2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac reliability: common problems

Owners of the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac filed 167 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and structure. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 167
involving a crash: 15

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 22% of all complaints
2 Structure 16% of all complaints
3 Vehicle speed control 16% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
5 Suspension 10% of all complaints
6 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
7 Air bags 7% of all complaints
8 Tires 7% of all complaints

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

Powertrain: 36 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 27 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 26 complaints (16% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 16 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 16 complaints (10% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 167 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire15 · 9%
warning lights, check engine10 · 6%
knocking, grinding or other noise7 · 4%
transmission slipping7 · 4%
stalls while driving5 · 3%
door locks, latches, handles4 · 2%
jerking, harsh shifts4 · 2%
headlights and tail lights4 · 2%
vibration4 · 2%
A/C or heater3 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	36	1
Structure	27	1
Vehicle speed control	26	3
Engine and cooling	16	1
Suspension	16	0
Electrical system	14	1
Air bags	11	7
Tires	11	1
Seats	9	1
Service brakes	8	1
Steering	6	1
Exterior lighting	5	0
Wheels	5	1
Latches, locks, linkages	4	0

What owners report

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

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.
Air bags · crash · 2017-05-09 · NHTSA complaint #10984456
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford explorer sport trac. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into a pole. The contact sustained injuries to the chest and ankle that required medical attention. A police report was filed.
Steering · crash · 2014-09-25 · NHTSA complaint #10639012
In addition, smoke emitted from the air vents and from under hood. The contact immediately jumped from the vehicle once he noticed flames extending from under the hood. The unoccupied vehicle then crashed into a wooded area. The contact sustained road rash and injuries to the left wrist and hand.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2013-10-07 · NHTSA complaint #10547111
The truck caught fire and I was fortunate enough to have 2 people pull me from the truck before it exploded. The airbags in the truck did not deploy and I broke my back in 2 places.
Air bags · crash · 2005-07-11 · NHTSA complaint #10128384
Consumer noticed that while driving vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. All tires had stress marks located in the inner side of the tires. Goodyear, wrangler rts p255/70r16. Also, coolant was leaking from underneath the vehicle . Consumer drove vehicle to the dealer, and mechanic could not duplicate the leak.
Engine and cooling · crash · 2004-12-02 · NHTSA complaint #10102058
The air bags did not deploy. Vehicle burst into flames. If passer bys did not pull driver from vehicle, driver would have died. Vehicle had approximately 25,000 miles on it. Driver suffered broken back. Vehicle totaled. Damage to tree, wall, house.
Air bags · crash · 2003-10-15 · NHTSA complaint #10042935
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 where it was diagnosed as a transmission malfunction. The dealer was not notified of the failure.
Powertrain · 2018-02-27 · NHTSA complaint #11075183
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, [ZIP], [phone]) was contacted and indicated that they would need to determine if they could replicate and diagnose the failure.
Electrical system · 2017-12-04 · NHTSA complaint #11052185

When owners complained

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

20001
20014
20026
200324
200423
200517
20068
200711
200814
20098
20108
20119
20127
20137
20147
20151
20164
20174
20182
20191
20231

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,357 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Explorer Sport Trac has 55 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 167, above average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, structure, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 167. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (9%), warning lights, check engine (6%), knocking, grinding or other noise (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?

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 Explorer Sport Trac 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 2026-11-06.