2003 Ford F-150 Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2003 Ford F-150, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 40,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “four wheel” (13% of reports).
- 62power train complaints
- 40,000median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 34%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Four wheel: mentioned in 8 of 62 complaints (13%)
- Noise rear: mentioned in 7 of 62 complaints (11%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 44 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 62 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
Ford F-150 power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 25 | 23% | 5,330 |
| 2024 F-150 | 58 | 30% | 10,500 |
| 2023 F-150 | 158 | 38% | 33,500 |
| 2022 F-150 | 160 | 27% | 28,791 |
| 2021 F-150 | 318 | 31% | 55,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 357 | 49% | 59,000 |
| 2019 F-150 | 736 | 55% | 66,500 |
| 2018 F-150 | 1,014 | 44% | 60,000 |
| 2017 F-150 | 546 | 38% | 83,700 |
| 2016 F-150 | 600 | 29% | 96,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 422 | 24% | 86,500 |
| 2014 F-150 | 425 | 28% | 101,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 1,342 | 45% | 94,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 681 | 38% | 90,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 826 | 38% | 96,634 |
| 2010 F-150 | 121 | 14% | 60,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 33 | 10% | 38,673 |
| 2008 F-150 | 50 | 14% | 50,000 |
| 2007 F-150 | 57 | 12% | 70,000 |
| 2006 F-150 | 46 | 8% | 38,500 |
| 2005 F-150 | 112 | 10% | 65,850 |
| 2004 F-150 | 232 | 11% | 35,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 62 | 15% | 40,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 53 | 6% | 54,260 |
| 2001 F-150 | 74 | 6% | 64,239 |
| 2000 F-150 | 47 | 4% | 54,104 |
| 1999 F-150 | 75 | 7% | 84,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 83 | 6% | 95,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 151 | 5% | 99,904 |
| 1996 F-150 | 26 | 8% | 109,750 |
| 1995 F-150 | 75 | 12% | 120,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2003 Ford F-150. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
UNKNOWN - however there were NO warning lights or any other indication of malfunction or to service the truck. I took the truck to an independent service center & they did a full inspection & I did receive an estimate for repairs.
Ford placed a decal on the rear differential that wraps all the way around the axle. This decal holds water and has caused any area touching the decal to rust excessively. Ford has told me that this will cause they rear differential fail. When this happens it will likely be when I'm driving with my…
Transmission
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford F-150s have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 62 owner complaints about power train for the 2003 Ford F-150 (15% of the 423 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford F-150 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 40,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2003 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “four wheel”, in 8 of 62 complaints, followed by “noise rear” (7).
Other 2003 Ford F-150 problems
See all 2003 Ford F-150 problems or power train problems across all F-150 years.