2001 Ford F-250Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 220 owner complaints about the 2001 Ford F-250, most often about the tires. It is covered by 4 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexUse caution2.1× the F-250 median · #4 of 31 years by complaints

Safety recalls4Free fix at dealers Owner complaints22053 with a crash, fire or injury Typical failure mileage45kTires, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 29, 2025. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2001 Ford F-250 has problems

220 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

48Tires3 crash/fire/injury

28Power train2 crash/fire/injury

23Vehicle speed control14 crash/fire/injury

22Steering1 crash/fire/injury

21Engine and engine cooling7 crash/fire/injury

20Service brakes, hydraulic2 crash/fire/injury

15Suspension

13Engine

12Electrical system

5112 other systems13 crash/fire/injury

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Tires	48	3
Power train	28	2
Vehicle speed control	23	14
Steering	22	1
Engine and engine cooling	21	7
Service brakes, hydraulic	20	2
Suspension	15	1
Engine	13	2
Electrical system	12	6
12 other systems	51	13

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

4 recalls

2001 Ford F-250 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

Vehicle speed control

Recall 06V-286 · Aug 1, 2006 · 1,200,000 vehicles

Risk. OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE OR BURN AND AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Windshield wiper/washer: motor

Recall 01V-258 · Aug 8, 2001 · 1,083,000 vehicles

Risk. LOSS OF VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Front: buckle assembly

Recall 01V-227 · Jul 16, 2001 · 1,400,000 vehicles

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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Air bags: frontal

Recall 01V-082 · Mar 12, 2001 · 268 vehicles

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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

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 tires problems start?

45kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 25 tires complaints. 88% were reported before 100,000 miles.

5under 30k miles22under 100k miles3100k miles or more

Best & worst years

2001 vs. every other F-250 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 median. How we score

0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 2 2 0 1 0 1 10 21 38 38 62 11211110711913012318417630456 58132622015611615414422160 19754 73 24826695 143

'67'68'69'70'72'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

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

Sep 22, 2005
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
No recall
Feb 17, 2005
FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLYEA05004 · closed Jul 6, 2005
No recall
Mar 22, 2005
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA05005 · closed Aug 2, 2006
Led to recall 05V-388
Oct 22, 2004
FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLYRQ04011 · closed Feb 17, 2005
No recall

In owners' words

What F-250 owners report

Recent tires complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford F-250 equipped with Toyo tires, Tire Line: HT Open Country, Tire Size: LT265/75/R16, DOT Number: CXLTCAK4815. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking and felt like the front tires were bouncing. The contact veered to the…
Complaint 11461209 · Apr 18, 2022 · 230,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-250 EQUIPPED WITH MICKEY THOMPSON/BAJA ATZ TIRES, TIRE SIZES 35 * 12.50 R20. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH, THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO RUN OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE CONTACT…
Complaint 10479871 · Oct 12, 2012 · 230,000 miles

MY THIRD UNIROYAL LIBERATOR TIRE HAS FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE TWO BEFORE. THIS IS MY THIRD COMPLAINT CONCERNING THESE DEFECTIVE TIRES. THESE TIRES ALL FAILED IN THE SAME EXACT MANNER (TREAD/TIRE SEPARATION) AND ALL WITHIN WEEKS OR MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. THE TREAD PULLED LOOSE FROM THE…
Complaint 10427038 · Sep 24, 2011 · 37,000 miles

Own a 2001 F-250?

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