2001 Ford Excursion Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2001 Ford Excursion most often describe tires separating or blowing out at highway speed, and separately, spark plugs ejecting from the cylinder head on the gasoline V8/V10 engines, sometimes with fuel and spark present under the hood. A smaller but steady group of complaints covers diesels stalling from a failed camshaft position sensor, plus brake and suspension problems. Reports are spread widely in mileage, from the 20,000s into the 150,000s and beyond, so condition and maintenance history matter more than age alone.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Spark plug blown out of cylinder head

   • 22 complaints (11%)
   • median 96,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,400 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2015

   Owners describe a loud pop or bang from under the hood, then a heavy exhaust-like noise and rough running as a spark plug leaves its hole in the cylinder head, sometimes taking the coil or threads with it. Complaints say the truck had to be towed, and repairs ranged from a thread insert to head or engine replacement depending on the damage. Several owners report being told by dealership staff that this is a known pattern on these engines; some say repairs were not covered. Reported from about 50,000 miles up to roughly 200,000, usually while driving at normal road speeds.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether any spark plug thread repairs have been done and have a shop listen for exhaust ticking at the plug holes; a service bulletin describes a thread repair procedure for these engines.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ford - spark plug blow out: yesterday my 2001 Excursion with a 5.4 triton v8 engine blew a spark plug right out of the engine. It blew out with such force, the boot and cap/ coil snapped in two (the screw is still on tight). The treads of the old plug have no (none, zero) signs of damage, so how does a spark plug that is screwed in just blow out. Our local mechanic states this is common on many Ford triton engines. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10298015, filed 2010-01, 127,000 miles

   “I have a 2001 Ford Excursion with 52,000 miles. I was 2 blocks from home when I heard this loud pop, then this loud clapping noise from under the hood. I immediately shut the vehicle off and had it towed to the dealership that I purchased it from and have had all the regular maintenence done at. (morrie's buffalo Ford, buffalo, mn) the 3rd spark plug on the rh side of the engine blewout, and took the cylinder head threads with it. $3000 to repair. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10114028, filed 2005-03, 52,000 miles
2. 2
   Tires

   Tire tread separation and blowouts

   • 39 complaints (19%)
   • median 45,000 mi at 3.5 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2015

   Complaints describe the tread or sidewall separating from the tire, sometimes as a bulge on the tread, then a blowout that damages body panels and trim. Several owners say the tires were original equipment and kept at the recommended pressure. Some mention a Firestone/Bridgestone replacement program and reimbursement requests, and a few say they were turned away because their tires were not covered. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 60,000 miles, often at highway speed.

   What to check: Check tire date codes and look for sidewall cracks or bulges on any tires still on the truck, and ask about tire history and whether replacements were made under a tire program.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The sidewall/tread of one of my front tires looked as if it were in the early stages of tread separation as indicated by a crack or linear indication that extended almost 75% around the perimeter where the sidewall met the tread area. There were also numerous other areas of notable separation that appeared to be a result of the rubber material being too dry perhaps. I called Ford and they said there was nothing they could do about it and referred me to this site. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10019114, filed 2003-05, 30,000 miles

   “I was driving my 2001 Ford excersion, with my wife and two daughters, on the freeway at approximately 65 MPH. The left rear firestone steeltex at tire blew out as a result of the tire tred seperating from the rest of the tire. The vehicle had 49530 miles at the time of the incident. The left rear quarter panel and fender were damaged as a result of the blow out. On 06-20-05, firestone replaced four out of the five tires I had on the vehicle as part of a recall. The spare tire is on oder, because they did not have it in stock.”

   NHTSA complaint #10126624, filed 2005-06, 49,530 miles
3. 3
   Engine cooling

   Diesel engine stalls from camshaft position sensor

   • 17 complaints (8%)
   • median 102,500 mi at 6.6 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • filed 2002–2015

   Owners of the 7.3L diesel describe intermittent loss of power or a sudden stall while driving or at a stop, sometimes restarting after sitting and sometimes not restarting until the sensor is replaced. Complaints mention repeated sensor replacements and a revised part number. Some reports say a dealer found no fault or no codes, and others note the truck stalled again after recall work. Mostly reported between about 85,000 and 170,000 miles, often during normal driving at highway speed.

