2003 Ford E550 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other E550 years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Ford E550. That is the most of any E550 model year in the database (12 years). The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (20 complaints, 30%), typically at around 26,650 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 3 fires, 10 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 66owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Ford E550 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 20 | 30% | 26,650 | — | — |
| Power Train | 9 | 14% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 9 | 14% | 47,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 8 | 12% | 39,250 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 9% | 47,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 8% | 200 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 4 | 6% | 8,204 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 5% | 851 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 5% | 44,250 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 3% | 23,505 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 3% | 13,673 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 2% | 2,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Ford E550 recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
Fix: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the abs control module connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
Risk: Overheating could result in smoke, burn, or an underhood fire.
Fix: 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)
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: On certain vans, a diode in the anti-lock braking system (abs) module may experience an electrical short.
Risk: The electrical short may cause an abs malfunction that would illuminate the abs warning light, or the module may overheat resulting in a burning odor, smoke, and/or fire. This condition may occur while the vehicle is being driven or unattended.
Fix: Dealers will install a new fuse in the abs circuit and install a heat shield over the abs module. The recall began on october 15, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. Also ford is extending the limited warranty (for a one time replacement) of the abs module for a total of 10 years or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever occurs first. If your vehicle has already accumulated more than 150,000 miles, this coverage will last until september 30, 2005.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: On certain vans, the air filter element material process resulted in an air filter paper element that can smolder or burn. This change in filter paper composition combined with the configuration of the air induction system, may allow hot carbon particles to contact the air filter element during certain driving conditions that create hot particles.
Risk: These hot particles may ignite the air filter element with the potential for air induction system damage or underhood fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the air filter element. The recall began september 27, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. Also ford is extending the limited warranty (for a one time replacement) of the abs module for a total of 10 years or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date, whichever occurs first. If your vehicle has already accumulated more than 150,000 miles, this coverage will last until september 30, 2005.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford e-550. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number…
In reference to our 2003 ford f-550 diesel dump truck. The first documented occurrence the problem of loss of power while on the road and running was back in 2005. The problem was finally properly diagnosed on 9/13/07 by mccafferty ford. The problem was that the lining of the fuel tank was flaking…
In the third week of june 2007 my wife moved my truck from the parking spot in the driveway, braked twice with no problem. On third brake depression, pedal went to the floorboard. Truck impacted our 2004 ford explorer in the driveway, damage to both vehicles approximately $3000 total. Afterwards…
While driving truck engines would shut off and then restart. This happened a couple of time on a narrow mountain road causing me to lose steering for a second or two, very scary. Problem fixed after i replaced the cps on my own. *tr
Transmission problems, ford f-250 power stroke diesel, will not go into reverse will not change gears correctly. *tr
Other Ford E550 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 E550 | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 E550 | 4 | 0 |
| 2004 E550 | 1 | 2 |
| 2003 | 66 | 4 |
| 2002 E550 | 1 | 2 |
| 2001 E550 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 E550 | 0 | 1 |
| 1999 E550 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998 E550 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997 E550 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 E550 | 0 | 1 |
| 1995 E550 | 0 | 1 |
See all Ford E550 problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Ford E550?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, power train, tires problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 20 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford E550?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Ford E550 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other E550 model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.