1997 Ford F-150 Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 151 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1997 Ford F-150, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 99,904 miles. The words owners use most often: “automatic transmission” (8% of reports).
- 151power train complaints
- 99,904median miles at failure
- 16mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 36%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.
- Automatic transmission: mentioned in 12 of 151 complaints (8%)
- Shift park: mentioned in 9 of 151 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 26 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 151 complaints, 16 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 6 an injury.
Ford F-150 power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 25 | 23% | 5,330 |
| 2024 F-150 | 58 | 30% | 10,500 |
| 2023 F-150 | 158 | 38% | 33,500 |
| 2022 F-150 | 160 | 27% | 28,791 |
| 2021 F-150 | 318 | 31% | 55,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 357 | 49% | 59,000 |
| 2019 F-150 | 736 | 55% | 66,500 |
| 2018 F-150 | 1,014 | 44% | 60,000 |
| 2017 F-150 | 546 | 38% | 83,700 |
| 2016 F-150 | 600 | 29% | 96,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 422 | 24% | 86,500 |
| 2014 F-150 | 425 | 28% | 101,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 1,342 | 45% | 94,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 681 | 38% | 90,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 826 | 38% | 96,634 |
| 2010 F-150 | 121 | 14% | 60,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 33 | 10% | 38,673 |
| 2008 F-150 | 50 | 14% | 50,000 |
| 2007 F-150 | 57 | 12% | 70,000 |
| 2006 F-150 | 46 | 8% | 38,500 |
| 2005 F-150 | 112 | 10% | 65,850 |
| 2004 F-150 | 232 | 11% | 35,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 62 | 15% | 40,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 53 | 6% | 54,260 |
| 2001 F-150 | 74 | 6% | 64,239 |
| 2000 F-150 | 47 | 4% | 54,104 |
| 1999 F-150 | 75 | 7% | 84,000 |
| 1998 F-150 | 83 | 6% | 95,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 151 | 5% | 99,904 |
| 1996 F-150 | 26 | 8% | 109,750 |
| 1995 F-150 | 75 | 12% | 120,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. If the automatic transmission shift cable assembly was not fully attached to the steering column bracket, the shift cable assembly can come out of the bracket. The vehicle operator would then not be able to shift the transmission from one of the drive gear positions into the park position even though the gear shift selector would indicate "park."
Risk: The condition would not allow a disengagement of the transmission from the park position or affect proper neutral start switch operation. Unintended vehicle movement could occur if the parking brake was not set.
Fix: Dealers will make the proper attachment of the transmission shift control cable to the steering column bracket and add a tie strap to that connection.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks. The transmission bracket end fitting can separate from the shift cable assembly resulting in operator inability to shift the transmission from one of the drive gear positions into the park position.
Risk: This condition can result in unintended vehicle movement if the parking brake is not set.
Fix: Dealers will install a new transmission shift control cable.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 1997 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the transmission hesitated while shifting gears. The contact stated that when the gear changed, the vehicle would jerk. The contact replaced the control sensor however, the failure recurred. A dealer…
The contact owns a 1997 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shift into park(P). The contact stated that when he attempted to shift the vehicle into reverse(R), the vehicle shifted instead shifted into drive(D) and vice versa. Additionally…
Linkage bracket broke wont shift completely into park wont strart i have looked this up and also the cruse control switch leaks brake fluid both of these have been recalled by ford but the dealership where i too it said my vin # wasnt on recall list even though these are both admitted to be faulty…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Ford F-150s have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 151 owner complaints about power train for the 1997 Ford F-150 (5% 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 power train?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 99,904 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 1997 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “automatic transmission”, in 12 of 151 complaints, followed by “shift park” (9).
Other 1997 Ford F-150 problems
See all 1997 Ford F-150 problems or power train problems across all F-150 years.