2001 Ford F-250 Problems and Recalls (194 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2001 Ford F-250 is Engine (15% of 194 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 194 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 2001 Ford F-250?
29 of 194 filings named Engine (15% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Transmission / driveline (25 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Seat belts, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2000 has 266 reports on file; this year has 194. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Engine 29 complaints · 15.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 13
- Fires 23
- Injuries 16
- Deaths 4
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine (ENGINE) | 29 | 15.0% | 0 crashes · 7 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 25 | 12.9% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Tires (TIRES) | 23 | 11.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 19 | 9.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 19 | 9.8% | 1 crashes · 12 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 16 | 8.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 13 | 6.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 12 | 6.2% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 8 | 4.1% | 8 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 123 | 63.4% | 11 crashes · 7 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 01V227001 was reported 66 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 01V258000 was reported 157 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 07E066000 was reported 2,497 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2001-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2001-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2001-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2001-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2002-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 01V082000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 01V227001 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 01V258000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E049000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E052000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06V286000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 07E066000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E012000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E025000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ04011 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA05004 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA05005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP05005 |
Safety Recalls (9)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags, Seat belts, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Lights.
-
Recall campaign 01V082000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 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.
-
Recall campaign 01V227001
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FRONT OUTBOARD SEAT BELT BUCKLES AND IF THE BUCKLE FAILS THE INSPECTION PROCESS, IT WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 25, 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 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 01V258000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- LOSS OF VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE ON THE WIPER MOTOR. MOTORS BUILT WITH THE SUSPECT TIME FRAME WILL HAVE THE WIPER MOTOR GEAR CASE COVER REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 20, 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 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 06E049000
Safety recall 06E049000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Remedy:
- CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
-
Recall campaign 06E052000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- SABRY LEE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER FULL CREDIT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLAMP. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON JUNE 14, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABRY LEE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AT 1-866-467-2279.
-
Recall campaign 06V286000
Safety recall 06V286000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE OR BURN AND AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS INTO THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 7, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332. (NOTE: ALSO SEE RECALLS 05V017 AND 05V388)
-
Recall campaign 07E066000
Safety recall 07E066000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- IF THE TRAILER LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, A VEHICLE CRASH CAN OCCUR.
- Remedy:
- ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE TOW PACKAGES ARE STILL AT THE DISTRIBUTOR LEVEL AND HAVE NOT BEEN SOLD TO ANY CONSUMERS.
-
Recall campaign 09E012000
Safety recall 09E012000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
-
Recall campaign 09E025000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 8 of 194 complaints · page 1 of 8
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When im in traffic, starting out driving or merging between intersections my truck decides to either hard shift or not shift at all. Several times ive had to lay on my horn in an attempt to warn oncoming vehicles that i have no power and cannot accelerate and several times it has nearly caused an accident. I purchased the truck used and have yet to take it into the dealership to have them inspect the issue though from what i’ve read thus far is that ford calls this problem “normal operation” and has been less than understanding when people attempt to have this obvious defect resolved. There are no warning lights that come on when this happens. I can have my truck inspected by whomever, whenever need be. I will also be returning to the dealer to use my warranty to help deal with this issue. The date this most recently happened causing a near miss was today, though there has been an occasional but recurring situation almost weekly.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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 side of the road, where he noticed that the tires were deformed. The contact continued to drive. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the tread belt was separating. The front tires were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred with the rear tires. The vehicle was taken to an independent tire mechanic where the rear tires were replaced under an unknown recall. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred on the front tires. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The tires were not replaced. The tires were replacement equipment. The tire failure mileage was 30,000. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 230,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Was T-Boned in the passenger side of the truck which changed my direction of travel resulting in hitting a tree head on. Neither frontal air bags deployed. The frontal impact was hard enough to push the tree 18 to 20 inches into the engine compartment bending the frame where the front bumper was attached. The accident resulted in a fatality. I'm just confused why neither air bag deployed. I have had this truck since it was new so I know it's history. There was not any warnings lights on, No air bag warning lights, No modifications were ever done to the truck. All stock. There was never any indication that the air bags were not operating normal. So Why did they malfunction?
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAILPIPE IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO SPARE TIRE TO MELT TIRE. TIRE IS UNUSABLE. LATER VEHICLES HAVE A HEAT SHIELD IN PLACE TO PREVENT THIS. FORD SHOULD HAVE RECALLED EARLIER UNITS.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WHILE SHOPPING MY F250 TRYED TO BURN DOWN IN PARKING LOT 2ND TIME AT A SCHOOL SOCCER GAME AND 4 THE THIRD TIME RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE AND STILL AFTER THOUSANDS IN REPAIRS STILL SAME ISSUE FORD NEEDS TO MAN UP AN ADDRESS THIS SITUATION..... [XXXX] KEY NEVER IN TRUCK ALL THREE TIMES THIS HAS OCCURED REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
CrashFireInjuryDeath
SPARK PLUGS KEEP BLOWING OUT OF THE ENGINE, WHILE ACCELERATING, HAS DONE FIVE TIMES,, WHEN IT DOES VEHICLE STALLED POSSIBLY CARE CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, ALMOST GOT HIT BY A TRUCK TRYING TO TURN,
CrashFireInjuryDeath
LOCATION MASTER CYLINDER CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SENSOR LEAKING BRAKE FLUID NON FUNCTIONAL BRAKES AND CRUISE CONTROL.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-250. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN A PARKING LOT, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE, OPENED THE HOOD, AND NOTICED FLAMES. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH WATER AND NOTICED THAT AN UNKNOWN PLUG RELATED TO THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS MELTED. NO POLICE OR FIRE REPORTS WERE FILED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V017000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO EL CAJON FORD (LOCATED AT 1595 E MAIN ST, EL CAJON, CA 92021, ([redacted]) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE UNKNOWN PLUG RELATED TO THE CRUISE CONTROL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2001 Ford F-250?
Owners named Engine most often — 29 of 194 reports (15%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2001 Ford F-250?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Seat belts, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2001 Ford F-250?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.