2003 Ford F-250 SD Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:diesel Problems

NHTSA component category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL · data through 07/14/2026

27Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:diesel complaints

15.2%Of all 178 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How engine and engine cooling:engine:diesel ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL27 · 15.2%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING21 · 11.8%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE14 · 7.9%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION12 · 6.7%

TIRES12 · 6.7%

Share of the 178 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2003 Ford F-250 SD overview page.

What owners report

“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F250 SUPER DUTY. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN THE VEHICLE. SHORTLY AFTER, HE NOTICED…”NHTSA complaint 10279670 — filed 08/07/2009

“9/11/05 PURCHASED 4/29/06 TRUCK STALLED TOWED INTO RANCHO FORD 5/11/06 TRUCK REPAIRED 2/6/07 TUNE-UP PERFORMED AT NORTH COUNTY FORD ($525.01) ?ENGINE LIGHT IS ON? NOTED…”NHTSA complaint 10207024 — filed 10/26/2007

“ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2007, MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. I TOWED IT TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER WHERE THEY WORKED ON IT AND REPLACED THE…”NHTSA complaint 10202130 — filed 09/07/2007

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:diesel complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2003 Ford F-250 SD have engine and engine cooling:engine:diesel problems?

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:diesel is the most-reported problem area on the 2003 Ford F-250 SD: 27 of 178 complaints on file (15.2%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2003 Ford F-250 SD have in total?

178 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 6 involved a crash, 10 involved a fire, 5 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's engine and engine cooling:engine:diesel category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.