U.S. public vehicle records

2001 Ford F-350 SD problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

158 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

58,295 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2001 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 139 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel is the most frequently named component, appearing in 21 of 158 complaints (13.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	30	19.0%
Steering behavior	25	15.8%
Transmission and shifting	20	12.7%
Engine operation	14	8.9%
Electrical and battery issues	5	3.2%
Fuel system concerns	5	3.2%

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:Diesel

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Tires:Tread/Belt

Tires

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Steering

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel	21
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	19
Tires:Tread/Belt	18
Tires	16
Electrical System	14
Engine And Engine Cooling	12
Steering	8
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	5

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel: 21; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 19; Tires:Tread/Belt: 18; Tires: 16; Electrical System: 14; Engine And Engine Cooling: 12; Steering: 8; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 5

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: 11; 25,000 to 49,999: 46; 50,000 to 74,999: 27; 75,000 to 99,999: 24; 100,000 to 149,999: 15; 150,000 and above: 16

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (46). 19 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.

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2018

2002: 2; 2003: 18; 2004: 21; 2005: 29; 2006: 22; 2007: 23; 2008: 9; 2009: 10; 2010: 14; 2011: 1; 2012: 1; 2013: 1; 2014: 3; 2015: 1; 2016: 1; 2018: 2

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 30 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 25 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 20 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 10000287 · 2002-12-19 (December 19, 2002)

TRUCK DRIFTS TO SIDE OF ROAD OR PULLS HARD AND SUDDEN WHEN MODERATE TO HARD BRAKING IS APPLIED. EFFECT IS NOT AS APPARENT AFTER ALIGNMENT IS PERFORMED. APPROXIMATELY 7 ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO REPAIR. TIE ROD PULLED APART WHILE DRIVING.

Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000287 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002898 · 2003-01-18 (January 18, 2003)

WHILE BRAKING, VEHICLE WILL PULL TO LEFT, RIGHT & SOMETIMES TO BOTH DIRECTIONS. THIS DEGREE OF PULLING WILL VARY DEPENDING UPON VEHICLE RUN TIME AND TEMPERATURE. SOMETIMES THIS PULLING IS EXTREME OTHER TIMES ONLY MODERATE OR SLIGHT. WHEN PULLING A TRAILER WITH ANY WIEGHT, IT IS GREATLY ACCENTUATED. I HAVE ARGUED WITH THE FORD DEALERSHIP REGARDING THIS COMPLAINT WITHOUT A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION. THE DEALERSHIP BROUGHT IN AN ENGINEER WHO SAID THIS WAS A "NORMAL" CONDITION AND YOUR DEPARTMENT HAD INVESTIGATED THIS COMPLAINT AND FOUND NO FAULT WI…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002898 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10016483 · 2003-04-25 (April 25, 2003)

2001 FORD F-350 7.3 CREW CAB SUPER DUTY PURCHASED NEW . AT 48000 MILES BOUGHT IT IN FOR A STEERING WANDER PROBLEM AND FRONT BRAKE PULSATION. DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BE BAD UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND BAD DRAG LINK. I DO NOT TOW OR PLOW WITH THIS VEHICLE HAVE HAD IT SERVICED AT DEALERSHIPS FOR MOST OF ITS SERVICE LIFE DON'T THINK THAT THE TRUCK SHOULD HAVE BAD BALL JOINT THIS YOUNG IN ITS SERVICE LIFE. THE WANDER MAKES THE TRUCK TRICKY TO DRIVE IN WINTER CONDITIONS WHEN YOU HAVE TO STAY IN THE TIRE TRACKS ON SNOW COVERED ROADS . …

Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10016483 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10037479 · 2003-09-08 (September 8, 2003)

I CURRENTLY OWN A 2000 FORD F350 TRUCK WITH THE ORIGINAL FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T, LT265/75R16 TIRES THAT CAME ORIGINAL ON THE TRUCK WHEN I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW. THE TRUCK NOW HAS ABOUT 28,000 MILES AND I HAVE HAD THE FORD DEALERSHIP PERFORM ALL STANDARD MAINTENANCE INCLUDING TIRE ROTATIONS. THE TIRES UNTIL JUST RECENTLY HAVE ALL WORN VERY EVENLY AND I WOULD ESTIMATE THEIR WEAR AT ABOUT 50-60% WITH PLEANTY OF TREAD LEFT ON THE TIRES.*AK ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2003 I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH FOUR PASSENGERS AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MP…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10037479 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10023242 · 2003-06-17 (June 17, 2003)

