Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Ever since I got the truck about 4 months ago I have been having a problem with the rear brakes locking up. It happens after the vehicle has been sitting up for a few hours and it's raining or there's a good but of moisture in the air. When you first get in the truck the rear brakes will lock up on you only going forward for some reason. If you apply very little pressure it does it. After about 10 times locking it up it drives fine as long as its not parked for a while. On a good hot summer day with no moisture or rain it does do it at all. A few weeks ago I backed out my drive way it was raining and it did it. So I decided to pull back into my driveway and take my fiance's car to town. When I was pulling up it locked up when I trying to stop and slid into the corner of my home. No major damage was done just cracked the front bumper. I have taking it to 3 local mechanics. …
Tl* the contact owns 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard upon engagement and the vehicle continued to accelerate. In addition, smoke emitted from the air vents and from under hood. The contact immediately jumped from the vehicle once he noticed flames extending from under the hood. The unoccupied vehicle then crashed into a wooded area. The contact sustained road rash and injuries to the left wrist and hand. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage facility. The vehicle had been included in NHTSA campaign id number: 07V336000 (vehicle speed control) however, the failure occurred before the recall remedy could be performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 156,800.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The contact stated the vehicle was parked and suddenly burst into flames. The fire department was called to extinguish the fire and determined that the fire originated from under the hood. Prior to the failure, the contact inquired about NHTSA campaign id number: 07V336000 (vehicle speed control) but was advised by the manufacturer that his VIN was not included in the recall. The recall stated that a fire could potentially start from under the hood. Later, the contact's VIN was added to the recall and he received notification but the contact was under the impression that the letter pertained to a different vehicle he owned. The failure and current mileages were 114,350.
Dt*: the contact stated while parked overnight in a garage; the vehicle caught fire and sustained extensive damage. The fire department was called to the scene to extinguish the fire. No one was injured. The police were also on the scene and a report was taken. The insurance adjustor inspected the vehicle and determined the fire started on the driver's side and most likely ignited from the cruise control assembly. There is a NHTSA recall, # 05V388000, regarding the cruise control. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the VIN.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. On July 9, 2007, the vehicle caught fire. The vehicle was completely turned off with no passengers at the time of failure. The vehicle was destroyed. A fire and police report were filed. The current and failure mileages were 65,000. It was determined the faulty cruise control switch caused the fire. Updated 08/16/07.
Takata recall, the inside lightsor dome lights, they shorted out one to another in the double over head lights and grounded out the battery could cause several problems one it killed the battery and I found out when I went to change one of the lights and to stop I took both lights out and seperated the copper that conects with switch
Accelerator in a Ford Explorer Sport Trac engaged without driver input causing the vehicle to rapidly accelerate into another vehicle. Brakes were applied but were unable to prevent the crash - air bags deployed causing the engine to shut off thus stopping the vehicle.
2001 Ford Explorer Sport caught on fire while parked. The vehicle caught on fire after it had been sitting for about ten hours. The consumer believed the fire was the result of a faulty cruise control deactivation switch.
On October 10th, following a cold start, the vehicle was shifted from park into drive with the 4x4 mode selection switch set to 2wd mode. Instead of 2wd mode, the vehicle was in 4x4 low mode. There was no shift command to go into 4x4 low mode and it was impossible to switch out of 4x4 low mode. The vehicle was driven to a dealership in 4x4 low mode. The dealership claimed that the transfer case shift motor had shorted forcing the uncommanded shift to 4x4 low mode. The shift motor was replaced and the vehicle was returned. The old part is available. On November 2nd, following a cold start, the vehicle was shifted from park into drive with the 4x4 mode selection switch set to 2wd mode. After driving a distance less than 1 mile at a vehicle speed of approximately 20mph, a repetitive clicking noise was observed from under the passenger's side dash. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal would become stuck when accelerating uphill. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle would not stop and the rmps would increase to 3,500. The contact placed the vehicle in neutral but the rpms would continuously increase. The contact turned the vehicle off and restarted numerous times, but the rpms would continue to increase at 3500. The vehicle was allowed to run idle for thirty minutes before resuming normal operation. The failure and the current mileage was 41,000. Updated 04/11/12 the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, where they found acorn nuts near the throttle body, which May have caused the problem. Updated 04/23/12
Related recalls
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…
Vehicle speed control › Cables
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control and 4.0l sohc engines, if the strand cover on the speed control cable becomes flared at the end, the speed control cable May bind when the speed control is activated.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the speed control cable and, if necessary, replace it. Owner notification began August 29, 2003. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Acceleration complaints in other Explorer Sport Trac years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, 16% of the model year's 167 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 07V-336 (vehicle speed control, Aug 3, 2007); NHTSA recall 03V-280 (cables, Aug 5, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 6 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.