2003 Ford Expedition Problems and Recalls (578 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2003 Ford Expedition is Engine (25% of 578 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 578 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 2003 Ford Expedition?

144 of 578 filings named Engine (25% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Brakes (68 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2002 has 332 reports on file; this year has 578. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2003 Ford Expedition

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 144 complaints · 24.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 54
  • Fires 36
  • Injuries 65
  • Deaths 3
All Ford Expedition years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Engine (ENGINE) appears in 144 of 578 owner complaints (24.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 144 complaints, 24.9% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 11 fire reports 144 · 24.9% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 68 complaints, 11.8% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 5 crash reports 2 fire reports 68 · 11.8% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 64 complaints, 11.1% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 13 fire reports 64 · 11.1% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 54 complaints, 9.3% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 23 crash reports 54 · 9.3% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 40 complaints, 6.9% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 7 crash reports 1 fire reports 40 · 6.9% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 32 complaints, 5.5% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 3 fire reports 32 · 5.5% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 29 complaints, 5.0% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 crash reports 29 · 5.0% Tires (TIRES): 24 complaints, 4.2% of reports Tires (TIRES) 2 crash reports 24 · 4.2% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 21 complaints, 3.6% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 21 · 3.6% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 276 complaints, 47.8% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 31 crash reports 11 fire reports 276 · 47.8% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Engine (ENGINE) 144 24.9% 0 crashes · 11 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 68 11.8% 5 crashes · 2 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 64 11.1% 0 crashes · 13 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 54 9.3% 23 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 40 6.9% 7 crashes · 1 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 32 5.5% 0 crashes · 3 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 29 5.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 24 4.2% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 21 3.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 276 47.8% 31 crashes · 11 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2002; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2003. 2002-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2003-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2003-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2003-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2003-Q4: 33 owner reports 33 2004-Q1: 21 owner reports 21 2004-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2004-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2004-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2005-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2005-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2005-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2005-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2006-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2006-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2006-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2007-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2007-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2007-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2007-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2008-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2008-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2008-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2008-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2009-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2009-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2009-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2010-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2010-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 2010-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2011-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2012-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2013-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2014-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2015-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2016-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2016-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2002 Jan 2026 Recall campaign 03V094000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V094000 Recall campaign 06E023000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E023000 Recall campaign 06E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E025000 Recall campaign 06E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E026000 Recall campaign 06E064000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E064000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Investigation DP05005 ● Investigation DP05005
  • Campaign 06E023000 was reported 201 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 06E025000 was reported 209 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2002-Q3 Owner reports 3
2002-Q4 Owner reports 6
2003-Q1 Owner reports 6
2003-Q2 Owner reports 15
2003-Q3 Owner reports 20
2003-Q4 Owner reports 33
2004-Q1 Owner reports 21
2004-Q2 Owner reports 15
2004-Q3 Owner reports 16
2004-Q4 Owner reports 14
2005-Q1 Owner reports 14
2005-Q2 Owner reports 21
2005-Q3 Owner reports 9
2005-Q4 Owner reports 6
2006-Q1 Owner reports 11
2006-Q2 Owner reports 8
2006-Q3 Owner reports 8
2006-Q4 Owner reports 10
2007-Q1 Owner reports 12
2007-Q2 Owner reports 8
2007-Q3 Owner reports 6
2007-Q4 Owner reports 7
2008-Q1 Owner reports 11
2008-Q2 Owner reports 5
2008-Q3 Owner reports 11
2008-Q4 Owner reports 18
2009-Q1 Owner reports 10
2009-Q2 Owner reports 5
2009-Q3 Owner reports 11
2009-Q4 Owner reports 5
2010-Q1 Owner reports 15
2010-Q2 Owner reports 12
2010-Q3 Owner reports 17
2010-Q4 Owner reports 4
2011-Q1 Owner reports 9
2011-Q2 Owner reports 3
2011-Q3 Owner reports 6
2011-Q4 Owner reports 6
2012-Q1 Owner reports 6
2012-Q2 Owner reports 11
2012-Q3 Owner reports 5
2012-Q4 Owner reports 2
2013-Q1 Owner reports 4
2013-Q2 Owner reports 6
2013-Q3 Owner reports 8
2013-Q4 Owner reports 2
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 7
2014-Q3 Owner reports 11
2014-Q4 Owner reports 4
2015-Q1 Owner reports 8
2015-Q2 Owner reports 4
2015-Q3 Owner reports 4
2015-Q4 Owner reports 7
2016-Q1 Owner reports 5
2016-Q2 Owner reports 5
2016-Q3 Owner reports 11
2016-Q4 Owner reports 4
2017-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 7
2017-Q3 Owner reports 4
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 1
2018-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 3
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 3
2020-Q2 Owner reports 3
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q1 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 03V094000
Recall campaign 1 06E023000
Recall campaign 1 06E025000
Recall campaign 1 06E026000
Recall campaign 1 06E064000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Defect investigation 1 DP05005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (6)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Lights.

  1. Recall campaign 03V094000

    Safety recall 03V094000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS OVERHEATING CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE RUNNING BOARD TO MELT OR CAUSE A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS ON THESE RUNNING BOARDS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 7, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SOUTHERN COMFORT AT 1-800-745-6096.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 06E023000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 06E025000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    POLI-AUTO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE HEADLAMPS AT ITS ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT POLI-AUTO AT 305-477-1356.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 06E026000

    Safety recall 06E026000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 06E064000

    Safety recall 06E064000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    TRADESONIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRADESONIC AT 626-934-8884.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 09E012000

    Safety recall 09E012000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 6 of 578 complaints · page 1 of 24
2026-03-09Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11722874
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My truck stopped working in November 2025. I was told I needed fuel pump and filter. I replaced those and still didn't crank. I was then told I needed a circuit box. Purchased a circuit box and had it put on. Got my truck back February 2026. March 08,2026, truck went out again. I kept my truck maintenance and don't understand what's going on with it. I was told it is a recall on electrical parts and engine coils and spark plugs.
2025-02-11Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11642012
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the front end of the vehicle was shaking abnormally, vibrating, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, there was a loud booming sound coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the spark plug had ejected from the engine cylinder. The engine cylinder was rethreaded, and the spark plug was installed; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 230,000.
2024-05-05Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11587033
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Fuel leaking from emissions vents on fuel tank. Non reparable part.
2024-01-19Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11566561
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My Ford Expedition started randomly stalling and it stalled in the highway. The engine just shut down in the middle of the highway and it was such a scary a life endangering experience. This total loss of power in the middle of the highway when vehicles are traveling at highway speeds can cause death very, very easily to the occupants of the Ford Expeditions suffering this defect. I have been reading in many forums ( I have included the link to one of many forums) this is a common defect [XXX] ) many have Ford Expedition owners have experienced and have been very concerned and shocked that there was not recall. The issue is that the R303 relay (non serviceable fuel pump relay) fails very commonly on Ford Expeditions. In my Ford Expedition, the relay was melted. The fuel pump relay fails and cuts all current going to the fuel pump causing the engine to stall. This is a life-threatening risk caused by a defective fuse box with a defective fuel pump relay (R303). There were no warnings, the Ford Expedition just stalled randomly. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2023-12-08STEERING
NHTSA ODI 11559141
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The brakes are burning while driving & the emergency brakes are not applied. The power windows are failing 1 by 1.
2022-10-26Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11491056
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the engine was misfiring, and the contact smelled a burning odor inside the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to his residence. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic on five occasions where it was diagnosed that water was leaking into the ignition coil. The independent mechanic installed silicon around the boot to prevent water from leaking into the coils; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact it was not a known failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 196,000.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2003 Ford Expedition?

Owners named Engine most often — 144 of 578 reports (25%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2003 Ford Expedition?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2003 Ford Expedition?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources