An axial cooling fan for a vehicle includes an electrically powered motor operable to rotate fan blades to move air to cool a component or accessory of the vehicle. A stator is at the motor and has a plurality of struts that fixedly support the motor at the vehicle. The struts of the stator include leading edge surfaces that generally face air that is flowing towards the struts and past the struts and stator, such as when the motor is powered to rotate the fan blades. The leading edge surfaces of the struts comprise an aerodynamic design or pattern or structure established thereat, such as a toothed pattern or structure at the leading edge surfaces of the struts.