2001 Ford Explorer Sport Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 9about this part
- Share
- 5%of 188 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 75,529miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the electrical system of the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport, 5% of the 188 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 75,529 miles. 3 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.
“My Ford exporer sport with approximately 30,000 miles on it was parked outside of my apartment when it caught on fire by itself around 4:00 a.m. Fire marshall stated that fire started on the engine/ battery area. I have his written report. Suv was totalled by insurance company. I contacted Ford in writing, but they did not feel responsible for the deffective vehicle. They did not replace the vehicle nor reimbursed me for any out-of-pocket expenses.”
NHTSA complaint #10116296, filed 2005-04, 30,482 miles“On july 1st 2006 I purchased a 2001 Ford explorer from honda of santa monica . It is a pre-certified used vehicle. I purchased the honda care extended warranty at the time I purchased the vehicle. On august 30 the car would not start I call aaa for a tow and driver checked the car a told us the starter was burned out because he could smell it and he did a test with a hammer to see if it would start after and it did not. When the key was turned the started just made a clicking sound. …”
NHTSA complaint #10167193, filed 2006-08, 75,529 miles“First incident occurred on 09/11/2003. The vehicle would start and drive fine and then after a number of stops, would fail to restart. I took the vehicle into lithia Ford in fresno. The vehilce was in their service department for 7 days before they could determine that it was a failure with the pats system. A Ford factory anti-theft system that does not allow the vehicle to start. Per the Ford service flash test, code# u1262-inter mitten loss of scp communication. This repair cost me 3 x $90.00 for their diagnosis = $270.00 + $86.58 (part) = $357.00. …”
NHTSA complaint #10122169, filed 2005-05, 51,951 miles“Vehicle had been parked for 10 minutes, driver tried to start vehicle, it failed to kick over. Driver could hear the motor clicking ,but it did not start. Electrical system was operating. Had notified the dealer, but the problem had not been duplicated or resolved.”
NHTSA complaint #10038527, filed 2003-09, 28,000 miles“The contact owns a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport. The contact stated that the windshield wipers, the interior lights, and the sound for the door stopped working. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was told that the generic electronic module needed to be replaced but the vehicle was not included in NHTSA recall campaign id number: 00v072000 (electrical system). The failure mileage was 155,637 and the current mileage was 158,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10507267, filed 2013-04, 155,637 milesElectrical system: other model years
Other parts of the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport
33 complaintsBody and structure
30 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
26 complaintsEngine cooling
21 complaintsSeats
15 complaintsBrakes
14 complaintsVehicle speed control
14 complaintsAir bags
13 complaintsTires
12 complaintsSeat belts
8 complaintsSteering
8 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
8 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology