2003 Accubuilt VAN: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 1 complaints (100.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 1 | 100.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 |
2006: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10165301 · 2006-08-12 (August 12, 2006)
3 DAYS AFTER I PUT THE DOWN PAYMENT ON THE CAR, THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY, SO THEY FIXED THE CAR . I MISSED WORK BECAUSE OF THAT SO I WAS ON PROBATION AT WORK. SO A FEW DAYS LATER I GOT THE CAR BACK. NOW, TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR NEGLIGENCE VEHICLE BACK A REPAIR SHOP. WHAT THEY DID WAS WHEN THEY SERVICED THE CAR BEFORE I BROUGHT IT, THEY CHANGED THE OIL OF THE CAR AND DIDN'T PUT THE DRAIN PLUG BACK IN PROPERLY. SO IT CAME OUT WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN AND THE ENGINE TO BLOW. SO I WAS OUT O…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10165301 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
03V530000 · Seats
Reported: 2003-12-12 (December 12, 2003)
CERTAIN MULTI-PASSENGER HANDICAP-ACCESSIBLE VANS BUILT ON FORD E250 AND E350 CHASSIS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 225, "CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS." THESE VEHICLES LACK THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGES.
Consequence: APPLICABLE CHILD SEATS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THESE SUPPLEMENTAL ANCHORAGES. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy: ACCUBUILT WILL MODIFY OR REPLACE ONE OR MORE OF THE SEATS TO INCLUDE THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF SEATING POSITIONS WITH CHILD RESTRAINT ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING FEBRUARY 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT ACCUBUILT AT 1-888-242-4782.
NHTSA campaign record ↗04V162000 · Seats
Reported: 2004-04-02 (April 2, 2004)
CERTAIN MULTI-PASSENGER VANS WITH ONE OR MORE SEATS EQUIPPED WITH REAR DESIGNATED FORWARD FACING QUICK RELEASE SEATS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 207, "SEATING SYSTEMS."
Consequence: THESE SEATS DO NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE QUICK RELEASE FRAME SYSTEM ON THESE SEATS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 12, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT ACCUBUILT AT 1-419-222-1501.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 101653013 DAYS AFTER I PUT THE DOWN PAYMENT ON THE CAR, THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY, SO THEY FIXED THE CAR . I MISSED WORK BECAUSE OF THAT SO I WAS ON PROBATION AT WORK. SO A FEW DAYS LATER I GOT THE CAR BACK. NOW, TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR NEGLIGENCE VEHICLE BACK A REPAIR SHOP. WHAT THEY DID WAS WHEN THEY SERVICED THE CAR BEFORE I BROUGHT IT, THEY CHANGED THE OIL OF THE CAR AND DIDN'T PUT THE DRAIN PLUG BACK IN PROPERLY. SO IT CAME OUT WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN AND THE ENGINE TO BLOW. SO I WAS OUT O… | 125.0%ODI 10060076 · 3,000 miI BOUGHT A CAR HAULER TRAILER FROM AZ.TEX TRAILERS IN FONTANA CALIF ON 2/17/04. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY INADIQUATE ALTHOUGH I HAVE BEEN BACK TO THE BUSINESS THREE TIMES IN WHICH THEY REPLACED ALL COMPONENTS OF THE BRAKES. I BELIEVE THE BRAKES ARE OF INFERIOR QUALITY AND ARE PRACTICALLY USELESS. THE TRAILER IS RATED AT 7000 LBS. G.V.W. AND THE BRAKES WILL NOT REMOTELY STOP THE LOAD OF THE TRAILER,99% OF STOPPING IS DONE WITH MY TOWING VEHICLE.*AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 101653013 DAYS AFTER I PUT THE DOWN PAYMENT ON THE CAR, THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY, SO THEY FIXED THE CAR . I MISSED WORK BECAUSE OF THAT SO I WAS ON PROBATION AT WORK. SO A FEW DAYS LATER I GOT THE CAR BACK. NOW, TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR NEGLIGENCE VEHICLE BACK A REPAIR SHOP. WHAT THEY DID WAS WHEN THEY SERVICED THE CAR BEFORE I BROUGHT IT, THEY CHANGED THE OIL OF THE CAR AND DIDN'T PUT THE DRAIN PLUG BACK IN PROPERLY. SO IT CAME OUT WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN AND THE ENGINE TO BLOW. SO I WAS OUT O… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Equipment:Mechanical:Accessory Scissor/Screw/Bottle Jack/Lift | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10133933DT: IN JUNE 2005 THE OWNER NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS LEANING TO THE LEFT SIDE. LAST WEEK THAT THE WHEELS WERE RUBBING AGAINST THE WHEEL WELLS ON BOTH SIDES. ALL TIRES WERE RUBBING. THE OWNER DID NOT WISH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TIRES, JUST ABOUT THE VEHICLE. THE OWNER TRIED TO SPEAK WITH THE PLACE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY WON'T SEE HIM ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY CLAIMED THESE PROBLEMS WERE IN HIS HEAD. THE VEHICLE CAME WITH A 2000 POUND JACK, AND THEN THE DEALERSHIP CHANGED IT TO A DIFFERENT JACK WITH A LIMIT OF 1000 POUNDS. THIS DEALERSHI… | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 10125155A LETTER WAS SENT TO ME ABOUT A DEFECTED SIGNAL LIGHT WHICH I HAD FIXED TWICE PRIOR TO RECIEVING THE LETTER. