1997 Ford F-150 Structure Problems
Owners have filed 226 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 1997 Ford F-150, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 130,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “side door” (14% of reports).
- 226structure complaints
- 130,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 35%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.
- Side door: mentioned in 32 of 226 complaints (14%)
- Sheet metal: mentioned in 18 of 226 complaints (8%)
- Both doors: mentioned in 16 of 226 complaints (7%)
- Lower rear: mentioned in 14 of 226 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 33 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 226 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 6 an injury.
Ford F-150 structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-150 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2025 F-150 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2024 F-150 | 3 | 2% | 3,700 |
| 2023 F-150 | 22 | 5% | 7,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 14 | 2% | 32,500 |
| 2021 F-150 | 36 | 4% | 46,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 22 | 3% | 7,800 |
| 2019 F-150 | 32 | 2% | 9,000 |
| 2018 F-150 | 193 | 8% | 10,000 |
| 2017 F-150 | 111 | 8% | 22,250 |
| 2016 F-150 | 199 | 10% | 20,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 147 | 9% | 27,500 |
| 2014 F-150 | 31 | 2% | 71,000 |
| 2013 F-150 | 48 | 2% | 50,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 24 | 1% | 78,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 33 | 2% | 59,500 |
| 2010 F-150 | 92 | 11% | 52,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 34 | 10% | 36,834 |
| 2008 F-150 | 23 | 6% | 54,000 |
| 2007 F-150 | 31 | 6% | 93,300 |
| 2006 F-150 | 44 | 8% | 84,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 77 | 7% | 71,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 104 | 5% | 72,500 |
| 2003 F-150 | 32 | 8% | 74,640 |
| 2002 F-150 | 45 | 5% | 85,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 65 | 5% | 119,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 66 | 6% | 67,500 |
| 1999 F-150 | 95 | 9% | 85,245 |
| 1998 F-150 | 138 | 10% | 85,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 226 | 8% | 130,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 7 | 2% | 181,000 |
| 1995 F-150 | 18 | 3% | 77,775 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists structure 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.
The contact owns a 1997 Ford F-150. The contact stated that the rear passengerâs side subframe near the axle of the vehicle was severely corroded. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was…
December 3, 2020...my husband drove the truck over to a friends house. After being there for approximately 2 hours his friend walked in the building where he was and said, 'hey man, your truck is on fire!' everyone rushed outside to see the truck was in fact on fire. They called the fire department…
My 3rd door won't open and it's a serious safety issue. I have kids and it's the only vehicle i have to transport them around. I went to youtube and found that some cheap plastic retainers that's clipped to cables are broken. The retainers open the top and bottom of the door. Please help. Thanks
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Ford F-150s have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 226 owner complaints about structure for the 1997 Ford F-150 (8% 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 structure?
No recall currently lists structure for this vehicle.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 130,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 1997 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “side door”, in 32 of 226 complaints, followed by “sheet metal” (18).
Other 1997 Ford F-150 problems
See all 1997 Ford F-150 problems or structure problems across all F-150 years.