- The problem
- 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 to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." The multi-function switch was shipped with a subcomponent (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate.
- The risk
- Non-functioning lights could increase the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- 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.
Vehicle safety record
2003 Ford Excursion Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 146 complaints about the 2003 Ford Excursion with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system (39) and the engine & cooling (35). Those complaints describe 7 crashes, 11 fires and 8 injuries. It is covered by 5 recalls, the latest in July 2011 for the tail lights. For comparison, the 2002 has 172 and the 2004 has 95.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Excursion year, for its age
#85 most complained-about 2003 vehicle
- Complaints
- 146
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes
- 7
- Fires
- 11
- Injuries
- 8
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2003 Ford Excursion problems
Share of all 146 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2003 Ford Excursion recalls 5
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The 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.
- The risk
- A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
- The 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- In the event of an engine stall, a crash could result without warning.
- The fix
- 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.
- The problem
- On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
- The risk
- Overheating could result in smoke, burn, or an underhood fire.
- The fix
- 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)
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- 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.
- The fix
- 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.
What owners say
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146 complaints about the 2003 Ford Excursion
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 6.
My wife, two young daughters, and I were traveling out of town for the New Year. As we were traveling southbound on I-85 between Greensboro, North Carolina and Thomasville, North Carolina, I started to notice that the vehicle was starting to vibrate. Over the course of the next +\- 10 miles the vibration became much worse and eventually forced me to get off of the highway. I exited the highway at exit 103 on I-85 southbound (NC-109) and was able to get the vehicle to a National Tire and Battery Shop located at 2...
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Cloniger Dr, Thomasville, NC 27360. Upon inspection, they noticed a large bulge in the driver side rear tire and told me that they thought that I might have broken a belt inside of the tire. They were able to get it off and put on the full size spare, thus allowing us to get to our destination. I strongly believe that had I not exited the highway when I did, there was a high likelyhood that the tire could have blown thus causing us to crash. With that said, this failure put my entire family at risk. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The tire has only been inspected by the National Tire and Battery that took it off and replaced it with the full size spare. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The problem started they day of the incident as we were traveling southbound on I-85 between Greensboro, North Carolina and Thomasville, North Carolina. Tire Size - LT 265/75 R 16
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Excursion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the suspension made an abnormal popping sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that an air bubble had formed on the front passenger's side tire which he linked to the suspension failure. The tire was not replaced. The contact also stated that after he replaced the radio inside the vehicle, the radio had become defective after the second day of installation. The contact stated that an abnormal...
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buzzing sound was coming from the speakers. Upon investigation, he linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V327000 (Electrical System). Additionally, the contact also mentioned that the vehicle would stall while at a complete stop without warning. The contact had a friend inspect the vehicle and he informed him that the camshaft needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 07V553000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). A dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
The vehicle has a steering issue. It will pull to the right mostly but occasionally to the left. So you spend the entire drive correcting the wheel to try to keep the vehicle in the road. Towing is impossible with this issue because it causes the trailer to go in to a snaking motion because of the constant steering correction. This occurs when ever the car is in motion. *Tr
Pavement was wet...Cit was dark ....A car suddenly stopped in the roadway..My anti lock brakes locked up causing me to skid into the car in front of me..Causing rear damage to it...My airbag also did not deploy..Was going about 25mph..But seemed to increase in speed skidding on the pavement it caused me to lose my safe driving discount on my istate farm insurance...Had to pay a higher premium for 3yrs because of it..I have recently gotten my safe driver discount back can get statefarm documentation later if needed
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. While driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was an injector failure. The vehicle was not repaired. A local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,106. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. While driving 70 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently to approximately 75-80 mph. The contact had to apply excessive force to the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle. Also, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in a recall. No further assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 123,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. While reversing the vehicle, the steering wheel failed to operate. The contact noticed that the steering wheel bolts were fractured. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 235,000.
Faulty exhaust manifold bolts break off and cause excessive noise, exhaust enters the drivers cabin, vehicle will not pass emissions inspection and is expensive to repair. I have 4 ford vehicles with this problem. First incident was at around 50,000 miles and 48 months after purchase. Ford refused to make repairs under any portion of the factory warranty. They claim lifetime emissions warranty doesn't cover it, nor the 100,000 powertrain warranty. I have spent over $8000.00 Making repairs to these exhaust manifolds. Triton v-10 gas engine.
The 6.8 And 5.4 Engines have been failing due to defective valve train cam followers. I am having the 3rd engine installed in my excursion. The cam followers are failing and spitting them out causing catstropic engine failure. I have been in contact with anthony bariana who works for holman distribution in new jersey @ 1-800-521-1223 ext 305 and he confirmed that the 6.8 And 5.4 Engines have had the same problem as my truck at an abnormally high rate. Mt truck is currently at matthews paoli ford 610-644-4700 and...
