Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2003 F-650.
The 2003 Ford F-650 rides on the 650 chassis and is equipped with an automatic four‑speed transmission, delivering EPA‑rated fuel economy of 11/15/13 mpg. Owner feedback logged 27 complaints for this year, with the engine identified as the top problem area and no recalls issued. Across the 1999‑2022 complaint record, the 2003 total surpasses the peak of 10 complaints seen in 2001 and far exceeds the low of just one complaint in 2012, marking it as a weaker link in the model’s reliability trend.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd |
| EPA city / highway / combined | 11 / 15 / 13 mpg |
| Drivetrain | Rear-Wheel Drive |
| Recommended fuel | Natural Gas |
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the F-650 of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Super Duty XLT Crew Cab (Dump Bed) 6.8L V10 | 17.60 sec | 21.00 sec | 362 hp | RWD |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
Torque the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs.
| Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts | 212 DI Diesel ft-lbs |
| Engine Flywheel Bolts | 89 ft-lbs |
| Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug | 18.0 ft-lbs |
| 1 | 52-53 ft. lbs., Step 2: 80 | 52–53 ft. lbs |
| 1 | 76 ft. lbs., Step 2: 96 | 76 ft. lbs |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
In the year‑by‑year federal record, 2003 shows 2 complaints, 0 recalls, 0 investigations and 21 technical service bulletins. That complaint count is lower than the 3 reported in 2002 and the 10 reported in 2001, and well below the 5 complaints recorded in 2000. The 2003 model also records no crash complaints but does have 3 fire complaints, a category that first appears with a non‑zero count at this year. Compared with the surrounding years, the frequency of both complaints and recalls has been trending downward since the early 2000s, with 2003 representing the lowest complaint total in the 1999‑2003 window. Because the vehicle records 3 fire complaints, a buyer should weigh these risks before purchasing this specific year.
All 27 complaints on record, top 8 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.
Showing 5 of 65 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASI-44408 | 2014-02-01 | Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | FORD: THE RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE (RCM) WHEN USING VCM II, WOULD HAVE AN ERROR CODE 35… |
| TSB-10-12-6 | 2010-06-11 | Fuel System, Gasoline | FORD: RUNS ROUGH, LACKS POWER, HARD START, NO START. SOME VEHICLES AND TRUCKS EQUIPPED… |
| TSB-09-15-6 | 2009-12-09 | Engine And Engine Cooling | FORD: SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 6.0L ENGINE MAY EXPERIENCE A P006A, P132, P0401 OR… |
| SB-09M02 | 2009-08-19 | Equipment | FORD: CERTAIN VEHICLES WITH AMBULANCE PREP PACKAGE AMBULANCE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT… |
| SB-09M03 | 2009-08-19 | Equipment | FORD: CERTAIN VEHICLES, E SERIES AND F SUPER DUTY, WITH AMBULANCE PREP PACKAGE AMBULANCE… |
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.
EPA figures are 11 city / 15 highway / 13 combined mpg.