2003 Ford F-450 SD Recalls, Complaints & Specs

5 safety recalls list the 2003 Ford F-450 SD, and owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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5 safety recalls for the 2003 Ford F-450 SD

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

1. Brake lights (exterior lighting) and tail lights (exterior lighting)

   NHTSA 11V352000 Reported July 13, 2011 26,715 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   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,…

   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.

2. 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…

3. Diesel (engine and engine cooling)

   NHTSA 07V553000 Reported December 5, 2007 1,176,000 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   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.

   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.

4. Vehicle speed control

   NHTSA 07V078000 Reported March 6, 2007 155,584 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.

   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)

5. 12v/24v/48v battery (electrical system)

   NHTSA 04V327000 Reported July 7, 2004 83,687 vehicles potentially affected FORD MOTOR COMPANY

   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.

   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…

16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2003 Ford F-450 SD have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 57,632 miles. Complaints peaked in 2003 with 3 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Fuel system, diesel6
• Engine and engine cooling2
• Tires: tread/belt2
• Engine and engine cooling: engine1
• Engine and engine cooling: diesel1
• Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip1
• Steering: gear box (other than rack and pinion)1
• Suspension1

What owners are reporting

“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 sen”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 6, 2013 · Fuel system, diesel

“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 ti”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 20, 2010 · Fuel system, diesel

Compare Ford F-450 SD model years

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

Checking a specific 2003 Ford F-450 SD

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.