2001 Ford Explorer Sport Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Explorer Sport years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 188 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport. That is the most of any Explorer Sport model year in the database (9 years). The most reported problem area is suspension (33 complaints, 18%), typically at around 50,000 miles. Complaints mention 18 crashes, 11 fires, 20 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 188owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 18complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 Ford Explorer Sport 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 33 | 18% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 30 | 16% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 26 | 14% | 100,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 11% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 15 | 8% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 7% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 13 | 7% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 13 | 7% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 12 | 6% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 9 | 5% | 75,529 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 4% | 60,901 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 4% | 50,250 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 4% | 132,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 3% | 31,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 3% | 167,276 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 2% | 107,967 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 2% | 65,500 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 1,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Ford Explorer Sport recalls (5)
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.
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, 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. The recall began on april 10, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. This is a supplement to a previous recall campaign (03v281).
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.
Cruise control on and set do not work on any road. Vehicle moving on any road or standstill.
Passenger side door handle broke only opens from inside. Passenger rear door only opens from outside. Drivers side rear only opens from outside. 3 out of 4 doors do not work properly. This is a safety issue. I have small children who are in rear car seats and can't get them out if emergency!!! This…
---- this vehicle does not have a seat belt for a passenger riding in the middle of the rear seat. The rear seat has ample space for three full-sized adults, but there is no seat belt for a middle passenger. The ford original shop manual indicates that there are not any secure attachment points to…
Driver seat bolt
If steering wheel is not in the very high position turn signals blink very rapidly as if there was a problem with one of them.
Other Ford Explorer Sport years
← 2000 Explorer Sport · 2002 Explorer Sport →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Explorer Sport | 5 | 0 |
| 2004 Explorer Sport | 18 | 0 |
| 2003 Explorer Sport | 65 | 0 |
| 2002 Explorer Sport | 133 | 3 |
| 2001 | 188 | 5 |
| 2000 Explorer Sport | 71 | 1 |
| 1999 Explorer Sport | 93 | 0 |
| 1998 Explorer Sport | 121 | 0 |
| 1997 Explorer Sport | 37 | 0 |
See all Ford Explorer Sport problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport?
Owners most often report suspension, structure, power train problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 33 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Explorer Sport model years, the 2001 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.