1997 Ford F-450 SDProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 4 owner complaints about the 1997 Ford F-450 SD, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)

Safety recalls3Free fix at dealers Owner complaints40 with a crash, fire or injury Top problem2Engine and engine cooling

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 13, 2009. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1997 Ford F-450 SD has problems

4 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

2Engine and engine cooling

2Suspension

1Parking brake

1Power train

1Tires

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	2	0
Suspension	2	0
Parking brake	1	0
Power train	1	0
Tires	1	0

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

3 recalls

1997 Ford F-450 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 →

no report yet

Vehicle speed control

Recall 06V-286 · Aug 1, 2006 · 1,200,000 vehicles

Risk. OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE OR BURN AND AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

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-450 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-450 SD median. How we score

6 3 5 3 2 2 4 1 66 43 23 14 16 33 40 35 16 68 3 3 6 3 2 1 1 1 1 0 3 1 18 24 5 10 2 3

'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1997 Ford F-450 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-450 SD owners report

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

THE FLYWHEEL ON THIS VEHICLE CONTINUES TO TEAR UP. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS FLYWHEEL, BUT ONCE MY WARRANTY IS UP THE DEALER WILL NO LONGER REPAIR IT UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE HAD TO PAY $100 EACH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FLYWHEEL HAS ACTAULLY NEEDED REPLACING MORE TIMES,…
Complaint 710687 · Aug 30, 1999

VEHICLE #1: BROKE DOWN AT 17 MILES. NEW TRANSMISSION AT 900 MILES. EMERGENCY BRAKE PROBLEMS. VEHICLE #2: TURBO WAS MALFUNCTIONING. OIL LEAK. SHAKES VIOLENTLY. TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF GEAR--BROKEN FLYWHEEL AND CONNECTING SPLINE CAUSED SHAKING. TWO OTHER VEHICLES OF THIS TYPE THAT THEY OWN HAVE…
Complaint 535433 · May 21, 1998

Own a 1997 F-450 SD?

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