Most common 2001 Ford E-150 problems
Share of the 37 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford E-150 complaints by model year
Best E-150 years: 2009, 2014, 2015. Years to avoid: 2001, 1997, 1999, 1995, 1996. Compare all years →
2001 Ford E-150 recalls (4)
Vehicle speed control
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…
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…
Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
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.
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.
Vehicle speed control
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…
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
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…
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2001 Ford E-150:
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 2001 Ford E-150 owners say
Brakes
I have a 2001 e 1-50 van, I am always getting a brake to the floor issue this has caused me some scary incidents at times, I have had everything replaced that I can think of but still having this issue, I get the run around with Ford saying this is normal to me this is not normal when I have to pump my brakes at times, before I stop also sitting at lights I can feel my pedal goes to the floor this is not normal something is wrong, somewhere other people have had this issue cause I tried to see if anyone else is having this seems a lot are here are some stories on this issue http://www.Ford-trucks.com/forums/937993-my-brakes-go-to-the-floor-and-so-do-yours-I-think.html I'm tired of tossing money into this issue, I don't want to get into a accident and kill myself or someone else, I think this problem needs to be addressed. I'm sure not the only one having this issue.
Purchased the vehicle late 2001 and has been in 6 times for new rotors and breaks due to vibration when braking. Ford has covered it so far, and the dealership just tells me that because the van is heavy in the front that it is a common problem. I feel this is a design flaw in the vehicle. Who can afford a $600.00 brake job every 4 to 5 months?
Electrical system
Tl 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 the consumer complained on several occasions, that the engine light was on. Updated
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the horn began honking without warning, and with no discernible cause. When the vehicle was examined, the inside of the van was filled with smoke. This was accompanied by smoldering wires in the radio panel behind the driver seat. There were no visible flames, and the smoldering wires were extinguished. The vehicle was not seen by a dealer.
Engine & cooling
Tl 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.
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!
2001 Ford E-150 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.2L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: Van.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Ford E-150 a good car?
Based on 37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 E-150 rates use caution: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the E-150 at the same age. It is one of the E-150 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Ford E-150?
The brakes — 11 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year, most often about foundation components › disc. Next are the electrical system (7) and engine & cooling (6).
How many recalls does the 2001 Ford E-150 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2001 Ford E-150, the most recent from October 13, 2009 (vehicle speed control). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford E-150?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2014 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001, 1997, 1999, 1995 and 1996. See the full Ford E-150 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Ford E-150 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 73,000 miles; 32% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.