2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Explorer Sport Trac years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. That is the most of any Explorer Sport Trac model year in the database (14 years). The most reported problem area is power train (36 complaints, 22%), typically at around 83,500 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 9 fires, 11 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 167owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 15complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 36 | 22% | 83,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 27 | 16% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 26 | 16% | 62,243 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 10% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 16 | 10% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 14 | 8% | 97,068 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 11 | 7% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 11 | 7% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 9 | 5% | 124,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 4% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 4% | 36,201 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 4% | 127,854 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 3% | 127,130 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 2% | 169,782 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 2% | 170,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 2% | 140,400 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 66,002 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 2% | 53,101 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | 66,002 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 1% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 174,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: This could result in an underhood fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Vehicle speed control:cables
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control and 4.0l sohc engines, if the strand cover on the speed control cable becomes flared at the end, the speed control cable may bind when the speed control is activated.
Risk: The throttle return spring force may not be sufficient to overcome the binding condition when the speed control is disengaged. Braking function would be maintained though stopping distances may be increased.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the speed control cable and, if necessary, replace it. Owner notification began august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Seats:front assembly:recliner
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture. If the bolt fractures and does not jam in the seat back frame, the seat back may recline until it makes contact with an object behind the seat, such as the second row seat cushion.
Risk: The driver could potentially lose contact with the steering wheel or foot pedals during such an event, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt. Owner notification began on august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Structure:body:hood:hinge and attachments
Problem: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles with steel hoods and certain pickup trucks equipped with sheet molding compound hoods. A wire formed hood striker could be susceptible to fatigue fractures. If the hood striker fractures, the hood could fly open while the vehicle is being driven.
Risk: A hood fly-up while the vehicle is being operated could result in reduced driver visibility.
Fix: Dealers will replace the hood striker.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
- Front seat back recliner attachment (PE03020) — opened May 21, 2003, closed Sep 5, 2003, led to recall 03V281000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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 and then I lost…
Transmission not working
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
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 where it was diagnosed…
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, [redacted]) WAS CONTACTED AND INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO DETERMINE IF…
Other Ford Explorer Sport Trac years
← 2000 Explorer Sport Trac · 2002 Explorer Sport Trac →
See all Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
Owners most often report power train, structure, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 36 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Explorer Sport Trac model years, the 2001 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.