AI Damage1997 Ford F Super Duty: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Ford F Super Duty filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 24
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Tires 54% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 6 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 4% of all complaints
- Tires: 13 complaints (54% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (8% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (8% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 24 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tires | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The brakes failed while driving. The consumer found the brakes reservoir empty, then inspected the brake lines and saw a hole in the rear brake line. Consumer lost control of vehicle when brakes went out and went over a curb, over parking lots, into a parking lot, and caused fuel tank and strap damage, front end and…
He received a recall notice on the camshaft position sensor, which can cause engine stalling. He had been experiencing that problem whenever he approached lower speeds in his vehicle. He took the vehicle to the dealership they replaced the sensor with a newer and non-defected sensor.
1997 ford f-super duty with speed control recall. Consumer states that dealer put him on a waiting list for the replacement parts. He states that the dealer keeps telling him the parts are not in and they do not know when they will be in.
Tl contact owns a 1997 ford f-530 super duty. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control). The dealer stated that the parts were unavailable and could not provide an estimated date of arrival.
Approximately one week later, while driving 60 mph, the vehicle began vibrating. The contact noticed the tread on the rear driver side tire had separated. The tire has not been inspected. The current mileage is 38,000 and failure mileage was 37,000.
The rv vibrated at speed off 55 mph and higher. It was later determined that the driveline was under coated and out of round. The consumer requested reimbursement for the parts replaced/repairs that did not solve the vibration problem.
While decellerating, brake pedal went soft, brake warning light activated, and vehicle was stopped with front brakes only, nearly causing an accident. Inspection revealed left rear brake hose (flexible) had been abraded by aftermarket modification by the motorhome manufacturer, fleetwood enterprises.
Tire is out of round and causes vehicle to shake. Problem diagnosed by reputable mechanic. Tire size is lt225/75 r16 m/s. Failure discerned already at purchase of vehile at 27000 miles. I still have the tire. I contacted a firestone dealer in the milwaukee, wi area but he offered no reimbursement or warranty.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,585 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the F Super Duty has 20 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 24, above average.
What to check before buying
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
- F Super Duty 19928 sources
- F Super Duty 19933 sources
- F Super Duty 199420 sources
- F Super Duty 199512 sources
- F Super Duty 19968 sources
- F Super Duty 199814 sources
- F Super Duty 199993 sources
- F Super Duty 200063 sources
- F Super Duty 200132 sources
- F Super Duty 200234 sources
- F Super Duty 200327 sources
- F Super Duty 200414 sources
- F Super Duty 200527 sources
- F Super Duty 200831 sources
- F Super Duty 99994 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Ford F Super Duty?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 24. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (17%), tires: bulges, blowouts (13%), warning lights, check engine (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Ford F Super Duty?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Ford F Super Duty from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.