- The problem
- Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
- The risk
- A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
- The fix
- Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the abs control module connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Vehicle safety record
2001 Ford Excursion Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 206 complaints about the 2001 Ford Excursion with NHTSA, most often about the wheels & tires (55) and the engine & cooling (52). Those complaints describe 17 crashes, 19 fires, 14 injuries and 2 deaths. It is covered by 7 recalls, the latest in October 2009 for the vehicle speed control. For comparison, the 2000 has 0 and the 2002 has 172.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical Excursion year, for its age
#47 most complained-about 2001 vehicle
- Complaints
- 206
- Recalls
- 7
- Crashes
- 17
- Fires
- 19
- Injuries
- 14
- Deaths
- 2
Most common 2001 Ford Excursion problems
Share of all 206 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2001 Ford Excursion recalls 7
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Certain federal-mogul replacement wheel hub assemblies with the brand names: national, carquest p/nos. 515020, 515021, 515025, 515053, 515054, 515059, And 515060, shipped between january 23, 2006, and december 20, 2007, sold for light duty and medium duty trucks. The inboard retention nut used to maintain hub bearing assembly can loosen resulting in an abs light indication, noise, and/or wheel separation.
- The risk
- WHEEL SEPARATION CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- The fix
- Federal-mogul will notify customers and will replace the hub assembly free of charge. The recall began on february 7, 2008. Owners can contact federal-mogul toll-free at 877-489-6659.
- The problem
- On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3L diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle may function intermittently, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
- The risk
- In the event of an engine stall, a crash could result without warning.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the sensor and replace it with an improved camshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on december 29, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
- The problem
- On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
- The risk
- Overheating could result in smoke or burn and an underhood fire.
- The fix
- Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on august 7, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332. (Note: also see recalls 05v017 and 05v388)
- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. These vehicles were built at the following assembly plants: atlanta plant from 2/11/00 through 7/31/00; chicago plant from 2/14/00 through 8/4/00; kansas city plant from 2/26/00 to 9/4/00; kentucky truck plant from 2/18/00 to 8/31/00; michigan truck plant from 2/23/00 through 8/3/00; norfolk plant from 2/21/00 through 7/27/00; wayne stamping and assembly plant from 2/25/00 through 8/15/00; and wixom plant from 2/15/00 through 8/8/00.
- The risk
- Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. Equipped with seat belts supplied by trw. It is possible that the driver's and/or front passenger's outboard seat belt buckle may not fully latch. Ford crown victoria built at st. Thomas assembly plant from 4/17/00 - 5/29/01 Mercury grand marquis built at st. Thomas assembly plant from 4/17/00 - 5/29/01. Lincoln town cars built at wixom assembly plant from 3/27/00 - 5/30/01. Lincoln navigators built at michigan truck plant from 4/11/00 - 5/31/01. Ford windstars built at oakville assembly plant from 3/23/00 - 5/30/01. Ford rangers built at twin cities plant from 3/28/00 - 5/30/01, and also at the edison plant from 3/13/00 - 5/25/01. Ford f-150 truck built at norfolk plant from 4/18/00 - 5/25/00; at ontario plant from 5/10/00 - 5/28/01; at kansas city plant from 9/11/99 - 5/25/01; and at cuautitlan plant from 5/16/00 - 6/9/01. Ford super duty f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks built at kentucky plant from 4/17/00 - 5/27/01; and at cuautitlan plant from 5/16/00 - 6/19/01. Ford excursions built at kentucky plant from 4/17/00 - 10/2/00. Ford expeditions built at michigan truck plant from 4/11/00 - 5/31/01.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash, the restraint system may not provide adequate occupant protection, increasing the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant.
- The fix
- Dealers will inspect the front outboard seat belt buckles and if the buckle fails the inspection process, it will be replaced. Owner notification began july 25, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
- The problem
- Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles. The inflator canister in the driver air bag module may have an inadequate weld near the igniter.
- The risk
- In the event of a vehicle crash, the driver air bag may not deploy as intended, potentially resulting in reduced occupant protection, or a burn injury.
- The fix
- Dealers will install a driver air bag module. Owner notification began march 19, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
What owners say
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206 complaints about the 2001 Ford Excursion
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 9.
Tie rod end broke in half. Tie rod fell to the ground
The contact owns a 2001 Ford Excursion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unattended, the vehicle caught fire without warning. There were no reported injuries, police reports, or air bag deployments. The fire department and city employees extinguished the fire. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
Cruise control cutout switch mounted on master cylinder is full of brake fluid including the electrical connector. The vin number doesn't link to a recall. Perhaps the previous owner had switch replaced under recall or perhaps this vin wasn't in the original recall. In any event a fire hazard is present.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford excursion equipped with firestone steeltex a/t tires, size: lt265/75r16 119/116r (na). While driving 55 mph, the tires exploded and caused considerable damage to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The vehicle and tire failure mileage was 147,000.
Drove to local high school around 7:30am and returned home around 7:45 am about a hour later I was notified by my neighbor that my ford excursion was on fire, the fire flames were coming from the engine compartment. The excursion was park in the driveway.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford excursion. While traveling at 70 mph, the speed began to reduce. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that thread gave way on the motor head. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford excursion. The contact stated that while parked, the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
#7 Spark plug blew out of the spark plug hole. Spark plugs were last replaced by a local ford dealer in 2011. Internet research shows this failure and defective cylinder heads to be common in this engine, v-10 6.8L.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford excursion. While making a turn at various speeds, the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the steering wheel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Updated 6/8/15*cn
A spark plug blew out of the engine. While I realize that there was no collateral damage this time, my truck has nine more opportunities to do it again. My daughter and 4 year old grandson were stranded on the side of the road in 32 degree temps. Her cell phone had died and she had to walk to a phone (child in tow). There is enormous proof that this is a rampant problem with ford engines and has cost consumers thousands of dollars to repair yet you choose not to hold them liable and have even allowed them to cover up a problem. Why? Http://www.Consumeraffairs.Com/automotive/ford_spark.Html http://www.Consumeraffairs.Com/news04/2007/05/ford_techs_spark_plugs.Html *js
Factory paint peeling. Started on hood and door jambs, now on roof. I cannot believe a government agency would allow paint to peel and contaminate in the environment. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford excursion. While driving at an unknown speed, the exterior lights failed without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v352000 (exterior lighting). The failure mileage was 198,000.
