2003 Ford F-350 SD Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Ford F-350 SD, 39% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 28,001 miles.
- 51engine and engine cooling complaints
- 28,001median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 57%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 44 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 51 complaints, 1 an injury.
Ford F-350 SD engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-350 SD | 2 | 14% | 7,806 |
| 2024 F-350 SD | 1 | 2% | 110,000 |
| 2023 F-350 SD | 1 | 2% | 17,000 |
| 2022 F-350 SD | 3 | 3% | 30,051 |
| 2021 F-350 SD | 1 | 1% | 92,567 |
| 2019 F-350 SD | 2 | 0% | 103,500 |
| 2018 F-350 SD | 3 | 1% | 42,600 |
| 2017 F-350 SD | 2 | 0% | 26,300 |
| 2016 F-350 SD | 3 | 1% | 52,500 |
| 2015 F-350 SD | 3 | 1% | 120,000 |
| 2012 F-350 SD | 5 | 17% | 35,000 |
| 2011 F-350 SD | 5 | 12% | 56,378 |
| 2010 F-350 SD | 2 | 4% | 19,675 |
| 2009 F-350 SD | 2 | 11% | 31,525 |
| 2008 F-350 SD | 21 | 21% | 31,000 |
| 2006 F-350 SD | 16 | 13% | 30,000 |
| 2005 F-350 SD | 48 | 22% | 39,150 |
| 2004 F-350 SD | 42 | 32% | 68,000 |
| 2003 F-350 SD | 51 | 39% | 28,001 |
| 2002 F-350 SD | 41 | 33% | 63,050 |
| 2001 F-350 SD | 40 | 25% | 79,500 |
| 2000 F-350 SD | 41 | 26% | 92,000 |
| 1999 F-350 SD | 32 | 23% | 103,500 |
| 1997 F-350 SD | 1 | 33% | 150,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling:engine:diesel
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was hauling a loaded horse trailer and had just merged onto the highway. As i was trying to accelerate, the engine was "catching" and wouldn't let me accelerate past 35 mph and was revving very high and wouldn't shift up into the next gear. It finally stalled and completely shut off in the middle…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford f-350 sd diesel. The contact stated the vehicle experienced a blown head gasket. The dealer replaced the motor but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired…
Spark plug ejection from 2003 ford f-350 super duty engine: triton 5.4l v8 date of failure: 03-10-11 mileage of truck: 139414 this incident happened while traveling on a state hwy51 near postville, ia ejection of spark plug from number 7 cylinder on 5.4l v8 engine. Damage to cylinder head of engine…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford F-350 SDs have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 51 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Ford F-350 SD (39% of the 132 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-350 SD engine and engine cooling?
Yes: 1 safety recall list engine and engine cooling. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 28,001 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
See all 2003 Ford F-350 SD problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all F-350 SD years.