2003 FORD F-250 Complaints

View complaints related to 2003 FORD F-250. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 280 complaints submitted for the 2003 FORD F-250. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2003 FORD F-250 SD
    - VILONIA, AR

    I HAVE HAD ROUGH IDLE PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW. THIS WAS THE FIRST DIESEL VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED SO IN THE BEGINNING I THOUGHT IT WAS NORMAL, BUT IT KEPT GETTING WORSE. I PURCHASED THE TRUCK IN APRIL 2003. I HAVE HAD HARD SHIFTING SINCE I BOUGHT IT. WHEN I BACK THE TRUCK UP AND THEN SHIFT INTO DRIVE IT WILL SLAM INTO GEAR AS A VEHICLE WITH NO TRANSMISSION FLUID REACTS. THERE WAS A DANGEROUS HESITATION WHEN CROSSING TRAFFIC AND SOMETIMES THE TRUCK WOULD HAVE A 3-5 SECOND STALL. IT HAS BLOWN WHITE SMOKE MORE RECENTLY AND WOULD NOT KICK DOWN INTO PASSING GEAR ON THE FREEWAY. I HAVE HAD THE TRUCK IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES AND THE LAST TIME THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NO FIX AT THAT TIME. I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER AND SHE TELLS ME THAT THE FIX WILL RAISE THE NOISE LEVEL UP 5 DECIBELS. THIS WILL MAKE THE TRUCK LOUDER THAN IT WAS WHEN IT WAS SOLD TO ME. I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK BECAUSE OF THE POWER AND HOW QUIET IT WAS. NOW IT WILL GET LOUDER? I REQUESTED THAT FORD BUY THE VEHICLE BACK AND THEY WANT TO FIX THE PROBLEM FIRST! EVEN THOUGH IT WILL BE LOUDER. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BUT I HAVE NO CHOICE. I HAVE MY RECEIPTS BUT DIDN'T FIND OUT HOW MUCH THE REPAIRS HAVE COST ALL TOGETHER, BUT FORD HAS NOT CHARGED ME ANYTHING... YET

    Source: CONSUMER ACTION GROUP
  • 2003 FORD F-250 SD
    - WARWICK, NY

    ON GOING PROBLEMS WILL STALL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAN'T PULL ACROSS INTERSECTION LOSS OF POWER TRANS WILL SHIFT OR NOT STEERING ALL OVER ROAD SMOKES BADDLY WHEN STARTED

    Source: CONSUMER ACTION GROUP
  • 2003 FORD F-250 SD
    - OAKDALE, MN

    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

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 FORD F-250 SD
    - BELLE FOURCHE, SD

    MY FORD F-250 6.0 DIESEL FAILED TO START AND MADE A FUNNY NOISE. MINUTES LATER IT WAS ON FIRE AND DESTROYED THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY. *AK

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 FORD F-250 SD
    - LEXINGTON, KY

    2003 FORD F-250 WITH A 6.0 LITER DIESEL ENGINE. INTERMITTENTLY ENGINE DID NOT ACCELERATE WHEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PUSHED DOWN. THESE OCCASIONS WERE TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE, AND ALMOST CAUSED A NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS. REPEATED ATTEMPTS BY FORD TO FIX THE PROBLEM WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. *AK*MR

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 FORD F-250 SD
    - CRYSTAL SPRINGS, MS

