1997 Ford F Series Problems
- Complaints
- 47filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 118,000miles, 38 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 0campaigns on record
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
Sources: NHTSA records for the 1997 Ford F Series (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error
NHTSA recorded 47 consumer complaints for the 1997 Ford F Series. The part named most often is engine cooling, with 21 complaints (45% of the total), followed by electrical system (7) and fuel system (6). 38 of the complaints include a mileage, and 3% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 118,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 9 a fire, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 3 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine cooling complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.
Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Engine cooling21 45%
- Electrical system7 15%
- Fuel system6 13%
- Suspension3 6.4%
- Brakes2 4.3%
- Steering2 4.3%
- Body and structure2 4.3%
- Tires2 4.3%
- Engine1 2.1%
Also reported: Equipment (1), Other or unknown (1), Transmission and drivetrain (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).
Example complaints
Engine cooling: “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 the car a mass of gray smoke come out of the tail pipe. Two days later the engine froze. Since I had a warranty agreement I took the truck to a local Ford dealer, they stated it had hydrolocked and the engine needed to be replaced. …”
NHTSA complaint #10456371, filed 2012-04, 82,000 milesElectrical system: “June 5, 2005- about 1:30am, my wife and I were awaken by the neighbors and the fire dept. They informed us that our truck was on fire in the driveway. The hood was melted away and the front half of the truck was engulfed in flames. The fire dept. Deemed the source in the area of the master cylinder switch and or relay box. Normally we park in the garage, but thank god I didn't that night. Prior to this, the cruise control had been acting funny and my park brake switch blew a fuse. The tech at duthler Ford here in gr told me to just replace the fuse. …”
NHTSA complaint #10127274, filed 2005-07, 145,000 milesFuel system: “Walking to my truck I notice the rear fuel tank strap broken and hanging and the fuel tank hanging from the front strap only. The rear strap was totally rusted through. The rust also rusted the tank I and I had to replace the tank as well on 10/3/2010.”
NHTSA complaint #10359026, filed 2010-10, 173,051 milesVehicle speed control: “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 was. After the vehicle was shut off for a day, it ran fine until I ran it on the road for about 40 miles, then it did the same erratic speed changes.”
NHTSA complaint #10610880, filed 2014-07, 199,400 milesMileage when problems were reported
3% of the 38 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 84,000 and 160,000 miles.
Complaints by year filed
Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
Recalls and investigations
NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 1997 Ford F Series in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
- PE97005Undercarriage firesClosed · Jan 29, 1997
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 3 on record; the latest 3 are shown.
- 10029029Dec 29, 2008Engine cooling, Electrical system. Jerr-dan: anti stall feature for ford f series light duty chassis with v10 gas engine and an engine drive clutch pump. Model years unknown.
- 10014086Dec 13, 2004Transmission and drivetrain. General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
- 10013369Nov 1, 2004Transmission and drivetrain. General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures.
Other model years of the Ford F Series
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 9 | 44,500 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 2004 | 7 | 99,500 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 2002 | 34 | 98,000 | 1 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 44 | 100,000 | 1 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 41 | 73,500 | 1 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 36 | 80,000 | 0 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 20 | 87,521 | 0 | — | — | — | Stable |
| 1997 | 47 | 118,000 | 0 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 16 | 104,000 | 0 | — | — | — | Stable |
| 1995 | 16 | 110,080 | 0 | — | — | — | Stable |
| 1994 | 7 | 125,000 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 1993 | 5 | 160,825 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 1991 | 6 | 49,995 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 1988 | 6 | 92,500 | 1 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
All Ford F Series model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
How many NHTSA complaints does the 1997 Ford F Series have?
NHTSA recorded 47 consumer complaints for the 1997 Ford F Series as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 1997 Ford F Series is reported most often?
Engine cooling is named most often, in 21 complaints (45% of the total), followed by electrical system with 7.
Has the 1997 Ford F Series been recalled?
NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
At what mileage are problems with the 1997 Ford F Series reported?
Among the 38 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 118,000 miles and the middle half falls between 84,000 and 160,000 miles; 3% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.