2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Problems
- Complaints
- 167filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 71,760miles, 115 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 4campaigns on record
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
- NHTSA crash rating
- —overall rating starts with 2011 models
- EPA fuel economy
- 17 mpgcombined, 4.0L 6-cyl RWD · 15 city / 19 hwy
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error
What owners report
Owners of this model year most often describe transmission problems and failing body mount bushings, with complaints also clustering around cruise control switches and steering/suspension wear. Reports span a wide mileage range: some transmission faults appear well under 60,000 miles, while body mount and structural complaints more often show up past 100,000 miles. Several complaints note the cruise control switch issue tied to a recall campaign.
- Body and structure
Body mount bushings crumbling
- 23 complaints (14%)
- median 111,000 mi at 9.7 yrs old (20 state mileage)
- filed 2003–2014
Owners describe the rubber bushings that connect the cab to the frame drying out and crumbling, to the point that pieces fall away when touched. Symptoms include loud clunks over bumps, squeaks under the floor, body sway, and a feeling that the cab is sitting on the frame. Complaints say dealers did not cover the repair and that the parts are dealer-only items. Mostly reported between roughly 65,000 and 175,000 miles, often noted as a gradual deterioration over several years.
What to check: Inspect the bushings between the cab and frame for cracking, crumbling, or missing pieces, and listen for clunks over bumps on a test drive. Ask whether any mounts have been replaced.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“Sub frame body mounts are falling apart. I noticed this in 2008 but did not know what it was. Car has less than 72000 miles and is garaged, no off road use. Mounts are brittle and fall of vehicle. Ford says --so sad too bad. Never seen mounts fall apart and I have owned vehicles for over 40 years.”
NHTSA complaint #10488982, filed 2012-12, 52,000 miles“For several years, the body mounts on my truck have been crumbling due to poor materials used at the factory. I know of many others who have had this same problem, and since the mounts are difficult and expensive to replace I know many have avoided doing so. Ford should be made to recall these vehicles (which range from 2001-2005) and replace these shoddy parts (if they haven't crumbled completely away like mine) before someone is injured.”
NHTSA complaint #10486042, filed 2012-11, 40,000 miles - Transmission and drivetrain
Transmission slipping and hard shifts
- 28 complaints (17%)
- median 64,400 mi at 5.5 yrs old (23 state mileage)
- owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 5 quotes)
- filed 2003–2019
Owners describe the overdrive light flashing, delayed or missed shifts, slipping between gears, and revving without acceleration, sometimes with the check engine light on. Complaints frequently mention transmissions needing overhaul or replacement at relatively low mileage, and some say dealers could not reproduce the fault on the first visits. Reported from as low as roughly 16,000 miles up to over 150,000, with many reports in the 40,000-90,000 mile range.
What to check: Test drive through all gears, watching for flare or hesitation on the 2-3 shift and for a flashing overdrive light. Ask whether the transmission has been serviced or replaced and check fluid condition.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“My 2001 Ford sport trac transmission warning light came on. After taking it to dealer I was informed that I need a new transmission. With only 56,000 on trunk. Since its out of warranty I will have to foot the bill of $3600. There are thousands of other sport trac owners getting stuck with bad transmissions. Please make Ford fix there bad transmissions.”
NHTSA complaint #10111858, filed 2005-02, 55,000 miles“Transmissions in explorer sport tracs 2001 are not very reliable, I am having to put a 2nd one in with only 126,000 miles. Ford should address the issue with all transmissions in the explorer. I will not purchase another Ford, nor will I tell anybody else, maybe they should have taken a bail-out from the government to fix there cars.”
NHTSA complaint #10314536, filed 2010-02, 126,000 miles - Vehicle speed control
Cruise control switch overheating and fires
- 24 complaints (14%)
- median 85,900 mi at 6.5 yrs old (14 state mileage)
- 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2003–2023
Complaints describe smoke or fire from under the hood, sometimes while the vehicle was parked and switched off, and in several cases a hot steering wheel or burning plastic smell. Several owners mention recall campaign 07V336000 and say their vehicle was not covered or that parts were unavailable at the time. Reported across a broad range from about 57,000 to over 150,000 miles, including vehicles that were parked and off.
Recall 07V336000Recall 03V280000
What to check: Ask whether the speed control deactivation switch recall has been performed and get it verified by a dealer by VIN. Look for any signs of scorching or smell around the switch on the brake master cylinder area.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“Cruise control indicator light switch does not come on - steering wheel is very hot to the touch - and there is the smell of burning plastic. Since december 2003 all indicator lights are out on steering column (I took my truck to the Ford service center and was told it probably need a fuse - I checked the fuse it seems to be o.k. Is there a recall on cruise control on the 2001 - Ford sport trac?”
