2001 Ford Excursion problems & reliability
209 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Ford Excursion, alongside 6 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.
9 complaints report injuries (14 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Ford Excursion vehicles were involved in 20 fatal crashes with 12 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | 57 | 27% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 44 | 21% |
| Power Train | 20 | 10% |
| Suspension | 14 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 13 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 13 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 6% |
| Steering | 9 | 4% |
| Engine | 8 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 82,000 miles (middle 50% between 50,000 and 116,879 miles), based on 114 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Odometer Fraud. The contact was interested in purchasing a 2001 Ford Excursion at the dealer who advertised the mileage on the vehicle as 120,000 on Saturday, December 6th, 2025; however, the odometer showed a mileage of 116,000. While noticing the difference, the contact decided to research the VIN online and…”
Electrical System · filed Dec 8, 2025
“The contact owns a 2001 Ford Excursion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unattended, the vehicle caught fire without warning. There were no reported injuries, police reports, or air bag deployments. The fire department and city employees extinguished the fire. The local dealer was not…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Mar 13, 2023
“Cruise control cutout switch mounted on master cylinder is full of brake fluid including the electrical connector. The vin number doesn't link to a recall. Perhaps the previous owner had switch replaced under recall or perhaps this vin wasn't in the original recall. In any event a fire hazard is present.”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jun 17, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE STALLING
Preliminary Evaluation PE06011 · opened Feb 27, 2006 · closed Jun 23, 2006
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA05005 · opened Mar 22, 2005 · closed Aug 2, 2006 · led to recall 08V025000
- FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
Engineering Analysis EA05004 · opened Feb 17, 2005 · closed Jul 6, 2005
- FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
Recall Query RQ04011 · opened Oct 22, 2004 · closed Feb 17, 2005
- ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR (ETC)
Engineering Analysis EA04006 · opened Feb 23, 2004 · closed Feb 10, 2005
- SECTOR SHAFT FRACTURES
Engineering Analysis EA01009 · opened Mar 2, 2001 · closed Aug 19, 2003
Technical service bulletins
144 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Ford Excursion. 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-B8H4Z-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 2, 2018
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Fuel conditioner. Low power, poor fuel economy, fuel gelling in cold weather, excessive white smoke on cold start, hard start, or coking of components exposed to exhaust. *tt
19015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Vacuum pump inoperative or runs continuously - climate control defaults to defrost mode. *tt
05174 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 7, 2005
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
Intermittent rough idle - non-commanded egr (exhaust gas recirculation valve) flow. *tt
05417 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 7, 2005
A cold weather reverse engagement stall. *tt
18376 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Engine or fuel system concerns when using fuel with greater than 5% biodiesel concentration. *tt
17467 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Warning indicators-parking aid-reverse sensing system (rss) and forward sensing system (fss)-false activation of warning tone-service tips. *mj update. *tt
0471 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 31, 2004
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 Excursion has 6 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 Excursion?
- · 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 82,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.