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the general manager bryan lippincott told me that they have replaced 6 state farm truck engines in 2.00 Months 6.8 Liter same as mine identical problem. Ford has done nothing from what I see doing some research but this is an ongoing problem and ford has done nothing to address the problem and made no attempt to find the root cause and have a fix so this will stop costing consumers thousands of dollars. I was driving on my street and without warning the engine started to shake so I shut it off and had it towed to the dealer matthews ford located in paoli pa.
Tamara recall while driving or stopped the cars power does 100% shut off. No codes or warning lights. In dec/2016 driving on a on a east on charleston blvd in nv, after pulling out of cit bank parking lot going about 45 mph the light turned red and when I went to break the pedal was hard and that's when I saw no power. By then it was too late and we were going to crash. I had no power steering or abs and I hit the car. It caused 12000 of damage to the car in front of me. No airbags deployed. Only bumper and...
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fog light damage to my truck thankfully. After that the problem didn't re accur until 2/2017 and left me stranded over night on the road and now last night 5/13/2017 the car was off no keys in the ignition and I saw smoke that came from where the battery sits not sure what that was but odd it was. It has no rhythmic pattern, I have replaced the battery fuses relay and fuel pump, also checked cam shaft and crank sensor. It has spark gas air and compression. It's a very large and heavy death trap when it's not working properly other wise I love my truck and it need to be fixed
The inter lights stay on anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour after you turn truck off, the low range 4x4 will not disengage until you back up for about 1/2 mile electrical system keeps turning the truck off shows battery light then glow plug light shuts engine off and have to jump the truck then it runs for 45 minutes and jump it again
The overdrive light come on and off and my truck loses power and if you at a stop light the truck will cut off. When I take to the shop they that the transmission is going bad but it may be able to be on a recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. The contact stated that the gear shift lever sparked a fire and the wiring of the shifter began to melt. The vehicle was engulfed in smoke shortly after the failure. The contact immediately shut off the vehicle and disconnected the battery. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician stated that the wiring insulation of the lever had worn and caused the failure. As a result, the gear shift assembly would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired....
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The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 145,000. In addition, the contact stated that the silver circuit box inside of the fuse box melted and caught on fire. When the failure occurred, all the gauges on the instrument panel and the alternator failed causing the vehicle to stall. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who stated that the fuse box would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed him that the fuse box was discontinued. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred shortly after. In order to remedy the failure, a modification had to be made to bypass the melting current by placing an external wire and circuit breaker. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000.
At night, in fog, in driveway, I turned on high beams, defrosters, wipers and lowered driver window. A major silver electrical circuit in the fuse breaker box overheated melted and popped. Ford's incompetent electrical engineer's design causes circuit board silver circuitry in fuse box to melt, while no circuit breakers melt/work. The circuit that melted also causes vehicle to lose use of indicators and gauges in the dash gauge panel, the alternator also fails to work and vehicle dies within a day, with no warning,...
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while driving, due to totally dead battery. Ford has at least three different versions of fuse boxes for the 2003 excursion xlt 5.4L. Ford has no replacement fuse boxes to sell. Problem is so common on the internet, I luckily located the last used fuse box in the country, 1000 miles away from ca. Ford's only solution was a new fuse box for a newer f150 costing $750 and requiring hundreds of more dollars to modify it for an f250/f350/excursion. The melting fuse box happened twice in one year at $500 per failure. Technician had to put in an external bypass wire with its own external circuit breaker. No more meltdowns in 2.5 Years. Incompetent ford electrical engineers.
At top of a hill I stopped completely and shifted to low gear, the wires in gear shift knob sparked loudly and began burning. Stopped car immediately, opened hood and disconnected battery. Overdrive indicator light harness is a shoddy design. Wire insulation wears through while rubbing with gear shifter selection. There is no armoring or other covering for the thin flimsy harness wires.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion equipped with b.F. Goodrich rugged terrain (na), tire line: lt26575r16 load ranger e (na) tires. The contact stated that the tread separated on the rear passenger side tire. The tire was not replaced. The tire failure mileage was 24,000 and the vehicle failure mileage was 98,000.
The 2003 ford excursion 6.0 Liter diesel, first broke down while driving home from the dealer who was working on recall items. The vehicle stalled while driving less than 2 miles from the dealer (dealer now out of business). After a while the vehicle began losing power, but not stalling while driving, especially up hills. After many attempts to clean parts, egr valve etc, it was stated that the injectors were bad. All injectors replaced. Front main leaf spring broke on the vehicle, and had to be replaced - the...
