2001 Ford E-350 Engine cooling Problems
- Complaints
- 14about this part
- Share
- 27%of 52 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 138,172miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 14 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2001 Ford E-350, 27% of the 52 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 138,172 miles. 2 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Twice within the past two years I have been driving down the road, at reasonably low speeds, and a spark plug has blown completely out of my engine ,with no advance warning . Twice I have had to bring it back to the dealer . He now tells me ,and the extended warranty company confirmed it ,that the heads for the 5.4 litre engine were not milled properly (only 4 threads for each spark plug, causing the plug to strip and come out of the engine) and that this is an enormous problem with this engine . …”
NHTSA complaint #10219853, filed 2008-03, 89,000 miles“Our family was riding in our 2001 Ford E-350 super duty 15-passenger van powered by fords 5.4l v8 255 hp on I-80 eastbound near milesburg, pa this past saturday afternoon (july 7,2007) and one of the spark plugs blew out of the cylinder head. I am awaiting repairs even now. I have noticed our government's reluctance to issue a recall on what appears to be a recurring problem for '97-04 Ford engines with the aluminum heads. The repairs are very expensive! Please help! Thanks, david lipsy”
NHTSA complaint #10196033, filed 2007-07, 113,000 miles“While driving vehicle started running rough/missing lost engine power. Had to have the vehicle towed home replaced the fuel filter and pump. Still had problems. Towed to the dealer who finally advised fuel tank laminate was flaking. Found 4 other complaints on this site for the same problem. Online found that this is happening in multiple years/diesel types from Ford.”
NHTSA complaint #10456780, filed 2012-04, 143,000 miles“Spark plug blew out of triton v10 engine almost causing a fire. Truck only has 14,000 miles on it. Very costly repair and could have caused a fire or injuries.”
NHTSA complaint #10297366, filed 2009-12, 14,000 miles“I parked my f 350 diesel in front of my house for the night. Next morning ,before 6 a.m., I woke to the noises outside:cracking, popping, and explosions. The front of my truck was on fire. It was coming around all sides of the hood and around the front wheel area,also through the dash and steering area. I called the fire dept. And started putting the fire out using the garden hose. Four more explosions happened,and two front tires exploded as well. I fought the flames until fire trucks set up and took over. They put it out just in time to save $ 4,000 cash and ammo inside the cab.”
NHTSA complaint #10426450, filed 2011-09Engine cooling: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1 | 8% |
| 2009 | 2 | 20% |
| 2008 | 1 | 3% |
| 2007 | 3 | 17% |
| 2006 | 13 | 25% |
| 2005 | 16 | 29% |
| 2004 | 10 | 22% |
| 2003 | 6 | 13% |
| 2002 | 16 | 30% |
| 2001 | 14 | 27% |
| 2000 | 6 | 10% |
| 1999 | 12 | 17% |
| 1998 | 8 | 13% |
| 1997 | 15 | 19% |
| 1996 | 3 | 6% |
| 1995 | 4 | 6% |
| 1994 | 8 | 16% |
| 1993 | 7 | 16% |
| 1992 | 4 | 10% |
| 1991 | 2 | 11% |
| 1990 | 2 | 9% |
| 1989 | 4 | 15% |
| 1988 | 1 | 9% |
| 1987 | 3 | 21% |
| 1986 | 3 | 27% |
| 1983 | 1 | 20% |
Other parts of the 2001 Ford E-350
6 complaintsFuel system
6 complaintsTires
5 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
5 complaintsSeat belts
4 complaintsElectrical system
3 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsSteering
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsBody and structure
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Ford E-350
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology