2003 FORD F-150 — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 408 complaints · 11 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (82 complaints · 20.1%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 42
  • Fires 37
  • Injuries 34
  • Deaths 1
Compare with 2002 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 82 of 408 owner complaints (20.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 82 complaints, 20.1% of reports ENGINE 82 · 20.1% · 5 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 55 complaints, 13.5% of reports POWER TRAIN 55 · 13.5% · 5 crash reports 1 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 41 complaints, 10.1% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 41 · 10.1% · 1 crash reports 4 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 34 complaints, 8.3% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 34 · 8.3% · 1 crash reports 15 fire reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 28 complaints, 6.9% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 28 · 6.9% · 3 crash reports 3 fire reports STRUCTURE: 24 complaints, 5.9% of reports STRUCTURE 24 · 5.9% · 1 fire reports AIR BAGS: 21 complaints, 5.2% of reports AIR BAGS 21 · 5.2% · 16 crash reports 2 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 21 complaints, 5.2% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 21 · 5.2% WHEELS: 21 complaints, 5.2% of reports WHEELS 21 · 5.2% · 2 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 199 complaints, 48.8% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 199 · 48.8% · 21 crash reports 14 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 82 20.1% 0 crashes · 5 fires
POWER TRAIN 55 13.5% 5 crashes · 1 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 41 10.1% 1 crashes · 4 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 34 8.3% 1 crashes · 15 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 28 6.9% 3 crashes · 3 fires
STRUCTURE 24 5.9% 0 crashes · 1 fires
AIR BAGS 21 5.2% 16 crashes · 2 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 21 5.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
WHEELS 21 5.2% 2 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 199 48.8% 21 crashes · 14 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 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.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2002; the first recall shown was reported in Sep 2003. 2002-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2003-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2003-Q4: 21 owner reports 21 2004-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2004-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2004-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2004-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2005-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2005-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2005-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2007-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2008-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2008-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2008-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2008-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2009-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2010-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2010-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2010-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2011-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2011-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2011-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2013-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2015-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2015-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2016-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q3: 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 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Oct 2002 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 03V349000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V349000 Recall campaign 06E052000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E052000 Recall campaign 06E056000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E056000 Recall campaign 06E067000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E067000 Recall campaign 07V078000 ◆ Recall campaign 07V078000 Recall campaign 07V336000 ◆ Recall campaign 07V336000 Recall campaign 07E066000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E066000 Recall campaign 08E050000 ◆ Recall campaign 08E050000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000 Recall campaign 11V385000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V385000 Investigation DP05005 ● Investigation DP05005 Investigation PE08063 ● Investigation PE08063 Investigation EA11006 ● Investigation EA11006
  • Campaign 06E067000 was reported 13 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 07E066000 was reported 1,749 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 08E050000 was reported 754 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 1,027 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 11V385000 was reported 3,180 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2002-Q4 Owner reports 1
2003-Q1 Owner reports 7
2003-Q2 Owner reports 8
2003-Q3 Owner reports 11
2003-Q4 Owner reports 21
2004-Q1 Owner reports 17
2004-Q2 Owner reports 13
2004-Q3 Owner reports 12
2004-Q4 Owner reports 5
2005-Q1 Owner reports 14
2005-Q2 Owner reports 9
2005-Q3 Owner reports 8
2005-Q4 Owner reports 4
2006-Q1 Owner reports 4
2006-Q2 Owner reports 2
2006-Q3 Owner reports 5
2006-Q4 Owner reports 7
2007-Q1 Owner reports 5
2007-Q2 Owner reports 3
2007-Q3 Owner reports 5
2007-Q4 Owner reports 12
2008-Q1 Owner reports 7
2008-Q2 Owner reports 8
2008-Q3 Owner reports 8
2008-Q4 Owner reports 7
2009-Q1 Owner reports 5
2009-Q2 Owner reports 3
2009-Q3 Owner reports 5
2009-Q4 Owner reports 7
2010-Q1 Owner reports 5
2010-Q2 Owner reports 7
2010-Q3 Owner reports 8
2010-Q4 Owner reports 6
2011-Q1 Owner reports 8
2011-Q2 Owner reports 10
2011-Q3 Owner reports 9
2011-Q4 Owner reports 5
2012-Q1 Owner reports 3
2012-Q2 Owner reports 6
2012-Q3 Owner reports 4
2012-Q4 Owner reports 3
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2013-Q2 Owner reports 5
2013-Q3 Owner reports 4
2014-Q1 Owner reports 3
2014-Q2 Owner reports 4
2014-Q3 Owner reports 4
2014-Q4 Owner reports 7
2015-Q1 Owner reports 7
2015-Q2 Owner reports 3
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 2
2016-Q1 Owner reports 3
2016-Q2 Owner reports 4
2016-Q3 Owner reports 7
2016-Q4 Owner reports 7
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 3
2017-Q3 Owner reports 3
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q1 Owner reports 3
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 4
2020-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 3
2021-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q4 Owner reports 2
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 2
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q1 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 03V349000
Recall campaign 1 06E052000
Recall campaign 1 06E056000
Recall campaign 1 06E067000
Recall campaign 1 07V078000
Recall campaign 1 07V336000
Recall campaign 1 07E066000
Recall campaign 1 08E050000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Recall campaign 1 09E025000
Recall campaign 1 11V385000
Defect investigation 1 DP05005
Defect investigation 1 PE08063
Defect investigation 1 EA11006
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (11)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 03V349000

