Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2001 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended, he heard an abnormal popping noise and noticed the vehicle was engulfed in fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no reported injuries or police reports. The contact was able to move the other vehicles away from the fire. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. The contact mentioned she never received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 05V017000 (Vehicle speed control). Consumer stated manufacture was contacted multiple times and was told to file insurance claim. Insurance was for collision and liability only.
The contact owned a 1996 N/A Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the firewall located on the driver's side had caught on fire. The fire was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was filed, and a fire report number was not provided. The origin of the fire was not yet determined. A Police report was not filed. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 249,000.
The contact owns a 2001 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway flames were suddenly present coming from the engine compartment. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The contact indicated that prior to the fire the vehicle had not been driven or turned on for two days. The failure mileage was 89,000.
The contact owns a 2001 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the rear doors failed to open due to a fractured cable. The contact added WD-40 to the doors. The contact stated that the battery was draining while the door was opened. The contact stated that the resonator connecting the engine and muffler was rusted. The contact added putty to the area. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
The contact owns a 2001 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. After visual inspection, the contact was able to conclude that the sound originated from the passenger's side exhaust manifold. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was a failure with the bolts securing the exhaust manifold. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred three times. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.
All I know is I was at a neighbors for around 1 1/2 hours and we hear a loud boom. We ran out side and my truck hood was on fire, it burned everything visible on top of the motor and toward the driver firewall . It busted the driver side tire and completely burned everything visible under the hood. The dash components as far as the eye can see are not bad, unknown of internal damage.I'm not sure what caused the problem. I did go to the recall site to see if there May have been something I did find this control switch for speed recall and not sure if it applies to mine.even though it brought it up when I entered my VIN #. I did receive a recall on the gas tank straps but did not replace them they were in great shape. But I did not receive on on this. I do have pictures if you need them. Thanks
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford f-150. The contact stated they drove their vehicle to the store and then back to their residence. A few minutes later the contacts nephew came into the residence and stated they saw smoke coming from their vehicle. When the contact went back outside they saw smoke and fire coming from underneath the hood. The contact was able to lift the front hood of the vehicle and with a water garden hose was able to extinguish the fire. No one was injured, there was no fire department report filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford f-150. While the vehicle was parked approximately 12 feet from the contact's residence, the security alarm sounded. The contact observed flames coming from the front of the vehicle that spread to the driver's side of the vehicle without warning. The fire was extinguished by the contact and other individuals. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 05V017000 (vehicle speed control). The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2001 Ford f-150. While the vehicle was parked on the street, away from the contact's home, it caught fire. The contact was notified by the neighbor followed by the fire department. The origin of the fire was from the speed control deactivation switch/engine as described in NHTSA campaign number: 05V017000 (vehicle speed control). A police and fire report were filed. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. There were no injuries. The failure mileage was 137,000. The vehicle was destroyed. ...updated 05/17/17
I had been at my neighbors house for over 1 1/2 hours. We heard a loud boom that shook the trailer we ran outside and discovered the drivers side tire blew out due to the fire. The entire hood was melting down onto the motor . There was no electrical components left under the hood by this time and the fire was spreading to the cab , but we finally put it out then the fire department came . I called my insurance co , they are investigating the cause of the fire . Please let me know if any of this pertains to my case . Thank you
NHTSA investigations
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…
Engine complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 278 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Ford F-150, 22% of the model year's 1,236 complaints. The component named most often is engine (97 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Ford F-150 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2001 Ford F-150, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Ford F-150 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 101,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 53 fires and 7 injuries and 1 death to engine & cooling 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.