    THIS COMPLAINT IS ON A 2003 FORD F 250 SUPER DUTY DESIEL.....ON THIS DATE I STARTED TO CROSS AN INTERSECTION ON A BUSY STREET FROM A CROSS STREET. AS THE TRUCK STARTED TO MOVE AND GOT INTO ONE LANE OF TRAFFIC THE MOTOR SEEMED TO SHUT OFF, OR I SHOULD SAY WENT TO AN IDLE ALTHOUGH I WAS PRESSING ON THE ACCELARATOR PEDAL....I LOOKED DOWN AT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON AND JUST AS QUICK IT WENT OUT AND I HAD POWER AGAIN ALLOWING ME TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC THAT ALMOST HIT ME......I THOUGH THIS TO BE ODD BUT CONTINUED ON MY WAY...WE HAD LEFT MISSISSIPPI AND WERE ON OUR WAY TO CENTRAL TEXAS FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS......ALL WENT WELL FOR ABOUT 200 OR SO MILE BUT THE PROBLEM STARTED TO SHOW IT'S FACE AGAIN. IF I DROVE ABOVE 70 MPH THERE WASN'T ANY ACCLERATOR PETAL BUT I COULD DRIVE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL......WHEN I WOULD COME UP ON A SLOWER CAR IF I DISINGAGED THE CRUISE I COULDN'T "DRIVE" WITH THE PEDAL SO I WOULD SLOW DOWN AND SPEED UP WITH THE CRUSE CONTROL........ALL WENT WELL UNTIL WE WERE ABOUT MID WAYS BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH TEXAS.......THE PROBLEM STARTED TO GET WORSE AND THE WASN'T A PEDAL ABOVE 35 MILES AN HOURS....WE GOT OFF OF THE INTERSTATE AT WHITE SETTLEMENT, TEXAS AND SPENT THE NIGHT....THE NEXT MORNING I DROVE THE TRUCK TO A FORD DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL PROXCEMITY SWITH WAS BAD AND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS ITEM/TRUCK...... THIS WAS COVERED BY WARRENTY............BUT.......FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAD NEVER NOTIFIED ME.... THE PAPER WORK THAT THE SERVICE PERSONNAL GAVE ME STATED THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM....... IN CLOSING... THE TIME THAT I WENT TO CROSS THAT INTERSECTION IF THE ACCELERATOR HADN'T STARTED TO WORK IN TIME, I MOSTLY LIKELY WOULD N'T BE HERE WRITING THIS COMPLAINT....I'VE TALKED TO A COUPLE OF SERVICE PERSONAL AT DIFFERENT DEALERS AND THEY ALL HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE FIX IT. *AK

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 FORD F-250 SD
    - FRISCO, TX

    VEHICLE WAS UNSTABLE. IT LURCHED/PULSATED. WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN PARK POSITION IT MOVED FORWARD. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES EARLIER. *AK

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 FORD F-250 SD
    - TYLER, TX

    2003 F-250 6.0 DIESEL. WHEN STANDING ON BRAKES TURNS VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT. CONTACTED SALES DEALER: 3K MI. BRAKES NEED BRAKING IN. IN SERVICE DEALER: 12K MI. REPLACE CALIPERS ON DRIVER FRONT WHEEL. IN SERVICE DEALER: 25K MI. REPLACE COMPLETE BRAKING SYSTEM FRONT / REAR. DID NOT REPLACE HOSES. DID NOT CHECK PRESSURE. ADVISED THEY COULD NOT REPAIR AND TOLD ME TO GO TO ANOTHER DEALER AND TRADE UP. CONTACTED CUST. SERVICE WHO THEN ADVISED OWNER/DEALER TO "EXHAUST AVAILABLE RESOURCES." OWNER ADVISED THEY HAD DONE SO AND HANDED ME MY KEYS. SORRY. IMMEDIATELY PLACED IN SERVICE WITH ANOTHER DEALER 30 M AWAY. AGAIN, COMPLETE BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACED. WAS ABLE TO CHANGE BRAKES TO VEAR TO THE RIGHT..BUT UNABLE TO REPAIR PER FACTORY SPEC. ADVISED VEHICLE UNSAFE. FIELD REP CONTACTED AND IS TO INSPECT. NOTE: TRUCK HAS BEEN IN SHOP FOR REPAIR FOR OVER 5 WEEKS. LATEST SERVICE REP HAS ALLOWED RENTAL USAGE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 FORD F-250
    - KINGMAN, AZ

    WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONSUMER SMELLED STRONG EXHAUST FUMES. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THEY SUGGESTED TURNING THE AIR CONDITIONER ON MAX TO NEUTRALIZE THE EXHAUST FUMES. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUMES WERE NOTICEABLE EVEN WHEN THE HEAT WAS ON. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. *JB

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2003 FORD F-250 SD
    - SIOUX CITY, IA

    TRUCK ROLLED BACK IN PARK 2 DIFFERENT TIMES ABOUT 2 OR 3 FEET AND SORT OF CAUGHT GEARS AND STOPPED. THE TRUCK WAS ON A SMALL INCLINE BOTH TIMES IN DIFFERENT PLACES THERE WAS SNOW ON THE GROUND BUT NOT ICE AND IT ROLLED ALL THE TIRES WHEN IT MOVED. *LA

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE