1997 Ford F-150 Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 529 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Ford F-150, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 99,250 miles. The words owners use most often: “coolant leak” (9% of reports).
- 529engine and engine cooling complaints
- 99,250median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $6,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 34%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Coolant leak: mentioned in 45 of 529 complaints (9%)
- Intake manifold: mentioned in 41 of 529 complaints (8%)
- Front cover: mentioned in 34 of 529 complaints (6%)
- Gasket failed: mentioned in 34 of 529 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1997 Ford F-150 at $6,300, and half of them between $2,850 and $7,150.
Based on 71 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2000–2010), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 284 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 529 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 38 a fire, 5 an injury.
Ford F-150 engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 1 | 1% | 1,000 |
| 2024 F-150 | 4 | 2% | 15,135 |
| 2023 F-150 | 1 | 0% | 9,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 3 | 1% | 30,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 19 | 2% | 44,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 11 | 1% | 81,557 |
| 2019 F-150 | 62 | 5% | 75,567 |
| 2018 F-150 | 88 | 4% | 71,662 |
| 2017 F-150 | 70 | 5% | 80,000 |
| 2016 F-150 | 30 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 24 | 1% | 107,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 10 | 1% | 131,300 |
| 2013 F-150 | 20 | 1% | 92,500 |
| 2012 F-150 | 17 | 1% | 13,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 33 | 2% | 8,250 |
| 2010 F-150 | 31 | 4% | 17,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 10 | 3% | 58,000 |
| 2008 F-150 | 22 | 6% | 26,670 |
| 2007 F-150 | 41 | 8% | 56,000 |
| 2006 F-150 | 77 | 13% | 58,507 |
| 2005 F-150 | 111 | 10% | 64,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 167 | 8% | 76,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 69 | 16% | 93,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 196 | 24% | 82,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 234 | 19% | 92,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 135 | 13% | 87,000 |
| 1999 F-150 | 219 | 21% | 85,250 |
| 1998 F-150 | 174 | 13% | 94,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 529 | 19% | 99,250 |
| 1996 F-150 | 23 | 7% | 119,967 |
| 1995 F-150 | 71 | 11% | 138,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Ford F-150. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Ford recall 99b29. Front cover gask unable to hold coolant. *tr
Truck has a 4.2 liter, v-6 engine. A week prior to incident the truck was driven then parked in a my garage. On the incident day i tried to start the truck but heard only a loud, hard knock when the starter engaged. The engine would not turn over. The battery voltage checked out ok. I had the truck…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford f-150. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, he heard the horn sounding off. The vehicle engulfed into flames soon thereafter. The fire department was notified and extinguished the flames. The fire chief stated that the frontal area on the driver's side…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Ford F-150s have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 529 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Ford F-150 (19% of the 2,758 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford F-150 engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 99,250 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Ford F-150?
Owners report a typical cost of $6,300 (half paid between $2,850 and $7,150), from 71 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “coolant leak”, in 45 of 529 complaints, followed by “intake manifold” (41).
Other 1997 Ford F-150 problems
- Tires problems (305)
- Structure problems (226)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (223)
- Fuel System, Gasoline problems (215)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (213)
- Suspension problems (204)
- Steering problems (202)
- Electrical System problems (198)
See all 1997 Ford F-150 problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all F-150 years.