There are 50 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2001 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
CRUISE CONTROL ON AND SET DO NOT WORK ON ANY ROAD. VEHICLE MOVING ON ANY ROAD OR STANDSTILL.
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD AROUND 30 MPH WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE. SHE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY BRAKING. SHE SAID THE TRUCK WAS BUCKING WILDLY AS THOUGH IT WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN IT'S 30 MPH SPEED. SHE PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND PULLED OVER YET THE TRUCK CONTINUED TO IDLE AS THOUGH IT WERE DRIVING 30 MILES PER HOUR. SHE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. I ARRIVED 15 MINUTES LATER AND WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND IT IMMEDIATELY REV'D AS SHE DESCRIBED SO I SHUT IT OFF. I THEN PUMPED THE GAS PEDAL (WITH THE TRUCK IN THE OFF POSITION) ASSUMING IT MAY BE STUCK THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. IT STARTED AND SUBSEQUENTLY DROVE NORMALLY. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE DISCOVERED NOTHING. NOTHING IN THE COMPUTER HISTORY AND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SPEED SYSTEM (PEDAL, CABLE, THROTTLE, THROTTLE BODY...) I DID SOME RESEARCH ON-LINE AND DISCOVERED AN NHTSA REPORT (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE05037) OF A POSSIBLE BAD SPEED CONTROL CABLE FOR THIS VEHICLE WHERE THE TEFLON COVER COULD COMES OFF AND BIND AT THE GAS PEDAL HOLDING THE PEDAL OPEN AND UNABLE TO RETRACT. WE ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE REPLACEMENT CABLE ONLY TO FIND THAT FORD NO LONGER MAKES THE ORIGINAL OR THE REPLACEMENT WHICH WE FIND UTTERLY UNBELIEVABLE. NO MORE EXIST ANYWHERE IN THE US. I CAN FIND PARTS FOR MY 1992 FORD MUSTANG EASIER. NOT SURE WHY THEY STOPPED MAKING THE CABLE WHICH MAKES THIS MORE INTERESTING. MY NEXT STEP IS TO HAVE MY MECHANIC REMOVE THE CABLE TO SEE IF THERE IS A TEFLON BUILD UP NEAR THE GAS PEDAL. NOTE: WE HAVE NO CLEAR PROOF THAT THE CABLE IS THE ISSUE YET AT THIS POINT THE FACT THAT IT CLEARED WHEN I PUMPED THE GAS PEDAL WITH THE VEHICLE IN THE OFF POSITION LEAVES SUSPICION THAT THIS COULD BE THE SAME ISSUE NOTED IN THE NHTSA PE05037 REPORT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD UPON ENGAGEMENT AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. IN ADDITION, SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE AIR VENTS AND FROM UNDER HOOD. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY JUMPED FROM THE VEHICLE ONCE HE NOTICED FLAMES EXTENDING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE UNOCCUPIED VEHICLE THEN CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED ROAD RASH AND INJURIES TO THE LEFT WRIST AND HAND. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SALVAGE FACILITY. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V336000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) HOWEVER, THE FAILURE OCCURRED BEFORE THE RECALL REMEDY COULD BE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,800.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD BECOME STUCK WHEN ACCELERATING UPHILL. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND THE RMPS WOULD INCREASE TO 3,500. THE CONTACT PLACED THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL BUT THE RPMS WOULD CONTINUOUSLY INCREASE. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THE RPMS WOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE AT 3500. THE VEHICLE WAS ALLOWED TO RUN IDLE FOR THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE RESUMING NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,000. UPDATED 04/11/12*LJ THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHERE THEY FOUND ACORN NUTS NEAR THE THROTTLE BODY, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 04/23/12
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SUDDENLY BURST INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT INQUIRED ABOUT NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V336000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE RECALL STATED THAT A FIRE COULD POTENTIALLY START FROM UNDER THE HOOD. LATER, THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS ADDED TO THE RECALL AND HE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE LETTER PERTAINED TO A DIFFERENT VEHICLE HE OWNED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 114,350.
1. LYING IN BED ONLY TO BE AWOKEN BY BOOM (TIRE BLOWING OUT) AT 5:00 A.M. 2. FAILURE WAS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH, ALSO KNOWN AS A "BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH...IGNITED SETTING VEHICLE ON FIRE 3. NOTHING DONE...VEHICLE WAS TOTALED IN FIRE. *TR
AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 FORD EXPLORE I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2001 FORD EXPLORER WITH THE SPEED CONTROL ACTIVATION SWITCH. MY SPEED CONTROL ACTIVATION SWITCH IS MALFUNCTIONING AND THEIR HAS BEEN A RECALL IN PLACE FOR QUITE SOMETIME AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. THE RECALL # IS 07V336000. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE CRUISE CONTROL. SHE BEGAN HEARING A CLICKING NOISE AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. HE DEACTIVATED THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT THE BURNING SMELL PERSISTED. THE CONTACT DID NOT CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. HE RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE THREE MONTHS AGO, BUT THE SWITCH WAS NEVER DISCONNECTED OR REPAIRED. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V336000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) WAS REFERENCED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,016.