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT ONCE THE DEALER FIXED THE DEFECT IT WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM AGAIN. SEVEN MONTHS LATER THE SIGNAL LIGHT HAS MESSED UP AGAIN. I AM CONCERN FOR MY CHILDRENS SAFETY. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Drum | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 10127752 · 200 miMULTIPLE BRAKE FAILURES ON NEW TRAILER PURCHASE IN LESS THAN 500 MILES. TRAILER AXLE HAS BEEN REPLACED DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT OF HEAT TREATMENT OF AXLE SPINDLES THAT WERE WORN. UPON RETURN THE WHEEL GREASE SEALS LEAKED AND HOT WHEEL HUB TEMPERATURES. BACK TO DEALER AND AGAIN SERVICED. 24 MILES LATER BRAKES FAILED AGAIN. TRAILER IS AGAIN IN DEALER WORKSHOP. DEALER HAS CONFIRMED VERBALLY MULTIPLE CUSTOMER INCIDENTS WITH SIMILAR PRODUCT. TRAILER WAS SOLD AS PACKAGE DEAL OF BOAT AND TRAILER FROM BAYLINER BOAT CO.(BRUNSWICK… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Structure | 1100.0%ODI 10095659PONTOON BOAT TRAILER, MANUFACTURED BY HAWKEYE LEISURE TRAILERS LIMITED, HUMBOLDT, IA 50548, MODEL # MH20RS, V.I.N. [XXX], MANUFACTURED FEB, 2002. *NM ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 9, 2004 WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 50 MPH ON A RURAL IOWA HIGHWAY NEAR WESLEY, IA THE RIGHT WHEEL FENDER OF THE TRAILER FELL OFF. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO OTHER VEHICLES. THERE WAS A VEHICLE FOLLOWING ME BUT THE FENDER WENT TOWARDS THE DITCH INSTEAD OF REMAINING ON THE HIGHWAY. AFTER RECOVERING AND INSPECTING THE FENDER I FOUND THAT IT HAD ONLY 5 SMALL SPOT W… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Structure:Frame And Members:Underbody Shields | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10133933DT: IN JUNE 2005 THE OWNER NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS LEANING TO THE LEFT SIDE. LAST WEEK THAT THE WHEELS WERE RUBBING AGAINST THE WHEEL WELLS ON BOTH SIDES. ALL TIRES WERE RUBBING. THE OWNER DID NOT WISH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TIRES, JUST ABOUT THE VEHICLE. THE OWNER TRIED TO SPEAK WITH THE PLACE HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY WON'T SEE HIM ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY CLAIMED THESE PROBLEMS WERE IN HIS HEAD. THE VEHICLE CAME WITH A 2000 POUND JACK, AND THEN THE DEALERSHIP CHANGED IT TO A DIFFERENT JACK WITH A LIMIT OF 1000 POUNDS. THIS DEALERSHI… | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension:Rear:Axle:Non-Powered Axle Assembly | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 10127752 · 200 miMULTIPLE BRAKE FAILURES ON NEW TRAILER PURCHASE IN LESS THAN 500 MILES. TRAILER AXLE HAS BEEN REPLACED DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT OF HEAT TREATMENT OF AXLE SPINDLES THAT WERE WORN. UPON RETURN THE WHEEL GREASE SEALS LEAKED AND HOT WHEEL HUB TEMPERATURES. BACK TO DEALER AND AGAIN SERVICED. 24 MILES LATER BRAKES FAILED AGAIN. TRAILER IS AGAIN IN DEALER WORKSHOP. DEALER HAS CONFIRMED VERBALLY MULTIPLE CUSTOMER INCIDENTS WITH SIMILAR PRODUCT. TRAILER WAS SOLD AS PACKAGE DEAL OF BOAT AND TRAILER FROM BAYLINER BOAT CO.(BRUNSWICK… | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2005: 1 complaints · 2006: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Service Brakes, Hydraulic |
|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | — | 1ODI 101653013 DAYS AFTER I PUT THE DOWN PAYMENT ON THE CAR, THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY, SO THEY FIXED THE CAR . I MISSED WORK BECAUSE OF THAT SO I WAS ON PROBATION AT WORK. SO A FEW DAYS LATER I GOT THE CAR BACK. NOW, TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR NEGLIGENCE VEHICLE BACK A REPAIR SHOP. WHAT THEY DID WAS WHEN THEY SERVICED THE CAR BEFORE I BROUGHT IT, THEY CHANGED THE OIL OF THE CAR AND DIDN'T PUT THE DRAIN PLUG BACK IN PROPERLY. SO IT CAME OUT WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN AND THE ENGINE TO BLOW. SO I WAS OUT O… |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1ODI 101653013 DAYS AFTER I PUT THE DOWN PAYMENT ON THE CAR, THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY, SO THEY FIXED THE CAR . I MISSED WORK BECAUSE OF THAT SO I WAS ON PROBATION AT WORK. SO A FEW DAYS LATER I GOT THE CAR BACK. NOW, TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR NEGLIGENCE VEHICLE BACK A REPAIR SHOP. WHAT THEY DID WAS WHEN THEY SERVICED THE CAR BEFORE I BROUGHT IT, THEY CHANGED THE OIL OF THE CAR AND DIDN'T PUT THE DRAIN PLUG BACK IN PROPERLY. SO IT CAME OUT WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN AND THE ENGINE TO BLOW. SO I WAS OUT O… | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.