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1997 Ford F SeriesProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 47 owner complaints about the 1997 Ford F Series, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.

46
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.2× the F Series median · #1 of 8 years by complaints
Safety recalls0None on recordOwner complaints4711 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage96kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 23, 2015. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1997 Ford F Series has problems

47 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling212
Electrical system76
Vehicle speed control52
Fuel system, gasoline40
Suspension30
Service brakes, hydraulic21
Fuel system, other21
Steering21
Structure20
5 other systems61

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

0 recalls

1997 Ford F Series recalls and how many were fixed

No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.

Best & worst years

1997 vs. every other F Series 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 Series median. How we score

'71'72'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'84'85'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1997 Ford F Series, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
    No recall
  2. UNDERCARRIAGE FIRESPE97005 · closed May 12, 1997
    No recall
In owners' words

What F Series owners report

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

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…
Complaint 10456371 · Apr 24, 2012 · 82,000 miles
ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL KEEPS RUNNING LOW.TRUCK STARTING TO SKIP OR MISFIRE ON CYLINDER. NO VISIBLE LEAKAGE ON THE OUT SIDE OF MOTOR. *TR
Complaint 10326204 · Apr 18, 2010 · 161,030 miles
4.2 ENGINE PROBLEM, THE 1997 FORD F150 HAS 90,000 MILES ON IT, AS OF THIS DATE THE ENGINE MAIN BEARING WORE OUT. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALL WAYS BEEN SERVICED, AND WITH OIL CHANGES EVERY THREE MONTHS OR 3000 MILES SINCE I PURCHASED IT WITH 6 MILES ON IT. AND THIS WAS A ONE OWNER VEHICLE. I THINK THE…
Complaint 10187247 · Apr 7, 2007 · 90,000 miles

Own a 1997 F Series?

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