2003 FORD F-450 SD — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
18
Owner Complaints
6
Recalls
8
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2003 FORD F-450 SD
The 2003 FORD F-450 SD has received a total of 18 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 7 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. 8 technical service bulletins have been issued by Ford Motor Company for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Fuel System Diesel (6 complaints), Engine And Engine Cooling (2 complaints), and Tirestreadbelt (2 complaints).
Recalls for the 2003 FORD F-450 SD
NHTSA has recorded 7 recalls for the 2003 FORD F-450 SD, potentially affecting up to 5,968,876 vehicles.
Recall 11V352000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
| 26,715 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
Consequence: NON-FUNCTIONING LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: 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.
View full details →Recall 11V352000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
| 26,715 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
Consequence: NON-FUNCTIONING LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: 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.
View full details →Recall 09V399000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
| 4,500,000 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
Remedy: 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...
View full details →Recall 07V553000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
| 1,176,000 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF AN ENGINE STALL, A CRASH COULD RESULT WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: 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.
View full details →Recall 07E066000 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
| 175 vehicles affected
Defect: CERTAIN CEQUENT 90 DEGREE 7-WAY RIGHT ANGLE ADAPTORS SOLD BY DISTRIBUTORS IN TOW PACKAGES FOR AFTERMARKET SALES TO TOW 5TH WHEEL RV TRAVEL TRAILERS. DUE TO INCORRECT WIRING OF THE HARNESS, THE TRAILER LIGHTS MAY NOT OPERATE PROPERLY.
Consequence: IF THE TRAILER LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, A VEHICLE CRASH CAN OCCUR.
Remedy: ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE TOW PACKAGES ARE STILL AT THE DISTRIBUTOR LEVEL AND HAVE NOT BEEN SOLD TO ANY CONSUMERS.
View full details →Recall 07V078000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
| 155,584 vehicles affected
Defect: ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SPEED CONTROL, GASOLINE OR NATURAL GAS ENGINES, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY OVERHEAT.
Consequence: OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE, BURN, OR AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
Remedy: 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)
View full details →Recall 04V327000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
| 83,687 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2003 FORD F-450 SD
18 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2003 FORD F-450 SD. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System Diesel | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tirestreadbelt | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingengine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Coolingenginediesel | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slip | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steeringgear Box Other Than Rack And Pinion | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspensionfront | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheelslugsnutsboltsstuds | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SHAKE AND LOSE POWER, EVENTUALLY NOT EVEN BEING ABLE TO STAY RUNNING. THE MECHANIC UPON REVIEW FOUND THE TANK LINER HAD DELAMINATED FROM INSIDE FUEL TANK AND HAD PLUGGED UP FUEL SENDER. BOTH NEEDED TO BE REPLACE AT A COST OF $2800, FORD DEALER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *TR
THE EGR, FICM, AND INJECTORS ON THIS VEHICLE HAVE CAUSED TRAFFIC HAZARDS. WE CAN NOT PULL OUT WITHOUT THE ENGINE SPITTING AND SPUTTERING. WE HAVE REPLACE ALL OF THE ABOVE, SOME MORE THAN ONCE. LAST TIME IN TO THE FORD DEALER THEY SUGGESTED THAT WE USE A THINNER OIL TO LUBRICATE THE INJECTORS BETTER. THIS ALSO DOESN'T WORK. WE HAVE READ MANY PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR DIESEL ENGINES SO WE KNOW IT'S NOT JUST OURS. WE PAID $8,000.00 TO REPAIR AND NOTHING IS BETTER. FORD REFUSES TO ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP THOSE OF US THAT ARE STUCK WITH THESE TRUCKS. THE DATES OF INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN ONGOING. *TR
TRUCK HAS NO POWER WHEN FIRST STARTING AND THE FRONT END SHIMMIES SOMETHING TERRIBLE. HARD TO CONTROL. *TR
TRUCK HAS NO POWER WHEN FIRST STARTING AND THE FRONT END SHIMMIES SOMETHING TERRIBLE. HARD TO CONTROL. *TR
THE COATING ON THE INTERIOR OF FORD DIESEL FUEL TANKS CORRODES AND COLLECTS AS SEDIMENT IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE SEDIMENT, COLLECTS AT THE BOTTON OF THE FUEL TANK AND IS SUCKED INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FUEL LINES BECOME FOULED, THE FUEL PUMPS BECOME CLOGGED AND REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. AS THE COATING CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE, THE ONLY RECOURSE IT TO CHANGE THE FUEL TANK, THE SENSORS, AND ENTIRE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM. WE HAVE HAD 3 FORD VEHICLES F SERIES EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. THE AVERAGE REPAIR IS APPROXIMATELY $2180 PER VEHICLE. WE ARE REPORTING THIS AS IT SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN ALL THE FORD DIESEL FUEL SYSTEMS. AS THE FUEL SYSTEMS BECOME CLOGGED, THE VEHICLES LOSE POWER WITHOUT WARNING AND CREATE A SAFETY ISSUE AND DRIVING HAZARD NOT ONLY TO THE VEHICLE OPERATOR BUT OTHER MOTORISTS.
