2001 Ford F-150 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 74about this part
- Share
- 6%of 1,236 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 64,238miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 74 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2001 Ford F-150, 6% of the 1,236 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 64,238 miles. 5 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Rear axle assembly failure, grinding noise that stops upon deceleration, Ford issued TSB 05-23-3 regarding this behavior. I observe many complaints from the public via the internet related to similar experiences. It is too widespread. I have never lost a rear end to mechanical failure. I am 54 years old. Ford dealership refuses to warranty the repair.”
NHTSA complaint #10261482, filed 2009-03, 138,500 miles“My vehicle has an automatic transmission. I pulled out of my driveway and shifted into drive and the gear shifter went floppy, became excessively loose and would not shift into any other gear position. I had to shut the engine off and set the emergency brake to keep the vehicle in place right there in the middle of the street. It turns out two 27mm torx bolts had come loose on the steering column shifter assembly inside the dashboard (a nut holding one of the bolts had actually broken into two pieces). See attached pictures. …”
NHTSA complaint #11208532, filed 2019-05, 199,900 miles“(Ford f150 xlt v-8 / 4.6 lit.) parked in parking space at wal-mart came out of store cranked up my truck put it into reverse and it would not move forward or back up. The transmission without warning completely bad needed to be replaced. Never pulled a trailer or treated hard in anyway. Bought the truck new and had it 9 years 49,000 miles. I have heard of this problem with other F-150 owners. Ford needs to own up to a defect.”
NHTSA complaint #10376797, filed 2011-01, 49,000 miles“Started truck heard a loud pop engine running rough checked,spark plug blew out destroying coil pack now called Ford dealer they said no recall checked on internet noticed a lot of people same problem. A lot money to repair. I had just got back from a 600 mile trip if this had happened during trip would have cost me up to $4.000 to get on road again, this should be a recall! And if I get it fixed I will have to get rid of it because people are complaining 2 or more plugs are blowing out and I can not afford the fix .”
NHTSA complaint #10390828, filed 2011-03, 106,000 miles“Clutch failure: my truck has been in the shop multiple times for the malfunctioning of the clutch. The clutch has to be pumped up during long periods of non-use I.e. Long highway driving or parked. The dealership has replaced the slave cylinder twice, once under warranty, once owner paid.”
NHTSA complaint #10060066, filed 2004-03, 15,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10017892Apr 1, 2005Rear axle noise repair.
- 10014659Mar 1, 2005Axle whine howl. This includes 1997-05 ford vehicles.
- 10014275Jan 1, 2005A driveline clunk or bump when starting from a stop.
- 10014086Dec 13, 2004General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
- 10013369Nov 1, 2004General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | 24% |
| 2024 | 58 | 30% |
| 2023 | 159 | 38% |
| 2022 | 162 | 27% |
| 2021 | 322 | 31% |
| 2020 | 360 | 49% |
| 2019 | 741 | 55% |
| 2018 | 1,019 | 44% |
| 2017 | 557 | 38% |
| 2016 | 615 | 29% |
| 2015 | 434 | 25% |
| 2014 | 426 | 28% |
| 2013 | 1,346 | 45% |
| 2012 | 682 | 38% |
| 2011 | 829 | 38% |
| 2010 | 121 | 14% |
| 2009 | 33 | 10% |
| 2008 | 50 | 14% |
| 2007 | 57 | 12% |
| 2006 | 46 | 8% |
| 2005 | 112 | 10% |
| 2004 | 232 | 11% |
| 2003 | 62 | 15% |
| 2002 | 53 | 6% |
| 2001 | 74 | 6% |
| 2000 | 47 | 4% |
| 1999 | 75 | 7% |
| 1998 | 83 | 6% |
| 1997 | 151 | 5% |
| 1996 | 26 | 8% |
| 1995 | 75 | 12% |
| 1994 | 56 | 8% |
| 1993 | 40 | 7% |
| 1992 | 28 | 6% |
| 1991 | 13 | 4% |
| 1990 | 13 | 5% |
| 1989 | 9 | 4% |
| 1988 | 8 | 6% |
| 1987 | 2 | 2% |
| 1986 | 2 | 3% |
| 1985 | 1 | 4% |
Other parts of the 2001 Ford F-150
234 complaintsVehicle speed control
180 complaintsElectrical system
137 complaintsFuel system
132 complaintsSeats
86 complaintsSeat belts
78 complaintsBrakes
69 complaintsAir bags
66 complaintsBody and structure
65 complaintsTires
52 complaintsEngine
44 complaintsOther or unknown
40 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Ford F-150
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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