1997 Ford F Series Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other F Series years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Ford F Series. That is the most of any F Series model year in the database (14 years). The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (21 complaints, 45%), typically at around 95,750 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 9 fires, 1 injury. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 47owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Ford F Series problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 45% | 95,750 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 7 | 15% | 151,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 11% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 9% | 157,546 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 6% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 4% | 192,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 4% | 136,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 4% | 75,728 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 4% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 2% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Ford F Series recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 1997 Ford F Series.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
- Undercarriage fires (PE97005) — opened Jan 29, 1997, closed May 12, 1997.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
While driveing at 60 mph there was a loud crash from the left rear then a grinding pop from the left rear all while the rear end of my truck felt like it was fish tailing on ice or like some one huge was shakeing it from side to side i almost lost it into a field i was so suprised i got stopped to…
The truck was parked in a strip mall parking lot. A few minutes later someone said that there were flames coming from the hood. The car was a total in 10 minutes. Four off duty firemen were there and could not put the flames out. Near by fire station was called. Its response was with in a few…
While driving at highway speeds, the vehicle started surging up and down in speed erratically. I did not realize that it had to do with the speed control, but finally took it out of cruise for good. The speedometer still was surging up and down between 4 and 10 mph difference from what my speed…
When i first bought the truck in 2001, the engine had approximately 82k miles. I was having a hard time starting and sometimes it would not start. At first the dealer thought it was the starter and they replaced it. They told me to take it to pepboys to get the starter replaced. When they started…
Recall correction turns to explosion danger! Ford issued recall #11 s 21 on the replacement of the fuel tank straps. Best ford of nashua performed the service to install new straps on october 7, 2011. In conjunction with the recall work, a vehicle report on best ford letterhead was provided showing…
Other Ford F Series years
← 1996 F Series · 1998 F Series →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 F Series | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 F Series | 4 | 0 |
| 2006 F Series | 4 | 0 |
| 2005 F Series | 9 | 0 |
| 2004 F Series | 7 | 0 |
| 2003 F Series | 1 | 1 |
| 2002 F Series | 34 | 1 |
| 2001 F Series | 44 | 1 |
| 2000 F Series | 41 | 1 |
| 1999 F Series | 36 | 0 |
| 1998 F Series | 20 | 0 |
| 1997 | 47 | 0 |
| 1996 F Series | 16 | 0 |
| 1995 F Series | 16 | 0 |
See all Ford F Series problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
Embed this 1997 Ford F Series badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Ford F Series?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 21 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford F Series?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 1997 Ford F Series a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other F Series model years, the 1997 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.