Safety Rating for the 2003 FORD F-450 SD
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2003 FORD F-450 SD in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2003 FORD F-450 SD
Ford Motor Company has issued 8 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2003 FORD F-450 SD. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
17784 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DOOR AJAR LIGHT WORKING IMPROPERLY AFTER VEHICLE SECURITY MODULE REPLACEMENT. *TT
17567 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
PCM (POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE)/FICM/TCM REPROGRAMMING ERRORS. *TT
17569 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
NO CRANK/NO START WITH LOW TR-P VOLTAGE. *TT
17580 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VARIOUS ELECTRICAL CONCERNS. INOPERATIVE TURN SIGNALS (IN THE MIRROR ONLY), PARKING LIGHTS, RUNNING LIGHTS, CAB LIGHTS, FOG LIGHTS, OR DASH LIGHTS, WITH FUSE 2.17 OPEN. *TT
03E03 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
EMISSIONS RECALL 03E03 - POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE AND FUEL INJECTOR CONTROL MODULE RE-CALIBRATION. *TT
0310 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
RAMP-RATE FROM BASE ENGINE IDLE (625 RPM) TO 1200 RPM TARGET IS HIGHER THAN PRIOR 7.3L DIESEL ENGINE. THIS MAY BE TOO RAPID FOR SMOOTH ENGAGEMENT OF TRANSMISSION-MOUNTED PTO SERVING HIGH-INERTIA PTO SYSTEM START-UPS, TYPICAL OF DIRECT-DRIVE AIR COMPRESSOR INSTALLATIONS. *TT
16343 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HARD START, HESITATION WITH MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) LIGHT ON DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P0340/P0344 - CONTACT REQUEST. *TT
16411 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS
6.0L DIESEL ENGINE POWER MODULE (DEPM) FUEL INJECTOR CONTROL MODULE MONITOR TRAILER TOW WIRING IS NOT REIMBURSABLE. *MJ
NHTSA Investigations for the 2003 FORD F-450 SD
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the FORD F-450 SD
- 1998 FORD F-450 SD — 1 complaint
- 1999 FORD F-450 SD — 76 complaints
- 2000 FORD F-450 SD — 59 complaints
- 2001 FORD F-450 SD — 28 complaints
- 2002 FORD F-450 SD — 15 complaints
- 2003 FORD F-450 SD (current)
- 2004 FORD F-450 SD — 43 complaints
- 2005 FORD F-450 SD — 47 complaints
- 2006 FORD F-450 SD — 44 complaints
- 2007 FORD F-450 SD — 19 complaints
- 2008 FORD F-450 SD — 105 complaints
Other FORD Models
- FORD F-150 — 45,660 total complaints
- FORD EXPLORER — 42,140 total complaints
- FORD ESCAPE — 34,654 total complaints
- FORD FOCUS — 29,539 total complaints
- FORD FUSION — 28,243 total complaints
- FORD TAURUS — 23,867 total complaints
- FORD WINDSTAR — 19,456 total complaints
- FORD EDGE — 17,247 total complaints