The spark plug blew out of the engine. This causes damage to the head and blow the ignition coil to bits. After looking online this appears to be a very common problem. *Tr
On sept. 29,2014I approached stop light and applied brakes, engine rpm increased very high and brakes would not hold vehicle - had to put it in neutral and engine rpm continue to go higher - this lasted for about 10 seconds before engine went back to idle speed then we proceeded home with no more problems. This has done this several times before and each time brakes would not hold vehicle back. I took it to ford in 2013 and explained it to them and they said to put gas stabilizer in tank as the gas in tank was...
Read the full complaint
condensing and causing the computer to malfunction. I put the gas stabilizer in thinking this would take care of it but this time , sept. 29,2014 And the time before, june 2014 - it rev up slightly , it could not be the case these last two times as I had just put fresh gas in it. It is very scary it could have caused a bad accident. Now I am afraid to drive it. I am going to call ford and see what they have to say this time. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford excursion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it rolled away independently without the engine started. The vehicle crashed into a residential mailbox and a mobile trailer. The contact's right leg and left ankle were injured while attempting to stop the vehicle, and medical attention was received. A police report was filed. An independent mechanic stated that the rear driver side panel and roof needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Driver seat belt unlatches on occasion after being fully engaged. Similar to the situation that resulted in a recall in 2001. We did take the vehicle at that time for the recall. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford excursion. The contact stated that the front driver's side heated seat warmer overheated without warning. The contact mentioned that the wires burned through the seat cushion, emitting smoke. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the heated seat element needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 140,000.
The approximate date above is the first time my excursion blew out a spark plug while on a family trip in pa. Since then, it has blown 2 more in separate instances, the most recent being on the highway this past sunday. The first incident I was towing and putting more strain on the engine, but the 2nd and 3rd incidents no towing was involved. I have read about and several mechanics have also told me the ford triton engines are known for this problem. It seems ford should do the right thing and fix the problem. *Tr
Spark plug blew out of engine. Possible defect in casting..?? Was told this is not uncommon but ford refused to cover their known defect. Cost me over $6,000 to replace engine. *Tr
The windshield on my excursion cracked along the bottom from the heat and cold about 3'' up along the whole length of the windshield. This happened to my sons 2001 f250 same way. There was no reason as nothing hit the window. *Tr
Spark plug blew out of engine. Possible defect in casting..?? Was told this is not uncommon but ford refused to cover their known defect. Cost me over $5,000 to replace engine. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford excursion. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, he heard a loud noise in the engine. The vehicle then stalled and the contact confirmed that the engine was blown. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the dealer advised that the oil was not entering the engine as it should have, which caused the failure to occur. The engine was replaced. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,000 and the current mileage was 180,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford excursion. The vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number: 07v553000 (engine and engine cooling:engine:diesel) and was repaired. After the repair, the contact was driving approximately 65 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
Right side tie rod end came out of coupler due to worn threads. Happened immediately upon leaving house, so very low speed. Vehicle had to be towed and repaired. Could have caused a serious accident if speed had been higher. Right front wheel was completely disconnected from the steering linkage. *Tt
2001 Ford excursion shuts off while driving or stopped. It was taken to local dealer and was told there were no recalls and that everything was fine. This happen on average 2 a week. From that point to present. The vehicle is a psd and had its csp replace several times. This problem has happen while stopped at stop light, driving 65mph, pulling a trailer and is now putting needless persons at risk. I have personally replaced the cps, the valve cover gaskets, the pcm has been checked and the dealer still states there is nothing wrong with the excursion. *Tr
Ford Excursion: every year compared
All Excursion years2001 Ford Excursion vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Ford Excursion | 206 | 7 | F | |
| 2001 Ford Escape | 1,027 | 15 | D | Compare |
| 2001 Ford Expedition | 609 | 10 | F | Compare |
| 2001 Ford Econoline | 175 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2001 Ford Escort ZX2 | 117 | 0 | - | Compare |
| 2001 Ford Escort | 99 | 1 | F | Compare |
| 2001 Ford Crown Victoria | 84 | 7 | D | Compare |
| 2001 Ford EV Ranger | 43 | 0 | - | Compare |
| 2001 Ford Club Wagon | 33 | 0 | F | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2001 Ford Excursion
Does the 2001 Ford Excursion have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2001 Ford Excursion: vehicle speed control (October 2009); hub (December 2007); diesel (December 2007); vehicle speed control (August 2006) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Excursion?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the wheels & tires (55), engine & cooling (52), transmission & drivetrain (20).
How many complaints has the 2001 Ford Excursion had?
206 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on October 24, 2000 and the latest on April 25, 2023. Of these, 17 describe a crash and 19 a fire, and together they report 14 injuries and 2 deaths.
Is the 2001 Ford Excursion a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 1 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Ford Excursion year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Ford Excursion years have the most complaints?
2001 (206), 2002 (172), 2003 (146). See every Ford Excursion year compared.
What should I do if my 2001 Ford Excursion has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data