2001 Ford F Super Duty: common problems

Owners of the 2001 Ford F Super Duty filed 32 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 32
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 25% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
3 Tires 16% of all complaints
4 Seats 13% of all complaints
5 Seat belts 9% of all complaints
6 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
7 Steering 6% of all complaints
8 Vehicle speed control 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: 8 complaints (25% of all).
Powertrain: 8 complaints (25% of all).
Tires: 5 complaints (16% of all).
Seats: 4 complaints (13% of all).
Seat belts: 3 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 32 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

stalls while driving4 · 13%
seat belts3 · 9%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 6%
steering or power steering problems2 · 6%
tires: bulges, blowouts2 · 6%
won't start1 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 3%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 3%
loss of power / limp mode1 · 3%
transmission slipping1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	8	0
Powertrain	8	0
Tires	5	0
Seats	4	0
Seat belts	3	1
Fuel system	2	0
Steering	2	0
Vehicle speed control	2	0
Electrical system	1	0
Engine	1	0
Service brakes	1	0
Suspension	1	0

What owners report

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

Fritts ford sold me the truck without checking when I brought in for service - a few days later I was injured when the seat belt failed. I have replaced the belt.
Seat belts · crash · 2002-01-09 · NHTSA complaint #756100
My driver side front seat belt will come unbuckled for no apparent reason.no matter speed angle etc.
Seat belts · 2015-02-08 · NHTSA complaint #10682031
I just paid $720 to have two spark plug heli-coil inserts done on this engine that blew out the two front left plugs. There is a similar procedure for aircraft aluminum cylinders (called jugs) with stripped spark plug boss defects.
Engine · 2014-09-04 · NHTSA complaint #10630671
The transmission failed at 61k miles at 6 years old. I replaced that transmission with a 'rebuilt by ford' transmission with a 3 year, 36k mile warranty. That transmission failed (disintegrated) with 31k miles at 37 months. Although the dealer is helping with the cost of replacing it again, ford will not help at all.
Powertrain · 2010-10-14 · NHTSA complaint #10360478
Ford would not even think of taking the blame for this problem telling me that it is very uncommon for this to happen???????I didn't have a fire but I did see some smoke and smelled gas vapors when the plug ejected it also scared the hell out of my wife and I..if it happened on the interstate there could have been an…
Engine and cooling · 2007-11-27 · NHTSA complaint #10210127
Drivers seat belt randomly disconnects. May disconnect 2 times within 5 minutes or may disconnect once in 2 weeks. Everytime I connect the belt I tug and yank to make sure it is connected but doing this makes no difference. I hope it does not disconnect in an accident.
Seat belts · 2007-05-24 · NHTSA complaint #10191680
My 2001 ford f-350 7.3 l power stroke diesel has been experiencing stalling, missing,cutting out, etc for about 6-8 months. The truck was taken to capitol frd in santa fe, nm on june 7, 2005 and picked up on june 11, 2005.
Electrical system · 2005-08-06 · NHTSA complaint #10131792
I coasted to the side of the road and called for help because the truck would not start. I had the truck towed to the dealer and they said the cam position sensor went bad. When this part goes bad the engine goes dead.
Engine and cooling · 2004-01-08 · NHTSA complaint #10052650

When owners complained

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

200114
20024
20032
20042
20053
20073
20102
20141
20151

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,636 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).

On average one model year of the F Super Duty has 20 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 32, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford F Super Duty?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, powertrain, tires. Total complaints: 32. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (13%), seat belts (9%), smoke, burning smell, fire (6%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Ford F Super Duty?

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 F Super Duty 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.