2003 Ford F-350

No clear pattern

21.2% of complaints about the 2003 Ford F-350 arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2003 vehicle, but with only 99 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is engine cooling (19 complaints), typically at 1.9 yr or about 15,000 miles.

Complaints: 99
Median age at failure: 2.3 yr
Median mileage: 56,240 n=65
Crash / fire / tow: 23.2% of reports
Safety recalls: 3

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

11V352000 2011-07-13

Exterior lighting:tail lights

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 RANGER TRUCKS BUILT FROM JANUARY 25, 2011, THROUGH APRIL 25, 2011 AT THE TWIN CITIES ASSEMBLY PLANT, AND SERVICE PARTS DISTRIBUTED TO DEALERS FOR CERTAIN 2004 THROUGH 2011 MODEL YEAR RANGER TRUCKS, 2002 THROUGH 2005 MODEL YEAR EXCURSION VEHICLES, AND 2002 THROUGH 2007 MODEL YEAR F-250, F-350, F-450, AND F-550 TRUCKS FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS SHIPPED WITH A SUBCOMPONENT (SLIDER) THAT MAY EXPERIENCE DE

NON-FUNCTIONING LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

07E066000 2007-08-28

Equipment:electrical

CERTAIN CEQUENT 90 DEGREE 7-WAY RIGHT ANGLE ADAPTORS SOLD BY DISTRIBUTORS IN TOW PACKAGES FOR AFTERMARKET SALES TO TOW 5TH WHEEL RV TRAVEL TRAILERS. DUE TO INCORRECT WIRING OF THE HARNESS, THE TRAILER LIGHTS MAY NOT OPERATE PROPERLY.

IF THE TRAILER LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, A VEHICLE CRASH CAN OCCUR.

04V327000 2004-07-07

Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 6.0L DIESEL ENGINES, THE ENGINE GROUND STUD THAT ATTACHES THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL EYELET TO THE ENGINE BLOCK MAY BE LOOSE.

IF THE GROUND WIRE IS LOOSE, ELECTRICAL CURRENT MAY FLOW TO THE RADIO SUPPRESSION STRAP CAUSING IT TO HEAT AND POTENTIALLY MELT OR IGNITE ADJACENT COMPONENTS WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

In owners’ own words

Engine cooling 700 mi 6 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED 4 SEPARATE TIMES, WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKE CONTROL. DEALER ADVISED THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO GUARANTEE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STALL AGAIN. *JB AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP IT STALLED 15 TIMES. *SCC

Engine cooling mileage not reported 8 mo in service

VEHICLE WONT MOVE, WHEN TEMPERATURE IS BELOW O DEGREE. HAS TO WAIT ABOUT A MINUTE TO WARM-UP. DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. (DIESEL ENGINE)

Engine cooling 1,500 mi 10 mo in service

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING AND RATTLING. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SHOULDER TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, IT WAS FOUND THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS FAULTY AND THE ENGINE FAILED. THERE WERE NO INDICATION LIGHT ON AT ALL. *PH ALL ACCOUNTS TOOK PLACE APPROX. 11:30 P.M. ON AN EXTREMELY BUSY FREEWAY. AS OF 08/20/03, FORD HAD NOT COMPLIED WITH EITHER REPLACING THE ENGINE OR VEHICLE. *PH ALSO THE CONSUMER STATED THE COOLANT WAS LOW, AND THERE WAS STEAM COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. *JB

Other F-350 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2003 Ford F-350

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other F-350 model years

How to read this