no report yet
Tank assembly: mounting
Risk. AS A RESULT OF THE CORROSION, ONE OR BOTH STRAPS MAY FAIL ALLOWING THE FUEL LINES TO SEPARATE FROM THE TANK, OR IN SOME CASES, CAUSING THE TANK TO CONTACT THE…
2001 Ford F-150Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,236 owner complaints about the 2001 Ford F-150, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 8 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 17, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2001 Ford F-150 has problems
1,236 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
234Engine and engine cooling39 crash/fire/injury
180Vehicle speed control126 crash/fire/injury
137Electrical system78 crash/fire/injury
114Fuel system, gasoline8 crash/fire/injury
86Seats7 crash/fire/injury
78Seat belts
74Power train
66Air bags
65Structure
33322 other systems71 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and engine cooling | 234 | 39 |
| Vehicle speed control | 180 | 126 |
| Electrical system | 137 | 78 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 114 | 8 |
| Seats | 86 | 7 |
| Seat belts | 78 | 7 |
| Power train | 74 | 5 |
| Air bags | 66 | 53 |
| Structure | 65 | 11 |
| 22 other systems | 333 | 71 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
8 recalls
2001 Ford F-150 recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
no report yet
Windshield wiper/washer: motor
Risk. LOSS OF VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.
no report yet
Front: buckle assembly
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MAY NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE OCCUPANT PROTECTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
Show 4 more recalls
no report yet
Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk. IF THE HOSE IS DAMAGED, BRAKE FLUID COULD LEAK AND STOPPING DISTANCES MAY BE INCREASED.
no report yet
Air bags: frontal
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE DRIVER AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY AS INTENDED, POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN REDUCED OCCUPANT PROTECTION, OR A BURN INJURY.
no report yet
Other: owners/service/other manual
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE CHILD SEAT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY ATTACHED INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE CHILD.
no report yet
Front: retractor
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE SLACK IN THE SEAT BELT WHEN WORN, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.
Mileage at failure
When do engine and engine cooling problems start?
90kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 191 engine and engine cooling complaints. 57% were reported before 100,000 miles.
18under 30k miles109under 100k miles82100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Engine and engine cooling
35 owners mentioned a cost$1,863median
Middle half: $615 – $3,100
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2001 vs. every other F-150 year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the F-150 median. How we score
01034232510152861911392242753044705866766263242,7581,3811,0441,0761,2368214232,0291,1125854883693248432,1951,7842,9941,5411,7532,0981,4692,3351,3507461,052608420197111140
'73'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2001 Ford F-150 safety ratings
2001 Ford F-150 2-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 2 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
6 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2001 Ford F-150, and the recalls they led to.
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADNo recall
- FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLYNo recall
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESLed to recall 05V-388
- Fuel Tank Strap Failure Due to CorrosionLed to recall 11V-385
- Fuel Tank Strap Corrosion/RustNo recall
- FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLYNo recall
In owners' words
What F-150 owners report
Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owns a 2001 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. After visual inspection, the contact was able to conclude that the sound originated from the passenger’s side exhaust manifold. No…
VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND MOTOR WAS OFF. VEHICLE CATCH ON FIRE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAD TO GO TURN IT OFF BUT WE COULD NOT SAVE ANYTHING FROM THIS TRUCK IT GOT VERY DAMAGED. *TR
I WAS DRIVING HOME AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION UNDER THE HOOD AND IT SOUNDED LIKE PART OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM GAVE WAY. I PULLED OVER AND FOUND OUT THAT A SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE HEAD. THE ONLY ONE TO EVER TOUCH THE ENGINE WAS FORD AND THAT THEY HAD REPLACED A SPARK PLUG…
Own a 2001 F-150?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.