2003 Ford Ranger Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Ranger years
- About as many complaints as other years 15th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 243 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Ranger. That ranks 15th out of 28 Ranger model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (43 complaints, 18%), typically at around 86,000 miles. Complaints mention 37 crashes, 11 fires, 43 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 243owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 37complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Ford Ranger 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 43 | 18% | 86,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 40 | 16% | 53,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 29 | 12% | 45,283 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 25 | 10% | 46,800 | — | — |
| Suspension | 23 | 9% | 98,120 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 7% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 17 | 7% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 16 | 7% | 24,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 5% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 10 | 4% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 9 | 4% | 142,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 4% | 56,186 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 4% | 74,350 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 3% | 61,300 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 2% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 2% | 58,360 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 2% | 64,610 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 2% | 78,865 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 4 | 2% | 56,093 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 2% | 119,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 1% | 98,193 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 9,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 151,250 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Ford Ranger recalls (1)
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.
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
- Brake lights inoperative (PE05066) — opened Dec 5, 2005, closed Mar 24, 2006.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Ford knows about the problems with the dual clutch and they are refusing to fix them. I have been giving the run around om trying to get my car fixed. I am a disabled veteran and all I get is they can't help. I just found out about these cars have this problem and ford has know about his problem…
Truck has no spare tire, totally missing the assembly and bracket originally used to hold the tire (have a junk one in the bed). The crossmember under the truck is about 50% intact is getting ready to fall off. Brake lines and rocker panals rotted out as well. Holes in the frame starting and a…
The frame of my truck has rotted through. The strap that holds the gas tank has nothing to connect to, i think the tank could fall to the ground under the right circumstances. The frame has a large whole in it and i fear it will break very soon. I had to remove the spare tire because i feared it…
Airbag warning light always on.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Ranger. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, an abnormal, rattling noise began to emit from the rear of the vehicle without warning. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the rear cross members had rotted out due to severe corrosion. The contact also…
Other Ford Ranger years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ranger | 7 | 8 |
| 2025 Ranger | 43 | 13 |
| 2024 Ranger | 91 | 13 |
| 2023 Ranger | 18 | 4 |
| 2022 Ranger | 37 | 5 |
| 2021 Ranger | 117 | 6 |
| 2020 Ranger | 130 | 7 |
| 2019 Ranger | 270 | 11 |
| 2017 Ranger | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 Ranger | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 Ranger | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 Ranger | 235 | 5 |
| 2010 Ranger | 156 | 8 |
| 2009 Ranger | 169 | 7 |
| 2008 Ranger | 326 | 5 |
| 2007 Ranger | 270 | 5 |
| 2006 Ranger | 272 | 12 |
| 2005 Ranger | 289 | 9 |
| 2004 Ranger | 404 | 10 |
| 2003 | 243 | 1 |
| 2002 Ranger | 346 | 3 |
| 2001 Ranger | 515 | 4 |
| 2000 Ranger | 670 | 3 |
| 1999 Ranger | 755 | 4 |
| 1998 Ranger | 576 | 5 |
| 1997 Ranger | 411 | 1 |
| 1996 Ranger | 413 | 2 |
| 1995 Ranger | 321 | 1 |
See all Ford Ranger problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Ford Ranger?
Owners most often report structure, vehicle speed control, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 43 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford Ranger?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Ford Ranger a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Ranger model years, the 2003 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.