1997 Ford F-150 Wheels Problems
Owners have filed 115 complaints with NHTSA about wheels problems on the 1997 Ford F-150, 4% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 40,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “lugs nuts” (37% of reports).
- 115wheels complaints
- 40,000median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 71%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.
- Lugs nuts: mentioned in 42 of 115 complaints (37%)
- Wheel fell off: mentioned in 6 of 115 complaints (5%)
- Lug nut: mentioned in 6 of 115 complaints (5%)
- Rear tire: mentioned in 6 of 115 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do wheels problems happen?
Based on 2 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 115 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Ford F-150 wheels complaints by model year
| Model year | Wheels complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2024 F-150 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 F-150 | 21 | 5% | 178 |
| 2022 F-150 | 8 | 1% | 5,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 27 | 3% | 48,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 5 | 1% | 53,057 |
| 2019 F-150 | 10 | 1% | 16,000 |
| 2018 F-150 | 43 | 2% | 10,572 |
| 2017 F-150 | 44 | 3% | 44,197 |
| 2016 F-150 | 53 | 3% | 50,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 40 | 2% | 54,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 25 | 2% | 56,728 |
| 2013 F-150 | 39 | 1% | 66,000 |
| 2012 F-150 | 18 | 1% | 91,500 |
| 2011 F-150 | 13 | 1% | 80,975 |
| 2010 F-150 | 12 | 1% | 110,500 |
| 2009 F-150 | 7 | 2% | 68,000 |
| 2008 F-150 | 7 | 2% | 74,771 |
| 2007 F-150 | 8 | 2% | 44,120 |
| 2006 F-150 | 10 | 2% | 63,000 |
| 2005 F-150 | 16 | 1% | 88,365 |
| 2004 F-150 | 21 | 1% | 70,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 13 | 3% | 45,250 |
| 2002 F-150 | 13 | 2% | 100,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 14 | 1% | 102,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 13 | 1% | 75,000 |
| 1999 F-150 | 16 | 2% | 176,500 |
| 1998 F-150 | 44 | 3% | 75,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 115 | 4% | 40,000 |
| 1996 F-150 | 6 | 2% | 161,429 |
| 1995 F-150 | 11 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Problem: Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles and light duty pickup trucks. The lug nuts on these vehicles may not create sufficient clamp load allowing wheel movement in relation to the hub/rotor mounting surface.
Risk: This can result in the loosening of lug nuts, stud fatigue failure, and the potential for a wheel separation from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Owners of these vehicles will be receiving two notifications. The first notification, which began in may 1998, will provide an interim repair procedure until parts become available. This interim procedure can be completed by owners or their dealers. It specifies that the lug nut torque must be verified to be 100 lbs. Then the lug nuts need to be tightened an additional 1/8 to 1/4 turn more. There will be a second owner notification, which is expected to begin july 20, 1998, under which dealers will inspect the wheel studs and replace the wheel lug nuts.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I have a 1997 f-150 in which i had two wheels rust through so that the tires leaked air. The other two whheels were ex essively rusted as well. The only solution was to replace the 4 wheels. I saw no recalls, so i suspect this is a regional issue ( salt in winter) as i've seen other 1997 f-150s…
Lugs:nuts came loose on back rear tire.........hub came loose and ruined the wheel pulled in driveway and hub was just hanging there with the loosened lugnuts.had a recall on this problem years ago and had it supposedly fixed....took to ford dealer and was charges $500.00. *ak
Vehicle's metal wheel rims hold water after it rains.*mr the rims were designed in a way that allowed them to retain water after it rained or came in contact with standing water. This problem caused the rims to corrode and resulted in separation of the rim. The manufacturer was contacted but told…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Ford F-150s have wheels problems?
No. NHTSA has 115 owner complaints about wheels for the 1997 Ford F-150 (4% 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 wheels?
Yes: 1 safety recall list wheels. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do wheels problems start?
The median reported mileage is 40,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about wheels problems on the 1997 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “lugs nuts”, in 42 of 115 complaints, followed by “wheel fell off” (6).
Other 1997 Ford F-150 problems
See all 1997 Ford F-150 problems or wheels problems across all F-150 years.