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2001 Ford F-250 SDProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 288 owner complaints about the 2001 Ford F-250 SD, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

46
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.2× the F-250 SD median · #5 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints28836 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage93kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 15, 2019. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2001 Ford F-250 SD has problems

288 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling916
Power train454
Tires392
Electrical system3913
Steering212
Seat belts140
Vehicle speed control116
Suspension100
Service brakes, hydraulic90
15 other systems417

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2001 Ford F-250 SD 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.

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?

93kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 82 engine and engine cooling complaints. 61% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
5under 30k miles50under 100k miles32100k 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

11 owners mentioned a cost

$1,100median

Middle half: $675 – $3,000

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-250 SD 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-250 SD median. How we score

'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
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
8 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2001 Ford F-250 SD, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
    No recall
  2. SECTOR SHAFT FRACTURESEA01009 · closed Aug 19, 2003
    No recall
  3. ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR (ETC)EA04006 · closed Feb 10, 2005
    No recall
  4. FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLYEA05004 · closed Jul 6, 2005
    No recall
  5. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA05005 · closed Aug 2, 2006
    Led to recall 07V-347
  6. ENGINE STALLINGEA06012 · closed Dec 7, 2007
    Led to recall 07V-553
  7. ENGINE STALLINGPE06011 · closed Jun 23, 2006
    No recall
  8. FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLYRQ04011 · closed Feb 17, 2005
    No recall
In owners' words

What F-250 SD owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-250 SD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM UNDER THE FRONT HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPARK PLUG HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE…
Complaint 10454332 · Apr 6, 2012 · 98,000 miles
WHEN DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEEDS IN A 2001 F-250 SD 5.4 LITER, SLOWED TO MAKE A STOP AND THEN PROCEEDED ON AND THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND THE TRUCK STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND MAKING A LOT OF NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. IT TURNED OUT THAT A SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE CYLINDER WALL CAUSING THE NOISE…
Complaint 10420862 · Aug 21, 2011 · 88,500 miles
ON VACATION IN MAINE WITH MY 2001 FORD F250 SUPER DUTY I WAS DRIVING DOWN A VERY NARROW, HEAVILY WOODED TWO LANE ROAD AT ABOUT 20 MPH, SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING A LOUD BANG UNDER THE HOOD OCCURRED. DIFFICULT TO PULL OVER SAFELY AND INVESTIGATE. I HAD TO DRIVE SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET TO TRY TO GET…
Complaint 10420151 · Aug 19, 2011 · 91,675 miles

Own a 2001 F-250 SD?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.