2003 Ford Excursion Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jan 2, 2023 · 106 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Excursion years
More complaints than other years 4th of 10 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 106 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Excursion. That ranks 4th out of 10 Excursion model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (26 complaints, 25%), typically at around 77,965 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 9 fires, 7 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.

Ford Excursion
A 2004 Ford Excursion Limited photographed in Fresh Meadows, Queens , New York, USA. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2003 Ford Excursion problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Electrical System26 · ~77,965 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling25 · ~13,000 mi
Tires10 · ~20,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic8 · ~33,950 mi
Fuel System, Diesel7 · ~34,497 mi
Steering7 · ~70,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control7 · ~83,000 mi
Power Train6 · ~17,000 mi
Suspension6 · ~60,006 mi
Engine5 · ~81,500 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Electrical System2625%77,965——
Engine and Engine Cooling2524%13,000——
Tires109%20,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic88%33,950——
Fuel System, Diesel77%34,497——
Steering77%70,000——
Vehicle Speed Control77%83,000——
Power Train66%17,000——
Suspension66%60,006——
Engine55%81,500——
Seat Belts44%74,000——
Structure44%140——
Visibility44%23,700——
Exterior Lighting33%———
Fuel System, Gasoline22%———
Unknown or Other22%145,000——
Back Over Prevention11%78,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)11%———
Equipment11%17,910——
Latches/locks/linkages11%25,000——
Seats11%200,000——
Service Brakes11%160,000——
Service Brakes, Air11%24,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2003, with 22 complaints
2003: 222003222004: 18182005: 102005102006: 552007: 5200752008: 882009: 5200952010: 882011: 7201172012: 112014: 1201412015: 442017: 5201752018: 222019: 1201912020: 222021: 1202112023: 11

n = 106 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2003 Ford Excursion recalls (5)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Exterior lighting:brake lights; exterior lighting:tail lightsJul 13, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V352000 · 26,715 vehicles

Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ranger trucks built from january 25, 2011, through april 25, 2011 at the twin cities assembly plant, and service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004 through 2011 model year ranger trucks, 2002 through 2005 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the multi-function switch was shipped with a subcomponent (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate.

Risk: Non-functioning lights could increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the switches free of charge. The safety recall began on august 15, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicle speed controlOct 13, 2009 · NHTSA campaign 09V399000 · 4,500,000 vehicles

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.

Engine and engine cooling:engine:dieselDec 5, 2007 · NHTSA campaign 07V553000 · 1,176,000 vehicles

Problem: On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3l diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle may function intermittently, possibly resulting in an engine stall.

Risk: In the event of an engine stall, a crash could result without warning.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the sensor and replace it with an improved camshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on december 29, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicle speed controlMar 6, 2007 · NHTSA campaign 07V078000 · 155,584 vehicles

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:12v/24v/48v batteryJul 7, 2004 · NHTSA campaign 04V327000 · 83,687 vehicles

Problem: On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with 6.0l diesel engines, the engine ground stud that attaches the negative battery terminal eyelet to the engine block may be loose.

Risk: If the ground wire is loose, electrical current may flow to the radio suppression strap causing it to heat and potentially melt or ignite adjacent components which could result in a fire.

Fix: Dealers will replace the engine ground stud and the radio suppression strap and adjacent components will be inspected for damage and replaced, if necessary. The recall began on july 23, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.

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.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
  • Engine stalling (EA05003) — opened Feb 15, 2005, closed Nov 2, 2005, led to recall 05V270000.
  • Engine stalling (PE04070) — opened Oct 7, 2004, closed Feb 15, 2005.
  • Accelerator pedal sensor (etc) (EA04006) — opened Feb 23, 2004, closed Feb 10, 2005.
  • Accelerator pedal sensor failure (etc) (PE03044) — opened Sep 26, 2003, closed Feb 18, 2004.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

My wife, two young daughters, and I were traveling out of town for the New Year. As we were traveling southbound on I-85 between Greensboro, North Carolina and Thomasville, North Carolina, I started to notice that the vehicle was starting to vibrate. Over the course of the next +\- 10 miles the…

Tires · received Jan 2, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11499780

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Excursion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the suspension made an abnormal popping sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an air bubble had formed on the front passenger’s side tire which he linked to the suspension…

Suspension · received Oct 8, 2021 · NHTSA complaint 11436053

The vehicle has a steering issue. It will pull to the right mostly but occasionally to the left. So you spend the entire drive correcting the wheel to try to keep the vehicle in the road. Towing is impossible with this issue because it causes the trailer to go in to a snaking motion because of the…

Steering · received May 26, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11326093

Pavement was wet...cit was dark ....a car suddenly stopped in the roadway..my anti lock brakes locked up causing me to skid into the car in front of me..causing rear damage to it...my airbag also did not deploy..was going about 25mph..but seemed to increase in speed skidding on the pavement it…

Service Brakes · received Jan 10, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11298486

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. While driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an injector failure. The…

Engine · received Jan 8, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11165134

Other Ford Excursion years

← 2002 Excursion · 2004 Excursion →

See all Ford Excursion 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 Excursion?

Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, tires problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 26 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford Excursion?

Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2003 Ford Excursion a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Excursion model years, the 2003 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.