2003 Ford Excursion Fuel system Problems
- Complaints
- 9about this part
- Share
- 8%of 106 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 34,496miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the fuel system of the 2003 Ford Excursion, 8% of the 106 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 34,496 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My 2003 Ford Excursion with a 6.0l diesel has been surging and will stall suddenly and without warning. It has caused several near collisions. The dealer had to replace the icp sensor. Apparently this was recalled in 2004 models and newer but not the 2003 model. I feel that I have fallen through the cracks because Ford didn't start installing the 6.0l in the 2003 model until late in the model years. Seems like they forgot about me and my truck has the exact same dangerous condition as the 2004 models.”
NHTSA complaint #10274336, filed 2009-06, 98,000 miles“Engine skips , getting progressively worse, fuel consumption rises dramatically. After first repair it quit entirely on us leaving us stranded on I-75 south of atlanta. It has now been in the shop three times for this problem, and we have a little over 3,000 miles on the vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #10021480, filed 2003-06, 1,993 miles“2003 Ford Excursion limited with 6.0l diesel engine. Only two weeks ago, my truck began to surge in acceleration at both idle and while cruising. It has also begun to stall out at both idle and while cruising. Also the vehicle has begun to have a strong smell of diesel fuel which enters the passenger cabin at start up. My service engine light has begun to light up and I checked the light with a digital diagnostic code reader. The code was p2285 (injector control pressure sensor circuit low). The situation is quite dangerous. …”
NHTSA complaint #10253088, filed 2008-12, 67,000 miles“My 2003 Excursion had a major turbo failure while traveling on I-10 on 12-26-03. My family and myself were traveling to houston. The vehicle only had a total of 1,049 life to date miles. While on the interstate for about 30 to 45 minutes we hear a larger pop noise and a large drop in the engine power. I only had a flash of a dash light and it went right back off. I was trying to get off the interstate. Was driving about 25 to 35 MPH trying to get to the next exit. Notice large volume of smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. I pulled over asap after seeing this. …”
NHTSA complaint #10051295, filed 2003-12, 1,049 miles“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10605255, filed 2014-06, 1,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10034571Jun 11, 2010Ford: runs rough, lacks power, hard start, no start. Some vehicles and trucks equipped with 6.0l engine may exhibit a runs rough, lacks power, hard to start, no start concern…
- 10028826Jun 1, 2009Ford: some vehicles with diesel engines may experience no starts, hard starts or rough running when cold and may be accompanied with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0611, p1378…
- 10020675Dec 20, 2006Water in the fuel. Lamp is one and flickering.
- 10019075Jan 1, 2006Fuel conditioner. Low power, poor fuel economy, fuel gelling in cold weather, excessive white smoke on cold start, hard start, or coking of components exposed to exhaust.
Fuel system: other model years
Other parts of the 2003 Ford Excursion
26 complaintsEngine cooling
25 complaintsBrakes
10 complaintsTires
10 complaintsSteering
7 complaintsVehicle speed control
7 complaintsSuspension
6 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
6 complaintsEngine
5 complaintsSeat belts
4 complaintsBody and structure
4 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Ford Excursion
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology