2003 Ford F-250 Brakes Problems

The customer purchased a vehicle from Metro Motors on May 8, 2026, after visiting the dealership three times and speaking with multiple sales representatives. During each visit, the customer specifically stated that the vehicle would be used to tow a trailer and repeatedly asked whether it was safe and suitable for towing. The sales staff consistently represented that the vehicle was in good working condition, had low mileage, showed no significant issues on the Carfax report, and would be an excellent vehicle for towing. The customer was discouraged from test driving the vehicle because it was low on fuel, and sales staff stated that the only reason it had not sold was the snowplow attached to the front. Immediately after taking possession of the vehicle on May 8, the customer experienced a serious issue with the electronic parking brake repeatedly engaging while driving. The customer contacted Metro Motors on the next business day and was instructed by the manager, Nate, to bring the vehicle back. Metro Motors later determined that the parking brake cable was broken and that the brakes were in poor condition. After discussions, the dealership agreed to perform repairs if the customer paid for the parts. After the repairs were completed, the customer noticed smoke coming from the wheels and immediately returned the vehicle to Metro Motors. The dealership retained the vehicle but failed to communicate the nature of the problem or any repair costs until notifying the customer that the vehicle was ready for pickup on June 6, 2026. Before taking possession of the vehicle again, the customer arranged for an independent mechanic to inspect it. Although the dealership manager was initially hesitant to allow the inspection, he ultimately permitted it. The mechanic determined that the vehicle's frame was broken and that it was unsafe to operate, particularly for towing, which was the purpose repeatedly disclosed to Metro Motors before purchase.

NHTSA ID

11747388

Incident

May 8, 2026

Truck had no check engine light then caught on fire going down the road and burned to ground within seconds Incident report 46-24-05039 08_30-74 US-30 - PA 74 30 W

NHTSA ID

11618329

Incident

Sep 24, 2024

BRAKE LINES COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS THE SECONDED TIME.

NHTSA ID

11231117

Incident

Jun 1, 2019

Mileage

144,287 mi

MY FRONT END SHAKES IT'S NOT THE HIGH SPEED WOBBLE MY TRAILER BRAKES THEY DO NOT WORK I'M BLOWING FUSES IN MY FUSE BOX VIA TRAILER MY TRUCK MAKES A MOANING SOUND KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE A FOGHORN THIS IS WHEN I STARTED OR I COME TO A STOP AND WHEN IT'S IDLING DOESN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME MY SHIFTER ON MY COLUMN CAME LOOSE AND WON'T GO INTO PARK

NHTSA ID

11093839

Incident

May 7, 2017

Mileage

155,000 mi

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WE PULLED OVER THEN WHEN I PUT THE TRUCK INTO DRIVE TO PULL OUT IT BARELY MOVED. WE WERE ALMOST HIT BC THE TRUCK WOULDN'T MOVE SO I PUT IN IN REVERSE TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD AND IT DID FINE. SO I TRIED TO PULL OUT AGAIN N DRIVE AND AGAIN IT WOULDN'T GO NO MATTER HOW MUCH GAS I GAVE IT. IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS DROWNDING OUT OR IT ISN'T GETTING GAS. BUT LIKE I SAID. IT WON'T GO FORWARD IN DRIVE OR 1ST OR 2ND. ONLY IN REVERSE WILL IT MOVE NORMALLY. THIS IS MAJOR!!! I CAN'T HAVE MY KIDS AT RISK BC THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE TRUCK ABOUT 3 WEEKS SO IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING.

NHTSA ID

11092593

Incident

May 8, 2018

Mileage

300,000 mi

I HAD PARKED MY TRUCK IN MY DRIVEWAY. I PUT IT IN PARK, SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. AS I STEPPED OUT OF THE TRUCK THE TRUCK ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY DRAGGING ME ABOUT 100 FT STIKING THE POWER POLE AT THE END OF THE DIVEWAY. THE POLE WAS ROTTED AND FELL ON THE TRUCK CRUSHING ME BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR.

