1997 Ford F Series recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Suspension

  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 LOOK THE LEFT REAR SHACKLE CUT LOOSE BECAUSE IT WAS ALMOST ALL DOTTED AWAY THE LOWER SPRINGS ON BOTH SIDES ARE MISS ALIGNED BY 2 INCHES EACH AND THE SPRING END IS NOW PEEKING THRU THE BED THIS TRUCK WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW BY MY BEST FRIENDS DAD AND WAS WELL TAKEN CARE OF KEPT IN THE GARAGE AND NOT USED TO TOW OR HAUL BUT IT IS RUSTING AWAY SO BADLY THAT THE EXHAUST BOLTS HAVE ROTTED AWAY ON BOTH…

  May 21, 2015 · 180,746 miles
• EngineFire

  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 MINUTES. TRUCK WAS TOTALED. *TR

  Sep 23, 2013 · 140,000 miles
• Vehicle 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. *TR

  May 9, 2014 · 199,400 miles
• Engine and 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. THE WARRANTY COMPANY SENT OUT A SHORT BLOCK AND FORD COMPLETED THE REST OF THE REPAIRS. AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL, MY DAUGHTER WAS USING MY TRUCK AND SHE DROVE IT TO MY…

  Apr 3, 2012 · 82,000 miles
• Fuel system, gasoline

  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 ALL SYSTEMS WERE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. ON OCTOBER 21, 2011, DURING A REGULAR OIL CHANGE THE SERVICE PERSON ADVISED ME THAT MY FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING. I IMMEDIATELY REPORTED IT TO BEST FORD ON OCTOBER 21, 2011 TO WHICH THEY REFUSED TO CORRECT THE LEAK. THEY INSISTED THAT FORD WOULD NOT COVER ANY OTHER REPAIRS. I INFORMED THE BEST FORD SERVICE MANAGER THAT FAULT WAS THEIRS AND DID FILE A WRITTEN…

  Oct 7, 2011 · 165,091 miles
• Fuel system, gasoline

  AFTER FILLING UP THE GAS TANK, PULLED OUT ON TO THE ROAD, SMALL BUMP IN THE INTERSECTION. RUSTED STRAPS BROKE AND GAS TANK FELL OFF. LUCKY IT WAS RAINING AND ROAD WAS WET OR COULD OF CAUSED FIRE. *TR

  Oct 22, 2010 · 150,000 miles
• Fuel system, gasoline

  WAS FORTUNATE TO NOTICE GAS TANK HANGING DOWN FROM UNDER CARRIAGE... WAS PREPARING TO DRIVE 50 MILE IN ON INTERSTATE... WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO LOCAL DEALER...NOT WHERE PURCHASED... AND THEY INSTALLED A NEW GAS TANK STRAP..WHICH WITH LABOR WAS 93 DOLLARS... WELL WORTH IT WHEN CONSIDERING WHAT COULD HAVE EASILY HAPPENED AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. AM AMAZED THAT EVEN NOTICED UNTIL TOO LATE...THOUGHT IT WAS AN ISOLATED EVENT UNTIL STARTING TO LOOK UP OTHER NUMEROUS PROBLEMS THAT HAVE HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE. *TR

  Oct 14, 2008 · 126,393 miles
• Fuel system, gasoline

  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. *TR

  Oct 3, 2010 · 173,051 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADClosed

  ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR THE DEALER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, REPORTED THAT A SPARK PLUG DETACHED FROM THE CYLINDER AND/OR EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE.AS OF DECEMBER 8, 2005, ODI IS NOT AWARE OF ANY ALLEGATIONS WHERE THE ALLEGED DEFECT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, A CRASH, AN INJURY, OR A FATALITY IN ANY OF THE 10,319,810 SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN ADDITION, ODI IS AWARE OF ONLY TWO INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT RESTART.INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ODI CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND OBTAINED FROM 72 TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH COMPLAINANTS SHOWED THE FOLLOWING:(1) 99% OF THE COMPLAINTS WERE ON MY…

  DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
• UNDERCARRIAGE FIRESClosed

  ALLEGED SUBJECT VEHICLES DRIVEN THROUGH TALL GRASS EXPERIENCE FIRES CAUSED BY GRASS CLIPPINGS COLLECTING ON VEHICLE EXHAUST SYSTEM COMPONENTS.

  PE97005 · opened Jan 29, 1997 · closed May 12, 1997