2003 Ford F Super Duty problems & reliability
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford F Super Duty. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 9 | 33% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 15% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 3 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 7% |
| Power Train | 2 | 7% |
| Steering | 2 | 7% |
| Suspension | 2 | 7% |
| Wheels | 2 | 7% |
| Equipment | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 20 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 96,000 miles (middle 50% between 50,814 and 126,500 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Thor motorcoach. Consumer writes in regards to kiddie portable fire extinguisher safety recall. *ld the consumer stated the vehicle was sold to an unknown person(s);therefore, they did not receive the recall notice. *js”
Equipment · filed Feb 28, 2018
“The brake pedal sinks at stops. I've had service technicians check the systems, two mastercylinders have been installed that did'nt correct the issue. They have determined the abs valve is the issue and will not fail on a hard brake.. I don't think this is a safe situation and am wondering why there is not a recall on…”
Service Brakes · filed Sep 18, 2017
“My truck has 101k miles on it and it just started stalling out while driving( on streets and highways), also while just idling it stalls(stationary). I took it to my local ford for them to hook it up on their computer to see what the problem is. After hours there and it stalling out and not restarting they couldn't…”
Engine · filed Apr 30, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE STALLING
Engineering Analysis EA06012 · opened Jun 22, 2006 · closed Dec 7, 2007 · led to recall 07V553000
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- ENGINE STALLING
Engineering Analysis EA05003 · opened Feb 15, 2005 · closed Nov 2, 2005 · led to recall 05V270000
- ENGINE STALLING
Preliminary Evaluation PE04070 · opened Oct 7, 2004 · closed Feb 15, 2005
- ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR (ETC)
Engineering Analysis EA04006 · opened Feb 23, 2004 · closed Feb 10, 2005
- ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR FAILURE (ETC)
Preliminary Evaluation PE03044 · opened Sep 26, 2003 · closed Feb 18, 2004
Technical service bulletins
65 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 Ford F Super Duty. The 10 most recent:
Ford: the restraint control module (rcm) when using vcm ii, would have an error code 35 and diagnostic trouble code (dtc) b1035, and difficulty attempting programmable module installation (pmi). Model 2001-2004 f-super…
ASI-44408 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2014
Ford: runs rough, lacks power, hard start, no start. Some vehicles and trucks equipped with 6.0l engine may exhibit a runs rough, lacks power, hard to start, no start concern with or without diagnostic trouble code…
TSB-10-12-6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 11, 2010
Ford: some vehicles equipped with the 6.0l engine may experience a p006a, p132, p0401 or p0402 diagnostic trouble code (dtc) with a lack of power condition, surge, or turbocharger flutter after performing field service…
TSB-09-15-6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 9, 2009
Ford: certain vehicles, e series and f super duty, with ambulance prep package ambulance class action settlement-6.0l diesel engine replacement warranty extension. Awareness communication dated 4/20/09. *pe
SB-09M03 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2009
Ford: certain vehicles with ambulance prep package ambulance class action settlement; specific component warranty extension. Awareness communication, dated 4/20/09. *pe
SB-09M02 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2009
Ford: multiple vehicles with a torq shift transmission intermittent clunk when shifting between drive, reverse and park and/or during 2-3 upshift. Models f super duty; e series; excursion; f53 motorhome chassis and low…
SB-20937 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2009
Ford: some vehicles with diesel engines may experience no starts, hard starts or rough running when cold and may be accompanied with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0611, p1378 and/or all 8 injector circuit codes. *pe
TSB-08-26-3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2009
Ford: some vehicles equipped with 6.0l diesel engine may exhibit any one or combination of the following concerns-lack of power, white/black smoke or a surge. *pe
TSB-08-16-13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2009
Ford: vehicles may exhibit fuel in the engine coolant, due to leaks in the cylinder head fuel injector area. Symptoms may include fuel in engine coolant and coolant expulsion from the degas bottle. *pe updated 3/20/09…
TSB-08-23-8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 4, 2009
Ford: vehicles mistakenly charged $100 powertrain warranty deductible for fuel injector repair or repairs. No model or model years provided. *pe econoline, excursion and f-series super duty vehicles, model years…
CSP-48B01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2008
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2003 Ford F Super Duty in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2003 Ford F Super Duty?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 96,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.