NHTSA ID

11042654

Incident

Oct 9, 2017

Mileage

170,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD F-250. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V017000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER AND LOST BRAKING ABILITY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

NHTSA ID

10926989

Incident

Oct 28, 2016

Mileage

160,000 mi

COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE BRAKING CAPABILITIES OF THE TRUCK. REAR MAIN BRAKE LINE ABOVE FUEL TANK BURST. BRAKE FLUID LEAKING ALL OVER GROUND. PEDAL WENT RIGHT TO FLOOR. HAD TO PUMP MANY TIME TO GET TRUCK TO STOP, COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN DEADLY ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10514720

Incident

Jun 1, 2013

Mileage

135,000 mi

THE REAR BRAKE LINES HAVE RUSTED OUT ON MY 2003 FORD F250 - WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE NTSB ASKING IF OUR BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED OUT - THEY JUST DID LAST NIGHT AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS INCREDIBLE THAT A 7 1/2 YEAR OLD VEHICLE LOST IT'S BRAKES ALREADY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10429022

Incident

Oct 6, 2011

Mileage

93,000 mi

I OWN A 2003 FORD F250 7.3 LITER DIESEL PICKUP. ON INSPECTION, REQUIRED BY PA LAW FOR SAFETY REASONS, IT FAILED BECAUSE OF ROTOR RUST. I THEN HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR BRAKES AND ROTORS AT A CONSIDERABLE COST TO ME. . THE TRUCK HAD 33,309 MILES ON IT AND WAS STORED AND USED SIMILAR TO THREE OTHER OLDER VEHICLES I OWNED THE SAME THING OCCURRED ON THIS TRUCK AT 19,750 MILES WHEN IT WAS 3 YEARS OLD. THE EARLIER RUST ISSUE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. RUSTING BRAKE PADS ARE UNACCEPTABLE IN TODAY'S WORLD. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM IN THE PAST AND SUSPECT FORD IS USING SUB STANDARD STEEL. OTHER PARTS ON THIS TRUCK HAVE RUSTED OUT AND I WILL ENTER SEPARATE REPORTS ON THOSE PROBLEMS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10328142

Incident

Apr 19, 2010

Mileage

33,309 mi

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKE DRUMS. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *TC

NHTSA ID

10111577

Incident

May 20, 2003

Mileage

25,000 mi

WHEN TAKING OFF FROM EITHER A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE FORWARD PROPERLY. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL AT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME. ITS WAS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP 6 TIMES IN 1 1/2 YEARS, AND WAS INFORMED BY DEALER THAT PROBLEM WAS LOW RPM POWER, WHICH WAS POOR TORQUE, AND AN IMPROPER GEAR RATIO IN TRANSMISSION.*AK THE CONSUMERS FOOT CONTACTS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HANGER WHEN ATTEMPTINGTO DEPRESS THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE ENGINE RUNS ROUGH AT IDLE 750 RPM CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VIVRATE. AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 750 AND 1000 RPM THE ENGINE WILL NOT MAINTAIN A CONSTANT SPEED. SPEED FLUCTUATES UP AND DOWN RAPIDLY. THE ENGINE PRODUCES VERY LITTLE POWER AT LOW RPM'S BELOW 1500. OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE ARE AS FOLLOWS: DEFECTIVE FUEL INJECTORS, LEAKING REAR MAIN SEAL, LEAKING BRAKE LINE JUNCTION BLOCK, LEAKING GASKETS ON REAR TRANSMISSION HOUSING, AND BROKEN FASTERNER ON THE METAL LINE. *TC

NHTSA ID

10094069

Incident

Aug 17, 2004

Mileage

289 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. VEHICLE WILL NOT START RIGHT UP AGAIN. ONE HOUR INTO DRIVING THE PROBLEM STARTED. ENGINE MADE A WHISTLING SOUND. OTHER THEN THAT THERE WERE NO WARNINGS. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES. *AK POWER STEERING AND BRAKES SHUT DOWN AS A RESULT OF LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. *TC

NHTSA ID

10092726

Incident

Jun 1, 2004

THE CONSUMER STATED NO MATTER HOW FAST THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE PRESSED THE PEDAL AND THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED TERRIBLY. PIONEER FORD HAD BEEN INFORMED, BUT STATED THAT THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE MACHINED, AND WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY.*AK *PH *JB

NHTSA ID

10032185

Incident

Jul 28, 2003

Mileage

22,000 mi

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES ALSO STATES THAT WHEN HE STEPS INTO THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE TURNS VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND NO DIAGNOSIS WAS NOT DONE. TS

NHTSA ID

8022794