Common problems with 2001 F-150... anyone else had these?

General Forum General Discussions
1

I’ve been noticing some weird issues on my 2001 Ford F-150 lately, and after looking around online, it seems like there are a few common problems others have had too. Wondering if anyone here has dealt with these? Things like rough idle, rear end noise when turning, oil leaks, or even little to no heat in the cabin. Any tips for fixing or what to keep an eye on?

2

I’ve had the same truck, and the rough idle was due to a bad EGR sensor. Replaced it, and it smoothed out.

3

Jordan said:
I’ve had the same truck, and the rough idle was due to a bad EGR sensor. Replaced it, and it smoothed out.

Thanks! Did it seem to get worse over time or stay the same?

4

West said:

Jordan said:
I’ve had the same truck, and the rough idle was due to a bad EGR sensor. Replaced it, and it smoothed out.

Thanks! Did it seem to get worse over time or stay the same?

Mine got worse slowly. If you catch it early, it might just need a cleaning rather than a full replacement.

5

The spark plug ejection issue is real. Happened to mine, and I had to get the whole cylinder head worked on.

6

Gale said:
The spark plug ejection issue is real. Happened to mine, and I had to get the whole cylinder head worked on.

Oh no, sounds like a big repair. How did you know it was coming?

7

@West
It gave a weird ticking sound before it went. If you hear that, get it checked out ASAP.

8

Yep, my heat barely works in winter. Replaced the thermostat and flushed the system, but it didn’t help much.

9

Darwin said:
Yep, my heat barely works in winter. Replaced the thermostat and flushed the system, but it didn’t help much.

That’s annoying, especially in winter. Any luck with other fixes?

10

@West
Not really, some people suggest replacing the heater core, but it’s a big job. Might just stick with my winter jacket lol.

11

If you’re hearing noise from the rear end while turning, it could be the differential clutch. There’s an updated clutch kit for these trucks.

12

Flynn said:
If you’re hearing noise from the rear end while turning, it could be the differential clutch. There’s an updated clutch kit for these trucks.

Good to know, thanks! Any idea on the cost to get that fixed?

13

@West
It wasn’t too bad; around $300 for parts and labor, depending on where you go.

14

Had the same oil leak on the passenger side, thought it was the pan gasket, but it was actually the head gasket. Annoying but got it sealed up.

15

Caelan said:
Had the same oil leak on the passenger side, thought it was the pan gasket, but it was actually the head gasket. Annoying but got it sealed up.

Wow, didn’t realize it could be the head gasket. How’d you figure that out?

16

@West
Mechanic caught it. Luckily it was a small leak, so I avoided a huge repair bill.