2001 Ford F-350 problems & reliability
160 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Ford F-350, alongside 5 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 (12 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Ford F-350 vehicles were involved in 60 fatal crashes with 32 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 | 31 | 19% |
| Steering | 28 | 18% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 21 | 13% |
| Power Train | 17 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 12 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 10 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 9 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 5% |
| Engine | 5 | 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 72,500 miles (middle 50% between 43,145 and 146,129 miles), based on 56 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2001 Ford F-350. The contact stated after having parked his vehicle after a short drive, the contact noticed a large cloud of smoke issuing from under the hood from the driver's side towards the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that he opened the hood, disconnected the battery, and blew…”
Engine · filed Nov 4, 2022
“Was driving down the rd came to stop light and I had nothing for breaks. I quickly pumped brake and got it to slowdown and made the turn. Went to pull into hospital and had no breaks even tried pumping it again and still had no breaks.”
Forward Collision Avoidance · filed Aug 23, 2022
“The bracket on the passenger side that is welded to the bottom of the front axle is rusted completely through to the point that the u-bolts that secure the leaf springs to the axle have pulled through the bracket. It appears to be a significant safety issue due to the fact the front axle is no longer secured to the…”
Steering · filed Dec 10, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- 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
- RAPID TIRE DEFLATION
Engineering Analysis EA02018 · opened Aug 19, 2002 · closed Aug 22, 2003
Technical service bulletins
31 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Ford F-350. The 10 most recent:
Service tips before arc welding on the frame or body of a unit. *tt
18406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2005
A cold weather reverse engagement stall. *tt
18376 · 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
Memontary return to idle during aggressive acceleration - diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0123. *tt
042411 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Vehicle lean sag when observed from rear of vehicle. *eh
04236 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 29, 2004
Vacuum pump inoperative or runs continuously - climate control defaults to defrost. Oasis. To also include 2005 super duty f-series, excursion, and f650/750. *tt
18223 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2004
Multiple vehicles - fuel level indication concerns - service tip. Various models including 2005 super duty f-series, excursion, expedition, explorer, mountaineer and aviator. *tt
18217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2004
Rear axle popping/chatter noise - dana 80 model dual rear wheel (drw). *ar
031603 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2004
Excessive drive-away shudder or vibration under moderate to heavy acceleration from a stop. *tt
16915 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2004
Air bag light on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) b1871 or b1935 following ecs/rcm replacement. *tt
17603 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 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 F-350 has 5 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 F-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 72,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.