NHTSA complaint #10136046, filed 2005-09, 57,560 miles“The contact owns a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. On july 9, 2007, the vehicle caught fire. The vehicle was completely turned off with no passengers at the time of failure. The vehicle was destroyed. A fire and police report were filed. The current and failure mileages were 65,000. It was determined the faulty cruise control switch caused the fire. Updated 08/16/07.”
NHTSA complaint #10196575, filed 2007-07, 65,000 miles - Suspension
Wheel bearing and steering/suspension wear
- 12 complaints (7%)
- median 48,968 mi at 4.7 yrs old (10 state mileage)
- 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2002–2014
Owners describe front wheel bearing noise and repeated bearing replacement, along with premature wear of tie rod ends, ball joints, and the rack and pinion. Complaints also mention steering shudder at speed and a vague or wandering feel, which some say dealers could not resolve. Mostly reported between about 25,000 and 70,000 miles, with some steering component replacements noted before 60,000 miles.
What to check: Listen for bearing growl or whine that changes with speed, and check for play in the front end. Ask whether the front wheel bearings or steering components have been replaced.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“I have a 2001 Explorer Sport Trac with 60k miles on it. The stock shocks are so bad that breaking and highway travel is dangerous. The last incident occurred while driving I-35 south right outside of kansas city, mo. A car broke down in my line and I tapped (not stomped) the brakes to slow down, the truck did a nose dive and the back end kicked out into the other lane and the tires locked up.”
NHTSA complaint #10128625, filed 2005-07, 60,000 miles“Since the purchase of my Ford exploer sport trac in dec, 2000, I have dealt with a steering shudder. I have had 3 different types of tires on the vehicle and all exhibited this problem. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealer during the warranty period, but they were not sure of the cause. Today I called Ford and they are shifting the burden of the necessary repair to me despite that I brought this up at least twice during the warranty period. I think this is a safety issue and it is especially bad on wet surfaces. …”
NHTSA complaint #10082864, filed 2004-07, 5,000 miles - Air bags
Airbag warning light and non-deployment
- 9 complaints (5%)
- median 71,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
- 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2002–2017
Owners report the airbag warning light staying on, sometimes after an emergency stop or in connection with a blown fuse and inoperative blower. Some complaints describe airbags not deploying in a collision; others say the dealer attributed the light to an electrical short. Reported from about 25,000 to 130,000 miles, with some light-on reports appearing after a hard stop.
What to check: Confirm the airbag warning light goes out after the self-test at startup and ask whether the system has been scanned for stored codes.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“Feb 7th 2006 I was in a head on collision with another vehicle that deployed both airbags. My Explorer Sport Trac did not deploy any airbags. I had to have a fusion of c5 & c6 in my neck due to the crash.”
NHTSA complaint #10188492, filed 2007-04, 124,000 miles“01 Ford exp sport trac 4x4 with rear radio/AC controls air bag warning light does not go out and keeps popping fuse (location for fan blower) and blower inop even with higher amp fuses. Happens change weather cold/hot and rough roads. Jiggle wire harness under dash/center console area corrects (temp). Can not trouble shoot airbag mod when fuse blown. Ac inop when fuse blown.”
NHTSA complaint #10276474, filed 2009-07, 125,000 miles
Buying note. Have a mechanic inspect the body mounts, front-end steering and suspension parts, and transmission behavior before buying, and verify by VIN that the speed control switch recall was completed. Mileage alone is not a reliable guide here, since several reported faults appear both early and late in the vehicle's life.
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.
NHTSA recorded 167 consumer complaints for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. 115 of the complaints include a mileage, and 32% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 71,760 miles. Of all complaints, 15 involved a crash, 9 a fire, 11 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 10 technical service bulletins for this model year.
Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Body and structure27 16%
- Vehicle speed control26 16%
- Engine cooling16 9.6%
- Suspension16 9.6%
- Electrical system14 8.4%
- Air bags11 6.6%
- Tires11 6.6%
- Seats9 5.4%
- Brakes8 4.8%
Also reported: Fuel system (6), Other or unknown (6), Steering (6), Exterior lighting (5), Wheels (5), Latches, locks and linkages (4), Engine (3), Equipment (3), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (3), Seat belts (2), Interior lighting (1).
Example complaints
Transmission and drivetrain: “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”
NHTSA complaint #11096662, filed 2018-05, 136,000 milesBody and structure: “The right rear side of my Ford the cab mount has ripped apart the steel mount has failed. The cab is in danger of leaving the frame. The body shop told me that this is a factory defect and is very dangerous. The truck has only 74534 mil. 2001. I'm the only owner, the truck is garage kept and very well maintained. This truck was built in oct. 2000 and I bought the truck in nov. 2000.”
NHTSA complaint #10245736, filed 2008-10, 74,334 milesVehicle speed control: “Takata recall, the inside lightsor dome lights, they shorted out one to another in the double over head lights and grounded out the battery could cause several problems one it killed the battery and I found out when I went to change one of the lights and to stop I took both lights out and seperated the copper that conects with switch”
NHTSA complaint #10908818, filed 2016-09, 144,000 milesEngine cooling: “The rising price of gas discouraged me from using my sport trac (st) often, so it was garaged during the work week. On the weekends, I usually drove the st to run errands around town. On jan 28, 2012, I drove less than a mile when my st began losing throttle response and an unfamiliar clattering can be heard generated in the engine bay. I quickly realized that this was not normal, so I proceeded to pull over. I then took the truck to a mechanic near my location. …”
NHTSA complaint #10454791, filed 2012-04, 129,001 milesMileage when problems were reported
32% of the 115 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 42,000 and 126,000 miles.
Complaints by year filed
Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
Fuel economy and running cost
EPA ratings for each 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).
| Version | Engine | Transmission | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Sport Trac 2WD | 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 15 | 19 | 17 | $3,950 |
| Explorer Sport Trac 2WD | 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 14 | 19 | 16 | $4,200 |
| Explorer Sport Trac 4WD | 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 14 | 18 | 16 | $4,200 |
| Explorer Sport Trac 4WD | 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 13 | 18 | 15 | $4,450 |
Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.
Recalls and investigations
- 07V336000Aug 3, 2007Vehicle speed controlCovers: Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2001–2002, E-150 1992–1993, 1997–2003, E-350 1992–1993, 1997–2003 +18 more
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.
- 03V280000Aug 5, 2003Vehicle speed control › CablesCovers: Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2001, Explorer 1999–2001, Mercury Mountaineer 1999–2001 +1 more
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.
- 03V281000Aug 5, 2003Seats › Front assembly › ReclinerCovers: Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2001–2002, Explorer 1998–2001, Mercury Mountaineer 1998–2001 +1 more
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…
- 00V394000Nov 28, 2000Structure › Body › Hood › Hinge and attachmentsCovers: Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2000–2001, Explorer Sport 2000–2001, Ranger 2001
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…
Recall details for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 10 on record; the latest 10 are shown.
- 10018061Oct 7, 2005Steering. Steering shudder during low speed maneuvers - 4.0l engine.
- 10014138Jun 7, 2005Seat belts. Safety belt retraction speed.
- 10017891Apr 1, 2005Transmission and drivetrain. Front axle leaks fluid from vent tube - vehicles equipped with 4x4 or awd.
- 10014263Dec 27, 2004Equipment. Moan/vibration during air conditioning operation.
- 10014096Dec 13, 2004Suspension. Revised procedure for adjusting alignment on all suspensions - new right hand upper control arm design for torsion bar front suspensions.
- 10014086Dec 13, 2004Transmission and drivetrain. General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
- 10013369Nov 1, 2004Transmission and drivetrain. General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures.
- 10013365Nov 1, 2004Suspension. Squeaking noise from rear sway bar link.
- 10011150Aug 9, 2004Engine cooling. Rattle noise from primary chain drive area 2000-3000 rpm - 4.0l sohc engine.
- 10013064Oct 28, 2002Engine cooling. Excessive sulfur smell from exhaust.
Other model years of the Ford Explorer Sport Trac
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 31 | 30,000 | 1 | — | 17 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Falling |
| 2009 | 6 | 20,000 | 0 | — | 17 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 23 | 65,265 | 1 | — | 16 | — | Rising |
| 2007 | 100 | 39,275 | 1 | — | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 5 | 74,000 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 2005 | 66 | 68,000 | 0 | — | 15 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 86 | 43,768 | 0 | — | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 78 | 58,500 | 0 | — | 17 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 144 | 48,104 | 2 | — | 17 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 167 | 71,760 | 4 | — | 17 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1998 | 5 | 51,700 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 1997 | 6 | 107,500 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
All Ford Explorer Sport Trac model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
Owners of this model year most often describe transmission problems and failing body mount bushings, with complaints also clustering around cruise control switches and steering/suspension wear. The issues reported most often: Body mount bushings crumbling; Transmission slipping and hard shifts; Cruise control switch overheating and fires.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac have?
NHTSA recorded 167 consumer complaints for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac is reported most often?
Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 36 complaints (22% of the total), followed by body and structure with 27.
Has the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac been recalled?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac get?
The EPA rates the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac (Explorer Sport Trac 2WD, 4.0L 6-cyl) at 17 mpg combined, 15 city and 19 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,950 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.
At what mileage are problems with the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac reported?
Among the 115 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 71,760 miles and the middle half falls between 42,000 and 126,000 miles; 32% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.