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-250 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford f-250. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 05V017000 (vehicle speed control). While the vehicle was parked, smoke spontaneously emerged from under the hood and the vehicle caught fire without warning. The contact extinguished the fire. The vehicle was taken to battlefield Ford commercial truck center (8980 mathis ave, manassas, va 20110, [phone]) who stated that they were waiting on authorization. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A fire report was not filed and there were no injuries. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 144,840.
The cylinder head gaskets are a manufacturer defect. They used inferior quality gaskets which result in engine malfunction. This manufacturer defect pertains to a 2001 Ford f-250 super duty 5.4l v8. I am aware this issue became prevalent in 1999 Ford f-250 models and this issue carried forward to 2001. There was a recall for this issue for 1999 models - $4,500 per unit to replace complete engine assemblies where this manufacturer defect was most prevalent with cylinder head gaskets. Ford did not rectify this safety issue as it persisted in their 2001 models. A recall is necessary to rectify this manufacturer defect. Http://www.autonews.com/article/20020401/sub/204010753/Ford-hits-another-quality-snag
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford f-250. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, a fire was detected coming from underneath the driver's side wheel. The contact also mentioned that the driver side of the vehicle exploded. A police report was filed. The fire was extinguished by the local fire department. There were no injuries reported. The vehicle was not taken or towed to a dealer or independent mechanic for a diagnostic test or repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was included in the NHTSA campaign number: 05V170000 (vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford f250. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH the engine caught on fire. There were flames coming from under the vehicle. After stopping on the side of the road, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department was called and put the fire out. A report was available if needed. The origin of the fire was unknown. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who will inspect the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted who stated they will send a representative out within the next twenty days to inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was 220,000. Updated 09/27/11 updated 10/05/11
Tl contact owns a 2001 Ford f250. The engine has a boil heater that will keep the oil heated in the vehicle. The contact has had to replace two of them within five years. It was discovered that the plug to the oil heater was defective and caught fire. The fire burned the front license plate of the vehicle and front bumper caught on fire. The vehicle is currently in his possession and he replaced the part himself. The current mileage was 170,000 and failure mileage was 60,000. Updated 03/18/08. Updated 03/18/08
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Ford f-250. While the vehicle was idling at a stop sign, the contact heard a loud abnormal popping noise coming from the engine compartment. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic where they replaced the spark plug taps and diagnosed that the intake manifold needed to be replaced. The manifold was not replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was 128,000.
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was idle, a fire erupted which was caused by a faulty electrical system. The fire originated from the engine compartment front underhood. There were no warning signals prior to the incident. Upon inspection, the cruise control deactivation switch and wiring for the electrical system was observed to be completely burnt to the ground. A fire report was taken# 06-017205. Also, the manufacturer was notified, but would not offer any resolution while this case was under investigation.
I was in the process of running a medical in my personal truck when I starting the engine it popped and when I checked it out I noticed the engine blew out a spark plug. So when I called the parts store they said the type of motor I have in my truck is bad for blowing them like that and to fix it would cost a pretty penny so my question is if you all and Ford knows theres a problem how come they dont have to fix I know so far it hasnt been an saftey issue yet when will it be or is it a consumer issue.
The Ford f250 truck (2001) was parked outside of heb grocery store for approximately 30 minutes when witnesses saw sparks shooting out from underneath the vehicle seconds before it caught fire. The entire engine compartment burned and began to consume the cab before the fire department put out the fire. The Ford f250 cruise control was used the previous two days and was having intermittent problems during a trip (~900 miles).
Spark plug blowout.when driving on the highway had a sparkplug blow out of the engine.limped the truck home slowly with gas fumes every were.very dangerous. Ford wont admit they have a problem but they do have a fix.your dollars not theres.this is also the second time this has happened to me.
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-250 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Ford F-250?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Ford F-250, 15% of the model year's 220 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Ford F-250 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2001 Ford F-250, though it has 4 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-250 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 104,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 9 fires and 0 injuries 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.