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spring was no longer available, -the repair facility stated that this vehicle has been historically undersized, and they stopped making the original spring, because too many were breaking. We then again started experiencing a loss of power while driving - at this time my kids were driving the car, and this was particularly worrisome. My repair shop sent the vehicle to a heavy truck and diesel repair shop, specializing in ambulances. After charging me $3000 to fix my problems (various pieces an part related to the engine, fuel system, etc), the vehicle seemed to operate well. While up in cleveland for thanksgiving, the vehicle lost power on the highway - . Had to have it towed to a dealer, and rent a replacement during our vacation. The dealer said more of the fuel/engine issues and after charging me another $1500, I was able to drive home. Less than one month later, same stalling issues. The vehicle would simply stall, at low speed, high speed, under load, or no load - towed again to my repair person, and he sent it to a different diesel mechanic who told me that diesel is leaking into the engine, the injectors again need to be replaced, that it has never been fixed properly, and that this engine is notorious for having very significant problem. I am out of a vehicle, down to one for the family, and unable to afford getting it fixed - again. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the instrument panel gauges failed and provided erroneous readings. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The failure and current mileage was 75,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. The contact stated that the vehicle would stall sporadically and would also accelerate abnormally without warning. The contact stated that the failure could have been caused by the injection control pressure sensor. The contact believed that the 2003 model excursion should have been recalled because the 2004 model was recalled for the same failure (nhtsa campaign id number: 05v270000: electrical system:wiring). The vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was 183,000 and the current mileage was 184,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford excursion. The contact stated that three seat belts were fractured, two in the middle row and one in the rear. The contact had become stuck in the driver side rear seat belt and had to cut the seat in order to exit. The other two seat belts are inoperable. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer and the dealer advised that each seat belt needed to be replaced. The contact did not replace the seat belts. Updated 10/12/11 *bf updated 10/24/11
Our ford 2003 excursion speed control/cruise control stopped working after the recall repair has been performed. There is brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder on the wiring harness. Ford states they will not repair again for no charge. My complaint is that I believe this should be taken care of at no charge to the consumer. Thank you *tr
While driving on hwy 210 my abs light came on then my interior lights went dim my head lights started to flicker then the dash board was like christmas everything started to blink fuel like miles to empty seatbelt ect.. Then loss all power steering wheel locked I had my four children in the car when we flipped in to a ditch after hitting some mail boxes.. Wth I see some of the same reports why hasn't ford fixed this problem!!! *Tr
Driver used cruise control on tollway, got off tollway fire started 1/4 mile from exit. Ford excursion v 10 gas engine, cruise control deactivation switch failure got hot causing engine fire. The diesel engines were recalled for the same reason. This vehicle is a limousine/qvm. Nhtsa campaign # 07v078000 manufacture campaign # 05s28. *Tr
2003 Ford excursion 7.3L diesel engine experiencing accelerator pedal failure pedal becomes unresponsive, engine returns to idle. All symptoms match "accelerator pedal failure" as described in ford fsa#03b03 dealer service dept states its not uncommon in this vehicle but ford will not do anything about it. Dealers quoted me a cost of over $1000.00 To repair. Vin#[[redacted]] parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.S.C. 552(B)(6). *Tr
Engine fire associated with electrical short in engine compartment while 2003 ford excursion 6.0 Liter diesel was parked in the garage. The vehicle had not been driven for at least ten days. The resulting fire destroyed the vehicle, garage, contents and damaged the exterior of the home. *Tr
Ford Excursion: every year compared
All Excursion years2003 Ford Excursion vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 Ford Excursion | 146 | 5 | F | |
| 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac | 1,313 | 1 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Ford Explorer Sport | 1,313 | 1 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Ford Explorer | 1,313 | 7 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Ford Expedition | 655 | 6 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Ford Escape | 598 | 9 | C | Compare |
| 2003 Ford F-150 | 465 | 11 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Ford Crown Victoria | 289 | 7 | F | Compare |
| 2003 Ford Econoline | 215 | 4 | F | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2003 Ford Excursion
Does the 2003 Ford Excursion have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2003 Ford Excursion: tail lights (July 2011); vehicle speed control (October 2009); diesel (December 2007); vehicle speed control (March 2007) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Ford Excursion?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the electrical system (39), engine & cooling (35), brakes (15).
How many complaints has the 2003 Ford Excursion had?
146 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 17, 2003 and the latest on January 2, 2023. Of these, 7 describe a crash and 11 a fire, and together they report 8 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2003 Ford Excursion a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 1 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Ford Excursion year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Ford Excursion years have the most complaints?
2001 (206), 2002 (172), 2003 (146). See every Ford Excursion year compared.
What should I do if my 2003 Ford Excursion has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data