Your vehicle report
2003 Ford Expedition
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 615
- Received Aug 2002 to Mar 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Spark plugs blow out of cylinder head102 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Tires blow out or tread separates45 complaints · 7.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes44 complaints · 7.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V094000Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by american technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 57 crashes, 36 fires, 70 people injured, 3 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Coil springs break and puncture tires
- Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 10 |
| 2003 | 83 |
| 2004 | 72 |
| 2005 | 51 |
| 2006 | 38 |
| 2007 | 35 |
| 2008 | 50 |
| 2009 | 38 |
| 2010 | 52 |
| 2011 | 25 |
| 2012 | 24 |
| 2013 | 20 |
| 2014 | 24 |
| 2015 | 23 |
| 2016 | 25 |
| 2017 | 15 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 615 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spark plugs blow out of cylinder head | 102 | 17% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 45 | 7.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 44 | 7.1% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 34 | 5.5% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 29 | 4.7% | – | |
| Side mirrors give poor rear visibility | 26 | 4.2% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 19 | 3.1% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 19 | 3.1% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 15 | 2.4% | – | |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 11 | 1.8% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 11 | 1.8% | – | |
| Ford F-150 transmission unexpectedly downshifts or jerks | 11 | 1.8% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 10 | 1.6% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 10 | 1.6% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 10 | 1.6% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 9 | 1.5% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 9 | 1.5% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 8 | 1.3% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 8 | 1.3% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 8 | 1.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #03V094000March 7, 20033,674 vehicles affected
structure
Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by american technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
This overheating condition Can cause the running board to melt or cause a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began march 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact southern comfort at 1-800-745-6096.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Ford Expedition.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN