2001 Ford Explorer Sport: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport. The newest campaign is 07V336000. NHTSA received the report on 3 Aug 2007. The NHTSA record gives the component Vehicle Speed Control. NHTSA has 152 complaints on file for this model year. 2 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 07V336000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 29 Mar 2018. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

5 campaigns, newest first. 5,747,170 units in total.

07V3360003 Aug 2007Vehicle Speed Control
06V11400010 Apr 2006Seats / Front Assembly / Recliner
03V2800005 Aug 2003Vehicle Speed Control / Cables
03V2810005 Aug 2003Seats / Front Assembly / Recliner
00V39400028 Nov 2000Structure / Body / Hood / Hinge and Attachments

07V336000Received 3 Aug 2007. 3,600,000 units.
Vehicle Speed Control
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
This could result in an underhood fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 05S28. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 13 Aug 2007.
06V114000Received 10 Apr 2006. 8,585 units.
Seats / Front Assembly / Recliner
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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, the seat back may recline until it makes contact with an object behind the seat, such as the second row seat cushion.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The driver could potentially lose contact with the steering wheel or foot pedals during such an event, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt. The recall began on april 10, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. This is a supplement to a previous recall campaign (03v281).
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 03S04. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 10 Apr 2006.
03V280000Received 5 Aug 2003. 448,005 units.
Vehicle Speed Control / Cables
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The throttle return spring force may not be sufficient to overcome the binding condition when the speed control is disengaged. Braking function would be maintained though stopping distances may be increased.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will inspect the speed control cable and, if necessary, replace it. Owner notification began august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 03S03. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 29 Aug 2003.
03V281000Received 5 Aug 2003. 1,552,880 units.
Seats / Front Assembly / Recliner
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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 frame, the seat back may recline until it makes contact with an object behind the seat, such as the second row seat cushion.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The driver could potentially lose contact with the steering wheel or foot pedals during such an event, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt. Owner notification began on august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 03S04. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 29 Aug 2003.
00V394000Received 28 Nov 2000. 137,700 units.
Structure / Body / Hood / Hinge and Attachments
Defect, in the NHTSA record
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 while the vehicle is being driven.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
A hood fly-up while the vehicle is being operated could result in reduced driver visibility.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the hood striker.
Report filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY. Manufacturer campaign number 00S45. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 23 Jan 2001.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

152 complaints, 197 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

2001 Ford Explorer Sport
All 2001 vehicles

2001 Ford Explorer Sport: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	2001 Explorer Sport	All 2001 vehicles	Explorer Sport, all years	Mentions
Suspension	147.2	77.7	73.1	29
Power Train	121.8	97.8	114.4	24
Engine and Engine Cooling	101.5	139.2	97.1	20
Structure	96.4	56.5	74.5	19
Tires	66	39.4	58.5	13
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	66	102	46.5	13
Vehicle Speed Control	66	44.5	73.1	13
Seats	60.9	14.7	77.1	12
Air Bags	55.8	64.3	42.6	11
Electrical System	40.6	95.2	77.1	8

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 19.

Complaints that report a crash: 15
Complaints that report a fire: 10
Injuries in the complaints: 18
Deaths in the complaints: 4
Date of the newest complaint: 13 Oct 2010

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2002, with 21 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
DP05005	Defect petition	SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD	Engine and Engine Cooling / Engine	22 Sep 2005	4 Jan 2006
PE03020	Preliminary evaluation	FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER ATTACHMENT	Seats / Front Assembly / Recliner	21 May 2003	5 Sep 2003	03V281000

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

19930
19970
19980
19990
20001
20015
20023
20030
20040
20050

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2001 Ford Explorer SportThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2001 Ford Explorer Sport: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/ford/explorer-sport/2001/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 29 Mar 2018
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: FORD MOTOR COMPANY

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport?: 5,747,170 units in 5 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Ford Explorer Sport have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the Ford Explorer Sport, model years 1993 to 2005. 5 of them name the 2001 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport name most often?: Suspension: 29 of 197 component mentions, or 147.2 per 1,000. For all 2001 vehicles the figure is 77.7 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport open?: No. Each of the 2 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.