2001 Ford F-150 Reliability
The 2001 Ford F-150 has 1,340 owner complaints and 19 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about engine & cooling and speed control / throttle. Compared with nearby F-150 model years (1999–2003), it rates as a caution year: complaints run above the F-150's typical year, while the 2003 has a cleaner record.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
1,340
NHTSA owner complaints
19
Recall campaigns
94
Complaints citing a crash
262
Complaints citing a fire
2001 Ford F-150 complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 model year, filed between 2000 and 2025. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine & cooling | 263 | 20% |
| Speed control / throttle | 193 | 14% |
| Electrical system | 153 | 11% |
| Fuel system | 121 | 9% |
| Seats | 89 | 7% |
| Seat belts | 84 | 6% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 77 | 6% |
| Service brakes | 69 | 5% |
2001 Ford F-150 recalls
19 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2001 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00V348000 | Oct 30, 2000 | Seat belts — front / retractor | Vehicle description: regular cab pickup trucks. The driver side seat belt retractor may not fully retract the belt. |
| 00V396000 | Nov 28, 2000 | Equipment — other / owners/service/other manual | Vehicle description: certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the affected expedition/navigator owner guides do not identify the locations of… |
| 01V082000 | Mar 12, 2001 | Air bags — frontal | Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles. The inflator canister in the driver air bag module may have an inadequate weld near the igniter. |
| 01V095000 | Mar 23, 2001 | Service brakes — foundation components / hoses, lines/piping, and fittings | Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks. The left front brake hose was damaged during final assembly. |
| 01V227001 | Jul 16, 2001 | Seat belts — front / buckle assembly | Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. Equipped with seat belts supplied by trw. It is possible that the driver's and/or front passenger's outboard seat belt buckle may not fully latch. Ford crown victoria… |
| 01V258000 | Aug 8, 2001 | Visibility / wipers — windshield wiper/washer / motor | Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper… |
| 05V388000 | Sep 7, 2005 | Speed control / throttle | On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn. |
| 06E023000 | Mar 13, 2006 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Certain anzo combination headlamp assemblies sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles. Some combination lamps are not equipped with amber side reflectors which fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps,… |
| 06E052000 | Jun 12, 2006 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Certain eagle eyes headlamps, p/nos. Fr208-b101r, fr208-b101l, fr208-b001r, and fr208-b001l, sold for use as replacement equipment for the passenger vehicles listed above. These headlamps fail to conform to the photometric requirements of federal motor… |
| 06E056000 | Jun 13, 2006 | Fuel system | Certain aftermarket fuel filters sold under the purolator brand name, p/n f65277, shipped from January 16 through June 2, 2006, for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Due to incorrect design, the quick connectors may not fully seat with the tube… |
| 06E060000 | Jun 29, 2006 | Exterior lighting | Certain aai motorsports combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above list passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108,… |
| 06E064000 | Jul 17, 2006 | Exterior lighting | Certain tradesonic combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108,… |
| 06E065000 | Jul 17, 2006 | Exterior lighting | Certain aj motorsport combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108,… |
| 06E067000 | Aug 1, 2006 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Certain maxzone headlight assemblies, depo brand, p/nos. 331-1129l-asn and 331-1129r-asn, sold for use as aftermarket equipment for the above listed passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the photometric requirements of federal motor vehicle… |
| 07E066000 | Aug 28, 2007 | Equipment — electrical | Certain cequent 90 degree 7-way right angle adaptors sold by distributors in tow packages for aftermarket sales to tow 5th wheel rv travel trailers. Due to incorrect wiring of the harness, the trailer lights may not operate properly. |
| 08E050000 | Aug 11, 2008 | Exterior lighting — headlights | K2 motor is recalling 1,921 aftermarket headlamps of various models sold for use on the above listed vehicles. These headlamps are missing the amber side reflex reflector which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard… |
| 09E012000 | Apr 7, 2009 | Exterior lighting | Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety… |
| 09E025000 | May 11, 2009 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety… |
| 11V385000 | Jul 29, 2011 | Fuel system — storage / tank assembly / mounting | Ford is recalling certain 1997 through 2003 model year Ford F-150, 2004 model year Ford F-150 heritage, 1997 through 1999 model year f-250 less than 8,500 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and 2002 and 2003 lincoln blackwood vehicles manufactured from… |
How the 2001 compares with nearby F-150 years
Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year F-150 analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1,121 | 18 | Engine & cooling | Caution |
| 2000 | 1,206 | 17 | Electrical system | Caution |
| 2001 (this page) | 1,340 | 19 | Engine & cooling | Caution |
| 2002 | 955 | 10 | Engine & cooling | Caution |
| 2003 | 464 | 11 | Engine & cooling | Solid |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2001 Ford F-150
- Engine & cooling: look for coolant leaks or low coolant, watch the temperature gauge on a long test drive, and check for overheating history.
- Throttle and speed control: check for surging, hesitation or a reduced-power warning, and test cruise control.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Fuel system: smell for fuel around the car, watch for hesitation or stalling, and check for a lit check-engine light.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 19 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2001 Ford F-150 can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2001 Ford F-150 reliability FAQ
Is the 2001 Ford F-150 reliable?
The 2001 Ford F-150 has 1,340 owner complaints and 19 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about engine & cooling and speed control / throttle. Compared with nearby F-150 model years (1999–2003), it rates as a caution year: complaints run above the F-150's typical year, while the 2003 has a cleaner record.
What are the most common 2001 Ford F-150 problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2001 Ford F-150 are engine & cooling (263), speed control / throttle (193), electrical system (153), fuel system (121). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2001 Ford F-150 have recalls?
NHTSA lists 19 recall campaigns for the 2001 Ford F-150, including 00V348000 (seat belts — front / retractor) and 00V396000 (equipment — other / owners/service/other manual). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2001 Ford F-150 compare with the 2000 and 2002 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2000 has 1,206 complaints and 17 recalls (caution); the 2002 has 955 complaints and 10 recalls (caution). The 2001 has 1,340 complaints and 19 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2001 Ford F-150?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Ford F-150 research
Other Ford F-150 model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2001 F-150, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.