2003 Ford E-450 Recalls, Complaints & Specs

4 safety recalls list the 2003 Ford E-450, and owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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4 safety recalls for the 2003 Ford E-450

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

1. Vehicle speed control

   NHTSA 09V399000 Reported October 13, 2009 4,500,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   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…

   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…

2. Vehicle speed control

   NHTSA 07V336000 Reported August 3, 2007 3,600,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.

   Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch…

3. Electrical system: wiring

   NHTSA 04V444000 Reported September 13, 2004 214,849 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On certain vans, a diode in the anti-lock braking system (ABS) module may experience an electrical short.

   Remedy: Dealers will install a new fuse in the ABS circuit and install a heat shield over the ABS module. The recall began on october 15, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. Also ford is extending the limited…

4. Engine and engine cooling

   NHTSA 04V445000 Reported September 13, 2004 253,076 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On certain vans, the air filter element material process resulted in an air filter paper element that can smolder or burn. This change in filter paper composition combined with the configuration of the air induction system, may allow hot carbon particles to contact the air filter element during certain driving conditions that create hot…

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the air filter element. The recall began september 27, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. Also ford is extending the limited warranty (for a one time replacement) of…

18 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2003 Ford E-450 have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA; 2 describe a fire. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 65,474 miles. Complaints peaked in 2010 with 4 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Vehicle speed control4
• Tires3
• Air bags1
• Equipment1
• Equipment: radio/tape deck/cd etc.1
• Fuel system, diesel1
• Fuel system, diesel: tank assembly1
• Fuel system, gasoline: tank assembly1

What owners are reporting

“I have issues with brakes calipers that pistons are made of Phenolic material, replaced calipers multiple times and will fail in as little as one trip and when using RV in hot weather or too much brak”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 4, 2024 · Service brakes

“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford e-450. The vehicle was equipped with a kiddie fire extinguisher. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17v782000 (equipment). The manufacturer wa”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 1, 2018 · Equipment

Compare Ford E-450 model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Ford E-450 model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 2003 Ford E-450

Other Ford models

• F-15037,961 complaints
• Explorer34,566 complaints
• Escape27,430 complaints
• Fusion22,405 complaints
• Focus22,096 complaints
• Taurus18,159 complaints
• Windstar14,158 complaints
• Edge14,065 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.