2001 Ford E-350 problems & reliability
52 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Ford E-350, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (15 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Ford E-350 vehicles were involved in 14 fatal crashes with 7 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 14 | 27% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 5 | 10% |
| Power Train | 5 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 10% |
| Tires | 5 | 10% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 6% |
| Engine | 3 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 6% |
| Steering | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 16 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 37 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 89,000 miles (middle 50% between 44,500 and 133,345 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Spark plug - I'm really shocked this hasn't been recalled! Purchased this 2001 ford e-350 from the original owner who was a mechanic and kept all service records of this vehicle. It is in excellent condition. Had the van serviced and looked over before taking it on a longer trip. At 2 am and only after 5 hours of…”
Engine · filed Sep 9, 2020
“The driver's side seat belt randomly comes unlatched. This has happened before this date and happens multiple times each time it is driven. It does not matter if the vehicle is in motion or not. It has happened sitting still in the driveway and at highway speeds. This is a trw 33012760 part.”
Seat Belts · filed May 9, 2018
“My 2001 ford e350 super duty van blew out a spark plug while driving 40 mph and cost me $900 for dealership to repair....with only 117,000 miles on it. Ford needs to do a recall on this. *tr”
Engine · filed Oct 18, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- HVAC Switch Failures
Engineering Analysis EA10003 · opened Apr 13, 2010 · closed Mar 5, 2012
- HVAC Switch Failures
Preliminary Evaluation PE09055 · opened Dec 7, 2009 · closed Apr 21, 2010
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- RAPID TIRE DEFLATION
Engineering Analysis EA02018 · opened Aug 19, 2002 · closed Aug 22, 2003
Technical service bulletins
27 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Ford E-350. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the…
DOR-X8B9R-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2018
Brake booster system may exhibit a brake pedal kickback and/or grabbing condition when applying the brakes. *nj
071110 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 19, 2007
Headlight adjustment needed. *kb
19527 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2006
Cracks in the left or right spring tower flange. *tt spring tower weld repair and replacement procedure. *tt
0511 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Headlight adjustment - chassis cab incomplete vehicles. *tt
18735 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2005
Vibration/harshness above 45 mph (72 km/h) after tire balance. *tt
05248 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Intermittent clunk on 3-2 downshift during coastdown/tip-in. Oasis. To include 2005 f-150, e-series and expedition. *tt
18250 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2004
Clunk from front suspension. *tt
17520 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
A bump steer steering feeling, noted when the vehicle's front wheels/tires contact road surface irregularities. *tt
17211 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2003
Rough idle and/or hesitation when acclerating on certain super duty vehicles equipped with a 5.4l or 6.8l engine. *tt
03911 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 2003
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2001 Ford E-350 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Ford E-350?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 89,000 miles — worth a pre-purchase inspection if the car is near that mileage.