1997 Ford F-350 SDProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 3 owner complaints about the 1997 Ford F-350 SD, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)

Safety recalls2Free fix at dealers Owner complaints31 with a crash, fire or injury Typical failure mileage150kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 31, 2011. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1997 Ford F-350 SD has problems

3 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

1Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury

1Vehicle speed control

1Wheels

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling	1	1
Vehicle speed control	1	0
Wheels	1	0

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

1997 Ford F-350 SD recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Vehicle speed control

Recall 09V-399 · Oct 13, 2009 · 4,500,000 vehicles

Risk. A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Engine: diesel

Recall 07V-553 · Dec 5, 2007 · 1,176,000 vehicles

Risk. IN THE EVENT OF AN ENGINE STALL, A CRASH COULD RESULT WITHOUT WARNING.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Best & worst years

1997 vs. every other F-350 SD year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the F-350 SD median. How we score

0 0 2 0 3 3 14215715812413213021712725 10119 50 43 29 9 7 20920957520546718998 11541 45 14 8

'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1997 Ford F-350 SD, and the recalls they led to.

Mar 22, 2005
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA05005 · closed Aug 2, 2006
Led to recall 05V-388

In owners' words

What F-350 SD owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

FORD F-350 DIESEL DUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD WHILE SITTING IN A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS JUST FINISHED BEING DRIVEN. THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF AND THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE FIRE DEPT CAME AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS. INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER THE…
Complaint 10241811 · Sep 11, 2008 · 150,000 miles

Own a 1997 F-350 SD?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.