2001 Ford E-150: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 37 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes, hydraulic (27% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Oct 2009
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Frame/ chassis cracked at steering box mount due to rusting from the inside of the frame out. There are holes and small open areas in the 4 sided frame. There is no wheel well material protecting this area from excessive amount of salt, water, dirt and debris entering in these holes as well, there is no way to maintain, clean, protect or inspect the insides of the frame to know your steering is going to fail. I am not the only person that is having this problem. Please review. Thanks for reading. Sincerely [XXX] or [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).”Owner report · Steering · May 2023
“Frame corroded causing steering box to break through the frame and complete steering loss which nearly caused a head on collision and leaving van inoperable and completely without steering”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford e-150. The contact stated that while reversing, he heard a loud dragging noise. The contact mentioned that after inspecting the vehicle he noticed that the tie rod was fractured. Also, he stated that he had replaced the entire front end of the vehicle 30,000 miles before the failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer however, the technician was unable to diagnose what had caused the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and current mileage was 171,578.”Owner report · Suspension · Mar 2014
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“Spark plug blew out of motor breaking the coil pack in the process and could have caught fire spewing fuel mixture from the cylinder. *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 2011
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford e-150 cargo van. The contact was refueling the vehicle when he smelled an overpowering gasoline odor. Gasoline was leaking from the top of the fuel tank. The contact was able to locate NHTSA recall campaign id number: 01v114000 (fuel system,gasoline: storage: tank assembly) but was advised by the dealer that his VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 73,000 and the current mileage was 73,200.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Jul 2010
“2001 f-150 ford 4.6 liter spit # 3 sparkplug out off cylinder destroying coil over plug (cop) and stranding me over 500 miles from home, had it towed back to my hometown ford dealer shop, they wanted to replace heads at my expense,no recalls by fomoco on this manufacturing/engineering defect. Help NHTSA! *tr”Owner report · Power Train · Mar 2010
“I currently own a meticulously maintained 2001 ford e150 van with a 4.6 liter motor. I have approx 78000 miles on vehicle, and recently started having spark plug issues. To make a long story short changing the spark plugs with aluminum heads can possibly ruin my van due to the plugs blowing out of the heads. At this time I'm not in a position to by a new vehicle due to something as simple and basic as a spark plug. Due to the location of motor in van the repair is costly and time consuming. The more research I do with this issue I feel this is a huge design flaw. *tr”Owner report · Power Train · Dec 2009
“Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford e150. The contact heard a loud knocking noise and noticed steam coming from the tailpipe once the vehicle was started. The failure was diagnosed as a risk pin in the engine. The manufacturer stated that there was no remedy for this type of engine failure. The failure mileage was 68,900.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Aug 2008
“Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford e-150. The contact stated that the electronic ignition coil had to be replaced on several occasions. The coil slowly becomes defective. The dealer stated that the ignition coil was burning out and needed to be replaced. The repair costs $300 each time. The contact had to pay $900 because the coil was replaced three times. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the coil failure. The failure occurs while driving uphill and on level ground and the vehicle also loses power. The current and failure mileages were 41,000. Updated 12/31/07 *bf the consumer complained on several occasions, that the engine light was on. Updated *jb”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2007
“Aqre: ford motor company recall 05s28 for speed control deactivation switch (scds). I received a recall notice in august of 2007 stating that my scds may be defective and cause a fire whether or not the vehicle was being operated. The scds needed to be replaced. To date all ford motor company has done is to have varsity ford remove the scds...they have not supplied the dealer with any new parts to replace the defective ones. The dealer service rep has told me he has no idea when or if replacment parts will be provided. *cn”Owner report · Fuel System, Other · Aug 2007
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND 1994 F53 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS). THE SCDS MAY LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
FORD IS RECALLING 225,000 MY 1992-2003 ECONOLINE, MY 1993-1995 TAURUS SHO, MY 1992-1998 CROWN VICTORIA, MY 1993 BRONCO, F-SERIES, MY 1995-1997 F-SERIES SUPER DUTY STRIPPED CHASSIS, MY 1992-1998 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS, AND MY 1992-1995 LINCOLN TOWN CAR VEHICLES. THE AFFECTED VEHICLES WERE PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED USING A WIRING HARNESS THAT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE VEHICLE CIRCUIT POLARITY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW WIRING HARNESS, OR REPLACE THE MATING ELECTRICAL COMPONENT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 18, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERS FOR INSTALLATION OF A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2007, AND MAILING COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ON CERTAIN VANS WITH AMBULANCE PREP PACKAGES OR OTHER SEVERE-DUTY APPLICATIONS INVOLVING OPERATION AT OR NEAR THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT WITH FREQUENT TWISTING OF THE VEHICLE BODY, SUCH AS OFF-ROAD, ROUGH ROAD OR SPEED BUMP EVENTS, THE 35 GALLON MID-SHIP FUEL TANK COULD DEVELOP A CRACK WHERE IT CONTACTS THE FRAME CROSS MEMBER. IF THE FUEL TANK CRACKS, FUEL LEAKAGE COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL TANK AND, IF CRACKED, WILL REPLACE THE TANK. INSULATOR PADS WILL BE INSTALLED ON ALL VEHICLES TO REDUCE THE STRESS LEVELS IN THE FUEL TANK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 19, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2001 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact E-150 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Ford E-150 reliable?
NHTSA has 37 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2001 Ford E-150. The most complained-about area is service brakes, hydraulic (27% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2001 Ford E-150 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 73,000 miles or less.
Does the 2001 Ford E-150 have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning vehicle speed control. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.