   Recall 07V553000

   What to check: Ask for service records on the camshaft position sensor, including which part number was installed, and note whether the truck has had repeated stalls.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving down the highway when the 01 Ford Excursion began intermittently losing power. As I began to pull of the road the engine died completely and would not restart. After leaving the truck to sit for 8 hours, I went back and it started up fine. My mechanic said no error codes were showing on the ECM. After research on the internet,I figured out it was the camshaft position sensor and had it replaced. No more problems since then. Apparently this is a huge issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10187413, filed 2007-04, 135,904 miles

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10405920, filed 2011-06, 120,000 miles
4. 4
   Vehicle speed control

   Under-hood and cruise control switch fires

   • 22 complaints (11%)
   • median 98,000 mi at 7.8 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 16 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2023

   Complaints describe smoke or a burning smell under the hood, sometimes with the vehicle parked and unattended, followed by fire near the master cylinder or the cruise control switch on the brake circuit. Some owners report the switch was found full of brake fluid, and others say a dealer traced a fire to the cruise control switch. Several reports mention fire damage severe enough to total the vehicle. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 40,000 to 140,000, often while parked shortly after driving.

   Recall 09V399000Recall 06V286000

   What to check: Ask whether the speed control deactivation switch recall was performed on this vehicle and inspect the switch area on the brake master cylinder for fluid residue.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On aug 29,2008 my 2001 Ford Excursion caught on fire I was never contacted my a Ford dealer or my insurance company that there were a recall on Ford SUV my SUV are total lost due to this fire as I look under Ford fire recall there are a recall on Ford SUV due to fire.”

   NHTSA complaint #10240473, filed 2008-08, 139,653 miles

   “My husband was driving our 2001 Ford Excursion with myself and our 19 month old baby down the highway, when it began to smoke and ignited a fire directly under the steering column. We were in traffic, made it a point that we could pull over, get out, removing the baby from the child's seat, and the front seat was engulfed in flames. 911 was called, and the police and fire department arrived, but there was nothing left of the truck, except the iron shell and iron structures where the seats used to be. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10278630, filed 2009-07, 153,000 miles
5. 5
   Brakes

   Brake pull, pedal kickback and ABS faults

   • 8 complaints (4%)
   • median 55,500 mi at 2.5 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2009

   Owners describe the truck pulling hard to one side during braking, a pedal that kicks back or grabs, and in one case the ABS control module quitting so anti-lock braking was no longer available. Some say the dealer found nothing wrong or offered only a paid diagnostic. Others link a brake line failure after a suspension part broke. Reported from very low mileage up into the 100,000s, often during hard or panic braking.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test the brakes at low speed on a clear road for pull or pedal kickback, confirm the ABS light comes on and goes out, and check brake lines and hoses for rust or chafing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2001 Ford Excursion 7.3l powerstroke diesel with 114500 miles : ABS control module stopped working and disabled anti lock braking system causing vehicle to skid uncontrollably on wet surface. Failure is permanent in nature and cannot be reset, so anti-lock braking system is deactivated. Repair required is for the ABS control module to be replaced by dealer (cost exceeds $500) and old part is not available.”

   NHTSA complaint #10237981, filed 2008-08, 114,500 miles

   “Panic stop and vehicle pulled left so hard that it almost went through the center safety barriers on interstate. Pulled so hard that it felt like someone had grabbed the steering wheel and yanked it. Anytime you brake hard it progressively pulls harder to the left the more you apply the brakes. Also power-steering will disappear at slow speeds making it almost impossible to turn into parking lots. Dealer had vehicle for over 4 weeks. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10011041, filed 2003-03, 23,000 miles

Buying note. Have a shop check the tires and the spark plug holes, and confirm the speed control switch recall was done, since those are the most common themes in the reports. Service records and a pre-purchase inspection will tell you more about a specific truck than its mileage alone.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.