AS OF APRIL 2008, FORD STILL HAS NOT SHIPPED THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH RECALL. THE RECALL WAS SENT OUT IN AUGUST 2008! FIRST, I WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WOULD ARRIVE IN DECEMBER OF 2007. THEN IN DECEMBER 2007, I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE NEXT APRIL. NOW I AM TOLD IT WILL BE JUNE 2008. *TR
RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE IN AUGUST 2007 FOR PROBLEMS WITH SPEED CONTROL ON 2001 FORD EXPLORER. CALLED LOCAL FORD DEALER, WAS TOLD NO PARTS SHIPPED FROM FORD YET, WILL BE DECEMBER BEFORE THEY GET THEM. CALLED IN JAN 08, STILL NO PARTS, WILL BE MARCH BEFORE THEY GET THEM, CALLED MARCH 26, 2008 WAS TOLD NO PART SHIPPED, WILL BE END OF MAY AT THE EARLIEST. FORD MOTOR COMPANY KNEW OF THE PROBLEM WAY BEFORE THE RECALL NOTICES WERE SENT OUT IN AUGUST 07. FORD WOULD HAVE SPENT MONTHS DENYING THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND THEN MORE TIME TRYING TO FIND A WORK AROUND BEFORE FINALLY ADMITTING THEY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FOLLOW GOV.'T GUIDELINES AND DO A RECALL - MONTHS IF NOT LONGER BEFORE THE LETTERS WERE SENT OUT. PLENTY OF TIME TO KNOW HOW MANY VEHICLES WERE EFFECTED AND GET THE PARTS ORDERED. IT WILL BE A MINIMUM OF 1 YEAR SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED AND LETTERS SENT BEFORE THE PARTS ACTUALLY ARRIVE AT THE DEALERS FOR REPAIR OF PROBLEM. INEXCUSABLE! AND THE NHTSA SHOULD BE DOING MORE THAN IGNORING IT! *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V336000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. SHE HAS MADE THREE ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE DEALER DISCONNECT THE SWITCH, BUT THEY CONTINUED TO STATE THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE TIME. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,000.
I WAS NOTIFIED BY FORD THAT I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY SPEED CONTROL ON MY 2001 FORD SPORT TRAC AND REQUESTED ME TO BRING MY CAR IN TO GET IT REPLACED. WHEN I TOOK MY TRUCK IN IN AUGUST I WAS TOLD THAT THE PART WAS NOT IN STOCK AND TO BRING IT BACK IN DECEMBER. I JUST CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE NOW TELLING ME THE PART IS NOT IN AND THEY HAVE NO CLUE WHEN IT IS GOING TO BE IN. FRANKLY IT APPEARED TO ME THEY DIDN'T CARE. WHEN I ASKED WHO I COULD ESCALATE IT TO AT FORD THE GENTLEMAN DID GIVE ME THE NUMBER, BUT TOLD ME IT WOULDN'T DO ANY GOOD BECAUSE FORD COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FOR EXPLORER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007. THE PARTS ARE STILL NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 195,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V336000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE DEACTIVATION SWITCH WAS NOT DISCONNECTED B UPDATED 02-25-08 *BFECAUSE HE IS HANDICAPPED. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. . THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 105,000.
ON WEDNESDAY JANUARY 2, 2008 A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT OCCURED ON MY WIFES 2001 FORD EXPLORER. SHE WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN SHE SET HER CRUISE CONTROL TO 60 MPH. WHEN SHE HIT HER BRAKES TO RELEASE THE CRUISE CONTROL AND SLOW DOWN, THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND HER CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT RELEASE. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN SHE CAME TO A T IN THE ROAD. SHE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE TURN AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER WITH HER AND 2 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. *CN
I HAVE A '01 FORD EXPLORER INVOLVED IN A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL ISSUED IN AUG-07, AS OF TODAY 5-DEC-07) MY LOCAL DEALER STILL DOES NOT HAVE PARTS AND HAVE BEEN TOLD NOT TO EXPECT THEM UNTIL 1ST QUARTER. UNSATISFACTORY AND UNACCEPTABLE. IS FORD DELAYING SO THE EXPENSE DOES NOT HIT THEM THIS YEAR? THEY COULD SHOW A BETTER PROFIT FOR 2007 IF SO. SOUNDS LIKE MANIPULATING THE BOOKS TO ME, AT THE EXPENSE OF CONSUMER SAFETY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V336000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WOULD BE UNAVAILABLE UNTIL MARCH OF 2008. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,000.
MY FORD EXPLORER 2001 HAD A RECALL NOTICE LAST YEAR REGARDING CRUISE CONTROL. I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO BREMEN FORD IN BREMEN, IN TO HAVE IT DISCONNECTED. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD GET THE PART IN SHORTLY. THIS WAS IN NOVEMBER OF 2007. IN APRIL I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD STATING THE PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED OR WILL BE SHORTLY THROUGH THE SUMMER. AS YET, IT IS GOING ON A YEAR AND I HAVE HEARD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT THE PARTS OR GETTING MY TRUCK FIXED. WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM. I HEARD THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH PARTS TO GO AROUND. WHAT DOES THIS SAFE FOR YOUR COMPANY? YOU SHOULD NOT SENT OUT A NOTICE UNLESS YOU INTEND TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. HOW MUCH LONGER AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT? *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. AS OF OCTOBER 22, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL CAUSED THE FAILURE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V336000); HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 96,000.
RECALL BY FORD ON SPEED CONTROL. SAFETY RECALL 05S28. OCT OF 2007 GOT SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED BY FORD. WAS TOLD PART WOULD BE IN NOV 07 AND AGAIN TOLD IT WILL BE DEC 07 IN DEC 07 WAS TOLD MARCH 07. TODAY MARCH 18TH CALLED FOR PART WAS TOLD PART IS NOT IN YET TO CALL AGAIN IN APRIL. (5 MONTHS) IS REALLY A LONG TIME TO GO WITH OUT SPEED CONTROL. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026