2003 Ford E-350: common problems

Owners of the 2003 Ford E-350 filed 46 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 46
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Fuel system 24% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
5 Steering 11% of all complaints
6 Engine 9% of all complaints
7 Air bags 4% of all complaints
8 Seat belts 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Fuel system: 11 complaints (24% of all).
Electrical system: 9 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 7 complaints (15% of all).
Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (13% of all).
Steering: 5 complaints (11% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 46 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

fuel system, fuel smell5 · 11%
smoke, burning smell, fire5 · 11%
stalls while driving3 · 7%
steering or power steering problems3 · 7%
brake failure2 · 4%
jerking, harsh shifts2 · 4%
infotainment or screen glitches2 · 4%
seat belts2 · 4%
tires: bulges, blowouts2 · 4%
vibration2 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Fuel system	11	0
Electrical system	9	1
Service brakes	7	0
Engine and cooling	6	0
Steering	5	0
Engine	4	0
Air bags	2	1
Seat belts	2	0
Suspension	2	0
Tires	2	0
Vehicle speed control	2	1
Equipment	1	1
Structure	1	0
Other	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I was stopped at a stoplight on a highway ramp in town behind another vehicle waiting for the light to turn green. As I sat waiting, the van suddenly accelerated into the vehicle ahead of me while the brakes were still fully applied! I did not have my foot on the gas pedal, just on the brake.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2017-02-10 · NHTSA complaint #10953892
A patient, 21 year old ambulance driver, has been treated here at the university of missouri from 10/27/14 for injuries from an auto accident, sustained when a vehicle pulled out in front of the ambulance she was driving. Her air bag deployed, protecting her appropriately.
Air bags · crash · 2014-12-08 · NHTSA complaint #10662725
A passenger in the second vehicle noticed smoke emanating from under the hood, followed closely by flames. A police report was taken, and the vehicle was considered a total loss. The vehicle was not seen by a dealer, however the manufacturer was notified.
Electrical system · crash · 2006-10-12 · NHTSA complaint #10170673
20 feet.I let go of van to roll away from vehicle. Van struck retainer wall and stoped.
Equipment · crash · 2004-01-21 · NHTSA complaint #10054570
The ford e-350 van began to loose power then stalled on md route 43. There was no possibility to pull of the road way. The vehicle started after waiting 15 minutes then drove another 2 miles until it stalled again. Aaa towed the vehicle and the fuel tank was removed.
Fuel system · 2013-08-26 · NHTSA complaint #10537191
The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the driver rear tire blew out. The vehicle was repaired. The tire failure mileage was 23,000 and the vehicle failure mileage was 53, 8000.
Tires · 2013-06-03 · NHTSA complaint #10514878
Lost power. Filter heavily plugged particulate. Dropped tank. Bottom of tank has 1/2" silvery flakes. Fuel pick-up screen plugged. Boiled and reinstalled tank. Fuel pump failure about 2 months later. New pump. At 149000 mile, new tank and may need new pump. Tank was delaminating.
Fuel system · 2013-04-18 · NHTSA complaint #10508712
The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who informed the contact that the fuel tank was delaminating and causing the fuel pump to fail. As a result, the fuel tank and transfer pump would need to be replaced. No repairs were performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance.
Fuel system · 2012-01-31 · NHTSA complaint #10446041

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20034
20043
20055
20064
20072
20086
20091
20106
20113
20121
20133
20141
20154
20171
20181
20251

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,571 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 15% most complained about).

On average one model year of the E-350 has 27 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 46, above average.

What to check before buying

Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Ford E-350?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, electrical system, service brakes. Total complaints: 46. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (11%), smoke, burning smell, fire (11%), stalls while driving (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 Ford E-350?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2003 Ford E-350 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2003 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.