One problem related to steering gear box has been reported for the 2001 Ford F-150. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2001 Ford F-150 based on all problems reported for the 2001 F-150.
Loose steering, second (replacement) steering gear. The original steering gear was noisy and the dealer replaced it with a used, rebuilt unit at 3,264 miles. Current (used) gear has excessive free play, the vehicle wanders and is difficult to control on the highway. Ford refuses to supply the dealer with a new gear. The dealer refuses to replace or adjust the loose gear. I feel the safety of the vehicle is in question with the used gear in it due to lack of traceability of the gear in case of a recall or safety campaign.