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10134960 · 2005-08-31 (August 31, 2005)
WITH LESS THAN 23,000 MILES ON MY 2003 FORD EXPEDITION, I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $500.00. MY BRAKES HAD RECENTLY BEGUN THE INFAMOUS SQUEALING SOUND, SO I BROUGHT IT IN FOR A LOOK. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT COURTESY FORD IN LITTLETON, COLORADO WOULD ONLY SAY THAT IT SEEMED KIND OF "EARLY" TO HAVE TO PERFORM THIS DEGREE OF MAINTENANCE ON MY BRAKE SYSTEM. HE WOULD ADMIT NO TREND WITH BRAKE PROBLEMS FOR FORD EXPEDITIONS. HOWEVER, I HAVE SINCE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL THAT INCLUDED HER …
Owner-reported narrative. 22,802 miles reported. Look up ODI 10134960 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10140288 · 2005-10-19 (October 19, 2005)
WATER LEAK WITNESSED BY SVC MGR & SERVICE WRITER, BUT THEY SAID THEIR SERVICE DEPT CANNOT FIND LEAK, THEREFORE THEY CANNOT REPAIR. $41K TRUCK IS BARELY 2 YRS OLD AND THIS IS THE 3RD TIME I BROUGHT TRUCK THERE BECAUSE OF LEAK. IN THE 2 YRS I OWNED IT, I'VE HAD 4 OTHER REPAIRS MADE ON OTHER ITEMS WHICH "WENT". THE A/C HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE, ALTHOUGH I BROUGHT IT IN FOR REPAIR 3 TIMES. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10140288 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10140401 · 2005-10-21 (October 21, 2005)
I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 FORD EXPEDITION TO MY CHILDREN'S SCHOOL ON FRIDAY, SEPT 30, 2005, AT 8 AM. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THE TRUCK HAS NOT BEEN WRECKED, HIT, OR IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE AIRBAG TO SUDDENLY & UNEXPECTEDLY DEPLOY WHILE I WAS DRIVING. FORD HAS TAKEN NO RESPONSIBILITY. IN FACT, CONSUMER AFFAIRS HAS NOT YET CALLED US BACK (AFTER THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD CALL IN 2 DAY, THEN 7 DAYS, BUT NO RESPONSE YET.) THE FORD DEALERSHIP (WHO HAS THE TRUCK) HAS NOT TAKEN ANY ACTION …
Owner-reported narrative. 38,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10140401 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.