    Report date
    Component:
    STEERING
    Consequence:
    IF THE PITMAN ARM TO GEARBOX ATTACHMENT NUT LOOSENS, A NOISE AND A LOOSE FEEL IN THE STEERING COULD OCCUR. IF THE CONDITION PROGRESSED AND SERVICE WAS NOT SOUGHT, THE NUT COULD BACK OFF COMPLETELY AND THE PITMAN ARM COULD SEPARATE FROM THE GEAR CAUSING A LOSS OF STEERING. IF THE WARNING IS NOT HEEDED AND STEERING IS LOST, A CRASH MAY RESULT.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE PITMAN ARM RETAINING NUT TO SPECIFICATIONS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON OCTOBER 1, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E052000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABRY LEE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER FULL CREDIT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLAMP. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON JUNE 14, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABRY LEE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AT 1-866-467-2279.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E056000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    FAILURE OF THIS CONNECTION COULD LEAD TO FUEL SPILLAGE AND, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E067000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    MAXZONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLIGHTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAXZONE AT 909-822-3288.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 07E066000

    Report date
    Component:
    EQUIPMENT
    Consequence:
    IF THE TRAILER LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, A VEHICLE CRASH CAN OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE TOW PACKAGES ARE STILL AT THE DISTRIBUTOR LEVEL AND HAVE NOT BEEN SOLD TO ANY CONSUMERS.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 07V078000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE, BURN, OR AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS INTO THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 12, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673. (NOTE: ALSO SEE RECALLS 05V017, 05V388, AND 06V286)
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 07V336000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERS FOR INSTALLATION OF A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2007, AND MAILING COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 08E050000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTORS, THE LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY BE AFFECTED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 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 →

  10. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09E025000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  11. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 11V385000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    AS A RESULT OF THE CORROSION, ONE OR BOTH STRAPS MAY FAIL ALLOWING THE FUEL LINES TO SEPARATE FROM THE TANK, OR IN SOME CASES, CAUSING THE TANK TO CONTACT THE GROUND. EITHER SCENARIO MAY RESULT IN A FUEL LEAK PRESENTING A FIRE HAZARD.
    Remedy:
    FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND INSTRUCT THEM TO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO A FORD OR LINCOLN DEALER TO HAVE THE FUEL TANK STRAPS REPLACED WITH STRAPS THAT HAVE INCREASED CORROSION PROTECTION. EARLY IN THIS CAMPAIGN, IF REPLACEMENT STRAPS ARE NOT AVAILABLE, DEALERS MAY INSTALL A CABLE SUPPORT UNDER THE STRAP AS AN INTERIM REPAIR OR A STEEL REINFORCEMENT OVER THE EXISTING STRAP AS A PERMANENT REPAIR. ANY REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332. FORD'S RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS 11S21
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 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.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 408 complaints · page 1 of 17

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

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 2026-08-21 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources