2003 Ford F-250 Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The contact owned a 2003 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while her husband was driving home, there was black smoke coming from the exhaust, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence and turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 171,000.
I have been trying to get the exhaust manifold bolts replaced by several machine shops and did my own checking on the Ford F-250 Web site and everyone tells me the same thing! Ford knows about the problem but is doing nothing to correct! I have finally found a shop that will fix the broken exhaust manifold blots ! But I would like to know what ford truly knows about this problem . To get it fixed they have to replace all the bolts do to the bolts being so rusted ! Now I only have 121, + miles on my2003 and with the bolts broken it starts admitting gas fumes into the cab . I did check your site and could only find but 1 complaint , so if this is an issue with the exhaust manifold bolts braking and all the ford forums are full of complaints where are they being filed at on your site ? And I do believe it is an issue because I have spoken to 5 different shoppes and 1 ford dealer , they all say the same thing SORRY but it is your problem ! ford knows but will not do anything about it ! I am having mine put in the shop for repairs on the week of 7 Feb 2022 , now that I found someone I could afford! I had quotes from I will not do the work because it is a V10 to $1000.00 per bolt please address this ! It won’t help me but maybe it will hold ford accountable for the product !
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-250. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TURBO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PENSKE FORD (LOCATED AT 8970 LA MESA BLVD, LA MESA, CA 91942, (619) 464-7777), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.
MY TRUCK SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. THE LIGHTS COME AND IT THROWS NO CODES AT ALL. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT SPEEDS OF 50 OR LESS. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER IT STILL DIES JUST THE ENGINE. I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE INVESTIGATION BY THE GOVERNMENT AT ALL. AND AS I GO ONLINE MANY PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING THE SAME FATE TO WHERE PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN INTO ACCIDENTS... I WANT ANSWERS!!! WE NEED ANSWERS AS THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE ENGINE JUST DIES BUT I DON'T LOSE ELECTRICAL POWER, BUT I DO LOSE STEERING AND IT'S VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE TRUCK AT THESE TIMES. FORD DENIES EVERYTHING AND WILL NOT HELP AT ALL WITHOUT MONEY IN HAND!!! THIS IS WRONG... WE NEED GOVERNMENT TO STEP IN AND HELP!!!
THE TRUCK HAD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE VALVE TAP GOING ON WHEN IT WAS STARTED. I THOUGHT NOTHING OF THIS SINCE TRUCK IS A 2003 BUT THIS WAS A CHANGE FROM EARLIER TRIP. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE TRUCK SINCE NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AND POWER SEEMED FINE. GOING 35-40 MPH ABOUT 1 MILE FROM HOME I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A SHOTGUN GOING OFF AND THE TRUCK BEGAN TO RUN BADLY AND I LIMPED IT HOME WITH WINDOWS DOWN BECAUSE OF GAS SMELL. THE NEXT DAY I OPENED THE HOOD TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I FOUND CYLINDER #2 HAD BLOWN APART THE COIL PACK AND HAD ALSO EJECTED THE SPARK PLUG FROM THE CYLINDER HEAD. FOLLOWING THAT I TOOK REMOVED ALL OTHER COILS AND PLUGS TO FIND THAT 5 OF THE 8 WERE LOOSE AND WORKING THEIR WAY OUT OF THE THREADS. I BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY THING THAT PREVENTED AN ENGINE FIRE WAS THE FACT THAT THE SPARK PLUG HAD SHORTED ITSELF OUT. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE ON MANY YEARS AND MODELS AND IS DUE TO FAULTY CYLINDER HEADS THAT WERE MADE OF ALUMINUM THAT WAS TO SOFT. THE SPARK PLUGS HAD BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND I CHECKED THEM AFTER I BOUGHT THE TRUCK USED, I TIGHTENED TO CORRECT SPECS WITH A TORQUE WRENCH.
3RD SPARK PLUG ON PASSENGER SIDE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING AND ALSO DESTROYED THE COIL. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN TO FORD, BUT NO RECALLS THAT I COULD FIND. *TR
#5 SPARKPLUG SHOT OUT OF THE HEAD WHEN STARTING VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-250. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD THUMP AND BEGAN TO SMELL GASOLINE FUMES ENTERING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A BLOWN SPARK PLUG. THE DEALER WAS UNAWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED HIM TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,000.
HAVE A 2003 FORD F-250 WITH THE 5.4L TRITON ENGINE I HAVE OWNED THE TRUCK APPROX. 6MONTHS AND IN A MATTER OF 1000 MILES I HAVE BLOWN 2 SPARK PLUGS AND INSERTS OUT, THIS REPAIR HAS COST ME $300 EACH TIME AND $150 IN TOWING FEES,I AM WAITING TO SEE WHEN THE OTHER ONES WILL BLOW, THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN BY ALL MECHANICS AND MAKE THE REPAIRS OFTEN, IF THIS PROBLEM IS SO WELL KNOWN MAYBE FORD SHOULD ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND DEMAND A RECALL OF ALL VEHICLES WITH THIS WELL KNOWN ISSUE, THIS PROBLEM ALSO CAUSES OTHER ISSUES, LIKE ENGINE FIRES DUE TO THE FUEL FUMES ESCAPING FROM WHERE THE SPARK PLUG SHOULD BE, WHEN I TRY TO RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM I SEE THAT THERE IS A WEBSITE DEDICATED TO THIS TRUCK AND PROBLEM SO APPARENTLY FORD IS WAITING FOR AN ENGINE BLOWUP TO KILL SOMEONE BEFORE THEY TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. *TR
I JUST ENTERED A SAFETY COMPLAINT REGARDING BRAKE ROTORS RUSTING (( 10328142 ) ON MY 2003 FORD F250 7.3 L DIESEL. THIS COMPLAINT REGARDS RUSTING OUT RADIATOR HOSE BRACKETS. ON JULY 6 TH 2007 A RADIATOR HOSE CLAMP RUSTED OUT , AND I RAPIDLY LOST COOLING, WHILE ON INTERSTATE 68 IN MD TRAVELING AT 65 MPH TOWING A TRAVEL TRAILER. I MANAGED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND TRAILER SAFELY BUT HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THIS WAS ON A 4 YEAR OLD TRUCK.( JUST RECENTLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ROTOR PROBLEM A WIRING CLAMP RUSTED OUT UNDER THE BODY LEAVING LOOSE DANGLING WIRES. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS A SINGLE RUSTING ISSUE. NOW THAT I AM EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE FAILURES I KNOW THE PROBLEMS ARE MORE EXTENSIVE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F250. WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS AT A STOP LIGHT, STOP SIGN, OR IDLING, IT SURGES FORWARD. THE CONTACT HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OVER 25 TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.
MY 2003 FORD F250 TRITON V10 BLEW A SPARK PLUG OUT OF THE HEAD WHILE I WAS TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC. *TR
CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR ( CPS ) FAILURE, TRUCK ENGINE STOPS RUNNING. FORD DEALERSHIP REPLACED IT AT COST OF $388.*AK
TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON 11/01/06 HE COULD HEAR THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND HE COULD SMELL FUMES COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE 2003 FORD F250 WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS, AND HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE MANIFOLD BOLTS BROKE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE MANIFOLD BOLTS, AND THIS WAS ONLY A TEMPORARY REPAIR. HE HAS BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM WAS TO TAKE THE HEADS OFF THE ENGINE AND DRILL THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HOLDS AND REASSEMBLE WITH LARGER BOLTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13500, AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15800.*AK UPDATED 03/30/07. *JB
VIBRATION WHEN UNDER ACCELERATION FROM STOP, FORD HAS REPLACED CATAYLTIC CONVERTER 3 TIMES. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. SAVERE AIR LEAK DRIVERS WINDOW, I WAS TOLD IT WAS AN ENGINERING DEFECT AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE.ROUGH IDLE AND SKIPPING , I WAS TOLD "I WAS BUYING CHEEP GAS" CHENGED BRAND STILL SAME PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH ENGINE STALLED. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. DEALER STATED THAT THE OIL SENSOR SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING OIL TO LEAK. *AK
WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING, IT VIBRATED HEAVILY. *JB
WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER SMELLED GAS FUMES COMING FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP TRIED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE IT. *AK
WHEN THE HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONER WAS ENGAGED THE EXHAUST FUMES SEEPED THROUGH THE VENTILATION. *AK IT TOOK ONE WEEK TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED BECAUSE THE EXHAUST PIPE WAS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. *NM
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION NUMEROUS TIMES. HOWEVER, MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
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
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL STALL AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
2003 6.0 DIESEL ON COLD STARTS THE VEHICLE DISCHARGES BLACK AND BLUE SMOKE FOR A FEW SECONDS, AND I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR SURGING PROBLEMS AND ROUGH RUNNING, THE IPC SENSOR HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, AND STILL HAVE VARIOUS ROUGH RUNNING AND SLIGHT SURGING PROBLEMS, DEALER IS NOW SAYING THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS STATED THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND ACCEPTABLE FOR THE ALL NEW BEST IN CLASS DIESEL. *JB
THE VEHICLES EXHAUST WAS COMING THROUGH THE VENTS INTO THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM
THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. *JB
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The 2003 Ford F-250 has 26 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.