AFTER MANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH OUR F-350. TRANSMISSION WENT AFTER 78000 MILES, FORD SAYS THAT INSTALLING A PLOW CANCELED THE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 7,860 miles reported. Look up ODI 10023242 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10026072 · 2003-07-14 (July 14, 2003)

FORD F350 SUPERDUTY AUTMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER ONLY 50,000 MILES. FORD KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT WON'T DO ANYTHING. I KNOW OF A FEW OTHERS.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10026072 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10081062 · 2004-07-14 (July 14, 2004)

ELECTRONIC PROBLEM, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL, IT STALL ON THE FREEWAY CAUSING A COLLISON BETWEEEN MY VEHICLE AND A SEMI, SEMI SIDESWIPED MY VEHICLE TEARING OFF THE DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10081062 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10124509 · 2005-06-07 (June 7, 2005)

VEHICLE: FORD TYPE: F350 DIESEL 7.3L - 2001 ISSUE: THE ENGINE STALLED AND WOULD NOT START. CAUSE OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO IDM MODULE (INJECTOR MODULE) AS FROM THE FORD DIAGOSTIC SHEET (CODE P1298); THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED BY THE FORD DEALER, BEING BLAMED ON LOW VOLTAGE BATTERIES. THE "DEAD" BATERIES WERE A CAUSE OF THE IDM MODULE (ENGINE WOULD TURN BUT NO FUEL INJECTION PRESENT). AT THIS MOMENT THE IDM MODULE WAS STILL NOT REPLACED, AND FORD STILL BLAMES THE BATTERIES. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT RISK FACTOR DUE TO THE FACT THA T IT…

Owner-reported narrative. 63,187 miles reported. Look up ODI 10124509 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10181952 · 2007-02-08 (February 8, 2007)

FORD F350 SUPER DUTY XLT LARIAT 7.3L POWERSTROKE DIESEL 2001 MODEL MY TRUCK HAS A FACTORY INSTALLED ENGINE BLOCK HEATER, WHICH I HAVE TO USE TO GET IT TO START ON COLD MORNINGS. AT 7:15AM, I WAS TALKING TO MY WIFE ON OUR CORDLESS PHONE & IT WENT DEAD. AFTER SOME SEARCHING, I FOUND OUT THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD TRIPPED. THIS CIRCUIT BREAKER POWERS THE WALL THE PHONE BASE STATION WAS PLUGGED INTO, AND THAT WALL IS SHARED WITH THE GARAGE. AFTER SOME MORE SEARCHING, I COULD NOT LOCATE THE SHORT THAT CAUSED THE TRIP AND I RESET THE BREAKER. …

Owner-reported narrative. 41,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10181952 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10199622 · 2007-08-15 (August 15, 2007)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD F350 SUPER DUTY. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM THE HOOD WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING. HE OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE WIRING HARNESS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SPEED CONTROL SENSOR MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE. HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER 06V286000 FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL BECAUSE HIS VEHICLE HAS A DIESEL ENGINE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 189,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 193,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 189,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10199622 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10241693 · 2008-09-10 (September 10, 2008)

WE OWN A 2001 F350 SUPER DUTY POWERSTROKE DIESEL TRUCK. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND OFF FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND THEN HIS TRUCK WOULD NOT START. IT WOULD CRANK BUT WOULDN'T FIRE. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL FORD GARAGE. THEY RAN TESTS AND DETERMINED IT WAS THE FUEL INJECTOR MODULE. THE PART WAS ORDERED ON 8-11-08. TO DATE IT HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED. THE FORD COMPANY SAID THERE IS AN EXPECTED RELEASE DATE OF THE PART FOR 10-6-08. THEY SAID THERE HAS BEEN SUCH AN ABUNDANCE OF ORDER FOR THAT PARTICULAR PART THAT THE FORD MANUFACTURER CA…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10241693 at NHTSA ↗