2001 FORD EXPLORER Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2001 Ford Explorer. This model year has 765 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Transmission / Drivetrain.
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about the specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks, and open recalls.
Worst 2001 Ford Explorer Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Transmission / Drivetrain
Suspension Failures
Tire Issues
Considering a 2001 Ford Explorer?
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2001 Ford Explorer. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 105 | 6 | 1 | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 93 | 6 | — | — | |
| Tire Issues | 91 | 11 | 1 | — | |
| Structural Problems | 89 | 9 | 2 | — | |
| Engine Problems | 86 | 4 | 11 | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 76 | 7 | 16 | — | |
| Brake System | 57 | 11 | 1 | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 52 | 4 | 12 | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 52 | 37 | 4 | — | |
| Hydraulic | 51 | 9 | 1 | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 48 | 6 | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 35 | 7 | 1 | — | |
| Visibility | 25 | — | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 23 | 1 | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 21 | 9 | 1 | — | |
| Equipment | 21 | — | 1 | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 18 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Fuel System | 17 | 1 | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 15 | 4 | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 13 | 1 | — | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 10 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Other | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Visibility/Wiper | 3 | — | 1 | — | |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Air | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Parking-Brake Issues | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Complaint counts may exceed total complaints because one report can span multiple categories.
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2001 Ford Explorer. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 400 most recent complaints of 765 total. View all on NHTSA ↗
I was driving and the lights on the vehicle went out I thought it was the bulbs but no lights were working I adjusted steering wheel to look to see fuse box and all lights came back on there is an electrical short somewhere then I went to start the truck and it made a funny sound…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V281000 (SEATS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER SON NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT WAS HARD TO RECLINE UP AND DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THREE TIMES TO SHAKER'S FAMILY FOR…
SMOKE COMING FROM STEERING... CAN FEEL A CHANGE IN ENGINE WHILE DRIVING, FEELS LIKE A ROUGH RIDE, AND OVERDRIVE STARTS TO FLASH.
TRANSMISSION NOT WORKING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING, A BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT AND THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR AN IMPACT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT NOTICED FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. THE F…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKED ANTI-FREEZE AND TRANSMISSION FLUID. THERE WAS ALSO RUST UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND A HOLE IN THE RUNNING BOARDS, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED THEM TO DETACH. THE CONTACT CLAIMED THAT THE GROUND COULD BE …
CAR TAKES ABOUT 3 TO 5 TRIES TO START. I REPLACED GAS PUMP, PLUGS, CABLES, TEMP SENSOR, STILL TAKES LONG TO START.O/D OFF LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, AND NOW IT HAS A ROUGH GEAR CHANGE I BELIEVE FROM 2ND TO 3RD
THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER ON ITS SIDE ON DRY PAVEMENT ON THE FWY AT THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT IN GOOD WEATHER CONDITIONS. NO OTHER VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED, THE CAR SKIDED WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES. I WENT INTO A SKID AND THE CAR TURNED ON ITS SIDE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MANUALLY RESTARTED AND OPERATED AS INTENDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHER…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING ON THE REAR DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE, BUT ONLY FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. MARYSVILLE FORD IN MARYSVILLE, WASHINGTON WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILUR…
I HAVE A GREAT 2001 FORD EXPLORER BUT IT STARTED LEAKING FROM THE ROOF AND THE LEAK SOURCE CAN NOT BE FOUND. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE, JUST SOMETHING CHANGED. THERE IS NOW MOLD ALL OVER THE INTERIOR AND ITS POSING A GREAT HEALTH RISK TO MYSELF AND ANY OCCUPANTS. I WOULD LIKE THE PROBL…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY FAILED TO START UPON TURNING THE KEY NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER (PEGUES-HURST FORD, 200 TX-63 SPUR, LONGVIEW, TX 75601, (903) 758-6211) WAS CONTACTED AND INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD N…
THE EXTIRER DOOR HADLE KEEP BREAKING CAN NOT GET INTO VEHICLE WITH OUT GOING THRU BACK DOOR.IF I HAD AN ACCIDENT THERE WOULD BE NO WAY SO.EO E COULD GET ME OUT.I HAVE OWNED VEHICLE FOR 2 YEARS AND I HAVE REPLACED ED THEM 3 TIMES AND AGAIN THEY ARE BROKEN.
VEHICLE RUNNING IN PARK WHILE DRIVER GATHERED BOXES TO PLACE IN BED OF TRUCK. DRIVE TRAIN ENGAGED SENDING DRIVERLESS VEHICLE DOWN ROAD, ACROSS INTERSECTION AND INTO BRICK WALL. WITNESS TO IMPACT RAN TO VEHICLE THINKING TO CHECK ON DRIVER. UPON OPENING DOOR, NOTED NO DRIVER AND…
AIR BAG LIGHT ON SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE PARTY IN 2014.
CRUISE CONTROL ON AND SET DO NOT WORK ON ANY ROAD. VEHICLE MOVING ON ANY ROAD OR STANDSTILL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL SEIZED AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO HEAD TOWARDS ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THERE WAS NO CRASH INVOLVED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND WAS TOWED. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER S…
I HAD AN ACCIDENT I JANUARY 2016 AND MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSE ME DAMAGE TO MY NECK AND BOTH SHOULDER. DOCTORS SAY I NEED SURGERY ON ROTATOR CUFFS. IF AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THRUST FORWARD. I GRABBED STEERING WHEEL TO BRACE MYSELF AND WAS THRUST FORWARD T…
DRIVING ON FREEWAY FRONT DRIVER WHEEL FELL OFF CAUSING TRUCK TO ROLL OVER. NO AIR BAG WAS INFLATED. WAS TOLD THE PIN THAT HOLDS THE TIRE ON CAME OUT. TRUCK WAS TOTALLED AND HIT 2OTHER CARS WHILE ROLLING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS OR WHILE PARKED, THE DRIVER SIDE TURN SIGNAL FAILED TO ILLUMINATE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN WAS TILTED TO THE UPPER POSITION, THE IN…
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2001 Ford Explorer.
Recalls for 2001 Ford Explorer
12 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2001 Ford Explorer. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
2001 Ford Explorer — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2001 Ford Explorer reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2001 Ford Explorer has 765 NHTSA owner complaints, 97 crash-related, and 12 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Transmission / Drivetrain (105 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Explorer?▾
#1: Transmission / Drivetrain (105 complaints). #2: Suspension Failures (93 complaints). #3: Tire Issues (91 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2001 Ford Explorer?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2001 Ford Explorer?▾
The 2001 Ford Explorer has 97 crash-related complaints and 41 fire reports out of 765 total NHTSA complaints. 96 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2001 Ford Explorer have any recalls?▾
Yes — 12 NHTSA recall campaigns affect the 2001 Ford Explorer. The largest issue: EXTERIOR LIGHTING. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2001 Ford Explorer?▾
The 2001 Ford Explorer has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Transmission / Drivetrain issues. Always run a VIN check on the specific car you're considering to check for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinSpector AI.
Wider context: See the full Ford Explorer reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2001 Ford Explorer
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99.