Most common 2001 Ford E-350 problems
Share of the 52 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford E-350 complaints by model year
Best E-350 years: 2018, 2016, 2015. Years to avoid: 1997, 1995, 1999. Compare all years →
2001 Ford E-350 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 4 possible defects involving the 2001 Ford E-350:
HVAC Switch Failures
ODI has received 1 complaint and reports from 4 transportation fleets alleging 182 switch failures.Each fleet operates mini buses built on a Ford E350 or E450 cutaway chassis.The OEM HVAC blower switches have melted, smoked, burned or experienced open flame and become inoperable on vehicles in each fleet.Some drivers have reported a burning smell or smoke coming from the dash.One fleet reported a vehicle fire.No…
HVAC Switch Failures
This investigation was opened based on one complaint and reports from four transportation fleets alleging 182 blower motor control switch failures.ODI was concerned that these melting and burning switches could lead to an open flame that could spread throughout the vehicle.After a comprehensive review of all data related to overheating blower motor control switches in the subject vehicles, ODI did not identify the…
Rapid tire deflation
This investigation was opened on certain Ford pickup trucks and vans to evaluate the effects of a valve stem ejection (with rapid air loss) and a slow leaking valve stem on vehicle handing.during the investigation, odi evaluated over 1,100 complaints and warranty claims, conducted vehicle dynamic testing on a subject vehicle with the failure mode replicated, interviewed owners, and examined complaint vehicles in the…
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-350 owners say
Engine & cooling
Spark plug - I'm really shocked this hasn't been recalled! Purchased this 2001 Ford e-350 from the original owner who was a mechanic and kept all service records of this vehicle. It is in excellent condition. Had the van serviced and looked over before taking it on a longer trip. At 2 am and only after 5 hours of driving (all highway) we heard a loud bang followed by even louder rumbling and intense gas smell. This happened while driving and the van was in motion on the highway. We were able to exit the highway and wait until the morning. The next morning we took the engine apart and found the spark plug completely blown out of the engine. After buying the repair kit from the parts store and putting in a new spark plug we were able to limp our way home. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2001 Ford e350. The vehicle was parked outside of the contact's residence when he heard an loud explosion. The vehicle had caught fire. The fire department was called. Once the fire was extinguished, the contact discovered that a hole had been burned in the hood of the vehicle, right above the master cylinder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle remained outside of the contact's home and was not drivable. The failure and current mileage was 150,411.
Brakes
ABS module shorting out because of brake fluid in the module. I heard a loud popping noise just outside my home where my van is parked, less than 2 ft. From the house, and went out to investigate. Smoke was billowing from the drivers side engine compartment, so I raised the hood and disconnected the battery. The smoke was coming from the area of the ABS module, so I removed it and the cover had blown off, and the circuit board inside was fried. This is a potential fire hazard, and yet I was unable to locate a recall about this issue. My van is a 2001 Ford e-350. The vehicle was idle, and had not been driven for almost 2 days (it was the weekend), the engine was not running, the keys were not in the ignition, and the van was locked at the time of this incident.
I have a 2000 Ford econoline van with about 60,000 miles driven. The ABS warning lamp is on. I took it to my Ford dealer for checking. The service manager reported that the left wheel sensor was shorted out and needed to be replaced. I told him to fix it. It seems that this May be a subject for recall, since there is no before-failure warning.
Fuel & propulsion system
I have a 2001 Ford e-350 van with a 7.3 litre diesel engine. We have been experiencing engine problems and upon returning the vehicle to the dealership where we purchased it, we were informed that the fuel tank interior lining has degraded and is clogging the fuel system. Estimates for the repair are in the range of $1500-1600. Upon investigation on the internet and during a conversation with the service manager, we have learned that this is an on-going problem with Ford diesel equiped vehicles. We feel this is a product defect and should be the responsibility of the manufacturer to correct it at their expense.
Dt: the contact stated that the lining on the inside of the gas tank flaked off and fell into the gasoline. As a result of the flaking, the pieces of the lining flowed through the fuel system and into the injectors. The contact was driving at 65 MPH and when the flakes became engaged the injector, the vehicle immediately slowed to 35 MPH. This almost caused the contact to have a serious accident in the morning rush hour traffic. The dealer was the one that found the problem with the lining. This has been fixed by the consumer the vehicle is a 2001 Ford e350.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Ford E-350 a good car?
Based on 52 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 E-350 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the E-350 at the same age. 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-350?
The engine & cooling — 17 complaints, 33% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the brakes (6) and fuel & propulsion system (6).
How many recalls does the 2001 Ford E-350 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2001 Ford E-350, 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-350?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2018, 2016 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1997, 1995 and 1999. See the full Ford E-350 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Ford E-350 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 89,000 miles; 30% 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.