2001 Ford E-350: common problems

Owners of the 2001 Ford E-350 filed 52 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 52

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 27% of all complaints
2 Fuel system 12% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
5 Tires 10% of all complaints
6 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
7 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
8 Engine 6% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine and cooling: 14 complaints (27% of all).
Fuel system: 6 complaints (12% of all).
Service brakes: 6 complaints (12% of all).
Powertrain: 5 complaints (10% of all).
Tires: 5 complaints (10% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 52 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

tires: bulges, blowouts7 · 13%
smoke, burning smell, fire5 · 10%
seat belts4 · 8%
rust, corrosion2 · 4%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 2%
stalls while driving1 · 2%
steering or power steering problems1 · 2%
transmission slipping1 · 2%
vibration1 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Engine and cooling	14	0	0
Fuel system	6	0	0
Service brakes	6	0	0
Powertrain	5	0	0
Tires	5	0	0
Seat belts	4	0	0
Electrical system	3	0	0
Engine	3	0	0
Vehicle speed control	3	0	0
Steering	2	0	0
Suspension	2	0	0
Exterior lighting	1	0	0
Structure	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

At 2 am and only after 5 hours of driving (all highway) we heard a loud bang followed by even louder rumbling and intense gas smell. This happened while driving and the van was in motion on the highway. We were able to exit the highway and wait until the morning.
Engine · 2020-09-09 · NHTSA complaint #11354066
The driver's side seat belt randomly comes unlatched. This has happened before this date and happens multiple times each time it is driven. It does not matter if the vehicle is in motion or not. It has happened sitting still in the driveway and at highway speeds. This is a trw 33012760 part.
Seat belts · 2018-05-09 · NHTSA complaint #11092628
My 2001 ford e350 super duty van blew out a spark plug while driving 40 mph and cost me $900 for dealership to repair....with only 117,000 miles on it. Ford needs to do a recall on this.
Engine · 2016-10-18 · NHTSA complaint #10917209
Spark plug was ejected from engine. No advanced warning or unusual sounds of any kind. Engine had been running perfectly and reliably up until this event.
Engine · 2015-09-13 · NHTSA complaint #10763386
The technician diagnosed that there was excessive corrosion on the sub frame, under carriage and the tie rods. The technician added that the vehicle was not able to be repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Structure · 2014-09-17 · NHTSA complaint #10636951
The front of my truck was on fire. It was coming around all sides of the hood and around the front wheel area,also through the dash and steering area. I called the fire dept. And started putting the fire out using the garden hose. Four more explosions happened,and two front tires exploded as well.
Engine and cooling · 2011-09-20 · NHTSA complaint #10426450
Upon inspection, the dealer found the fuel filter over the diesel tank was clogged due to rust from the bottom of the tank.
Fuel system · 2011-03-03 · NHTSA complaint #10387368
The vehicle had caught fire. The fire department was called. Once the fire was extinguished, the contact discovered that a hole had been burned in the hood of the vehicle, right above the master cylinder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
Engine and cooling · 2010-08-25 · NHTSA complaint #10351697

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20012
20023
20034
20046
20055
20064
20072
20088
20093
20105
20114
20121
20141
20151
20161
20181
20201

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,242 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).

On average one model year of the E-350 has 27 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 52, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford E-350?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, fuel system, service brakes. Total complaints: 52. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: tires: bulges, blowouts (13%), smoke, burning smell, fire (10%), seat belts (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Ford E-350?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2001 Ford E-350 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2001 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.