Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
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).
I own a 2001 Ford f150 lariet off road pick up truck with a supercab. The rear seats in the truck do not have any headrests. My seven year old daughter constantly hits her head on the rear window because there is no headrest. I am very concerned about what could happen to her if my vehicle was struck from the rear with her in that seat. I can't allow her to sit in the front seat as of yet and can't find any headrest alternatives to correct the problem. I believe that this was a poor design by Ford and I think they know it too since all of the newer models have rear headrests. I never even thought about it until after I purchased the truck. I just thought you should be aware of the problem and wondered if you had any similar complaints. Thanks!
I recently bought a 2001 Ford f150 super cab truck,and I saw that it doesn't have any head retraints in the back seats,and also found out that there have been about four complaints about this matter and nothing has been done about it,also had my truck in the dealer shop for four days for a water leak,and was given to me,paid by the dealer a Ford f150 super cab 2005 rental,until my truck was fixed,and I saw that this truck did have the back seats restraints,so I believe this is a very unsafe,not to have these restraints on these other year trucks.I hope that something can be resolve on this problem,because I have grandkids,and it could be very unsafe.and this my first time buying a Ford.please reply to me soon.thank you very much.
My Ford f-150 supercrew 4-door pickup truck does not have head restraints in the rear 60/40 split bench seat. This is a safety concern as rear seat passengers will hit their heads on the rear glass in a crash. New trucks of this model are now redesigned and have rear head restraints. Models manufactured earlier do not. When I called Ford customer service to complain of the safety concern of having no rear head restraints and to ask for the new redesigned seats, they said they would not replace the seats. They are ignoring owners with models manufactured before the newly redesigned rear seats.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford f150. The contact stated that the vehicle was not equipped with brackets or a latch system in the rear seat in order to secure a child seat. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and the current mileage was 140,000.
My Ford f-150 supercrew 4-door pickup truck does not have head restraints in the front, or rear, 60/40 split bench seats. This is a safety concern as rear seat passengers will hit their heads on the rear glass in a crash. New trucks of this model are now redesigned and have rear head restraints. Models manufactured earlier do not. I called Ford customer service to complain of the safety concern, of having no front or rear head restraints, and to ask for the new redesigned seats, they said they would not replace the seats in early production vehicles. They are ignoring owners with models manufactured before the newly redesigned rear seats. Ford also redesigned the front seats to now include head restraints instead of the old design of taller integrated head restraints. …
I ordered my f-150 supercrew in August 2000. The truck was built in late September and I took delivery in the first week of October 2000. Although my truck was sold as a 2001 model, Ford has subsequently made two critical safety modifications in the 2001 supercrews that were produced after my build date. The "latest" 2001 model includes rear seat headrests and child seat anchors in the rear seats. As noted in my report, I was recently driving in the city at approximately 25 MPH when I was forced to make a panic stop. My wife, who was riding in the middle of the rear seat (two-point seat belt), was initially pushed forward by the force of the braking then hit her head on the rear window upon recoil. Fortunately, she suffered no injuries. …
My Ford f-150 supercrew 4-door pickup truck does not have head restraints in the rear 60/40 split bench seat. This is a safety concern as rear seat passengers will hit their heads on the rear glass in a crash. New trucks of this model are now redesigned and have rear head restraints. Models manufactured earlier do not. Ford also redesigned the front seats to now include head restraints instead of the old design of taller integrated head restraints. I believe this is also a safety concern in that I cannot adjust the front seat head restraint to properly protect me in a crash. If this is not a safety concern, why has Ford made the change in the middle of a model year? Why are they keeping quite about it? I very concerned since the reason I bought the truck was I needed a way to carry friends, family, and business associates as well as cargo. …
My Ford f-150 supercrew 4-door pickup truck does not have head restraints in the rear 60/40 split bench seat. This is a safety concern as rear seat passengers will hit their heads on the rear glass in a crash. New trucks of this model are now redesigned and have rear head restraints. Models manufactured earlier do not. When I called Ford customer service to complain of the safety concern of having no rear head restraints and to ask for the new redesigned seats, they said they would not replace the seats. They are ignoring owners with models manufactured before the newly redesigned rear seats. Ford also redesigned the front seats to now include head restraints instead of the old design of taller integrated head restraints. I believe this is also a safety concern in that I cannot adjust the front seat head restraint to properly protect me in a crash. …
"my Ford f-150 supercrew 4-door pickup truck does not have head restraints in the rear 60/40 split bench seat. This is a safety concern as rear seat passengers will hit their heads on the rear glass in a crash. New trucks of this model are now redesigned and have rear head restraints. Models manufactured earlier do not. When I called Ford customer service to complain of the safety concern of having no rear head restraints and to ask for the new redesigned seats, they said they would not replace the seats. They are ignoring owners with models manufactured before the newly redesigned rear seats. Ford also redesigned the front seats to now include head restraints instead of the old design of taller integrated head restraints. I believe this is also a safety concern in that I cannot adjust the front seat head restraint to properly protect me in a crash. …
My Ford f-150 supercrew 4-door pickup truck does not have head restraints in the rear 60/40 split bench seat. This is a safety concern as rear seat passengers will hit their heads on the rear glass in a crash. New trucks of this model are now redesigned and have rear head restraints. Models manufactured earlier do not. When I called Ford customer service to complain of the safety concern of having no rear head restraints and to ask for the new redesigned seats, they said they would not replace the seats. They are ignoring owners with models manufactured before the newly redesigned rear seats. Ford also redesigned the front seats to now include head restraints instead of the old design of taller integrated head restraints. I believe this is also a safety concern in that I cannot adjust the front seat head restraint to properly protect me in a crash. …
Seat complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2001 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 86 complaints about the seats of the 2001 Ford F-150, 7% of the model year's 1,236 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › head restraint (78 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Ford F-150 seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats 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 seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to seats 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.