U.S. public vehicle records

2001 Ford F-250 SD problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

288 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

74,254 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2001 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 241 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling is the most frequently named component, appearing in 29 of 288 complaints (10.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	45	15.6%
Steering behavior	44	15.3%
Transmission and shifting	36	12.5%
Engine operation	21	7.3%
Electrical and battery issues	10	3.5%
Fuel system concerns	3	1.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Tires:Tread/Belt

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel

Steering

Tires

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling	29
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	29
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	27
Tires:Tread/Belt	25
Electrical System	24
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel	19
Steering	12
Tires	12

Engine And Engine Cooling: 29; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 29; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 27; Tires:Tread/Belt: 25; Electrical System: 24; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel: 19; Steering: 12; Tires: 12

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 23; 25,000 to 49,999: 42; 50,000 to 74,999: 56; 75,000 to 99,999: 51; 100,000 to 149,999: 51; 150,000 and above: 18

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (56). 47 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2001: 2; 2002: 2; 2003: 23; 2004: 39; 2005: 41; 2006: 45; 2007: 29; 2008: 20; 2009: 16; 2010: 25; 2011: 13; 2012: 8; 2013: 9; 2014: 4; 2015: 6; 2016: 2; 2017: 2; 2018: 1; 2019: 1

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 45 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 44 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 36 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10003141 · 2003-01-21 (January 21, 2003)

MY TRUCK'S HYDRAULIC CLUTCH SYSTEM HAS FAILED TWICE NOW. BOTH OF THESE TIMES IT PREVENTED ME FROM DISENGAGING THE MOTOR AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE TRUCK. I WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS BOTH TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPAIRED MY VEHICLE BOTH TIMES AT NO COST, BUT MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THIS CAUSES ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND KILL SOMEONE, MYSELF INCLUDED, WHO THEN WILL BE RESPONSIBLE? IN MY OPINION THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DEFECT RENDERS THE TRUCK UNSTOPPABLE. THE FIRST OCCURANCE, THE TRUCK …

Owner-reported narrative. 20,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003141 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10008326 · 2003-03-02 (March 2, 2003)

2001 FORD F-250 DIESEL PICK UP TRUCK. UNDER HARD BRAKING LOSS OF POWER STEERING. FORD DEALER SAYS "THIS IS NORMAL, THEY ALL DO THAT".*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 1 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008326 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10014492 · 2003-04-17 (April 17, 2003)

TRAILER ARM BROKE FROM DIFFERENTIAL, ALMOST CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN STEERING WHEEL, AFTER ARM FELL INTO STEERING STABILIZER, AND JAMMING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 35,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014492 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10021415 · 2003-06-11 (June 11, 2003)

2001 F250 CREW CAB 4 X 4 AUTO TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 49,000 MILES. DRIVING ALONG AT 45 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR AND TRANSMISSION LOSES 2ND AND THROWS/SNAPS PASSENGERS FORWARD. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN OFF ROAD, ALL MILES ARE HIGHWAY. VEHICLE HAS NOT PULLED ANYTHING. FORD SAID THEY COULD NOT REPAIR ONLY REPLACE TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION FOR $3100. I HAD A LOCAL TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP MAKE REPAIRS FOR $2200. THEY WERE TOLD BY FORD WHEN ORDERING PARTS THAT THE ONE-WAY CLUTCH THAT FAILED WAS A NEW DESIGN IN 1998. PARTS …

Owner-reported narrative. 49,559 miles reported. Look up ODI 10021415 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10025747 · 2003-07-09 (July 9, 2003)

CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE RESULTING IN VEHICLE CLUTCH/TRANSMISSION BEING ENGAGED AT ALL TIMES AND LURCHING FORWARD DESPITE BREAKING. WHEN CLUTCH WAS PUSHED IN IT STAYED ON THE FLOOR AND KEPT THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10025747 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10037801 · 2003-08-27 (August 27, 2003)

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 60 TO 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY VEHICLE STALLED, AND CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE SPEED. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT HE NEEDED TO CONTACT A DEALER TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT TRANSMISSION WAS FRIED AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10037801 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10097783 · 2004-10-26 (October 26, 2004)

VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 75 MINUTES AND A PASSERBY NOTICED SMOKE AND ALERTED CONSUMER, WHO SAW FLAMES FROM LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL. FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED QUICKLY BY CONSUMER. DAMAGE LIMITED TO AREA WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES OF BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR BURNED OFF ON MASTER CYLINDER. CONSUMER STATED THAT CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. #13 FUSE FOUND OPERATING. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 64,401 miles reported. Look up ODI 10097783 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10100740 · 2004-11-30 (November 30, 2004)

AFTER NOTICING DIFFERENT ELECTRICAL ITEMS REMAINING ENERGIZED AFTER THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF I BEGAN DOING SOME RESEARCH. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED THROUGH THE LOCAL FORD DEALER IS THAT THE WINDSHIELD SEALANT COMPOUND USED WAS OF POOR QUALITY FROM THE MANUFACTURER. OVERTIME THIS ALLOWS WATER TO SEEP IN AROUND THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND DRAINS INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE DASH AREA. THIS LOCATION HOUSES THE FUSE PANEL AND GEM (GENERIC ELECTRONIC MODULE). THE WATER THAT ENTERS THE FUSE PANEL AND GEM CAUSES BOTH UNITS TO SHORT OUT, AND COULD POTENTIALLY …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10100740 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10494903 · 2013-01-28 (January 28, 2013)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F-250 SD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING VERY ROUGH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE SENDING UNIT HAD FAILED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK STRAPS HAD CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V385000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 252,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Owner-reported narrative. 252,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10494903 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10526325 · 2013-07-23 (July 23, 2013)

TURNED CORNER, HEARD A SUDDEN DRAGGING NOISE. CHECKED UNDER TRUCK. FUEL TANK STRAP HAD BROKEN AND FUEL TANK WAS DRAGGING. QUICKLY PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY. HAVING VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. CALLED DEALER AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SAME YEAR FORD TRUCK FOR F15 NOT F250. OBVIOUSLY APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM IN OTHER MODELS.VERY LUCKY NO INJURIES, EXPLOSIONS, LEAKAGE, ETC...COULD HAVE BEEN BAD. FRUSTRATED. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10526325 at NHTSA ↗