1997 Ford Ford Truck reliability: common problems

Owners of the 1997 Ford Ford Truck filed 34 complaints with NHTSA, most often about tires and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 34
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Tires 29% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 18% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
5 Suspension 9% of all complaints
6 Latches, locks, linkages 6% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
8 Steering 6% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Tires: 10 complaints (29% of all).
Engine and cooling: 6 complaints (18% of all).
Electrical system: 5 complaints (15% of all).
Powertrain: 4 complaints (12% of all).
Suspension: 3 complaints (9% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 34 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 6%
brake failure1 · 3%
door locks, latches, handles1 · 3%
engine failure or replacement1 · 3%
headlights and tail lights1 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 3%
oil leak or consumption1 · 3%
steering or power steering problems1 · 3%
transmission slipping1 · 3%
windows, sunroof1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Tires	10	0
Engine and cooling	6	0
Electrical system	5	0
Powertrain	4	0
Suspension	3	0
Latches, locks, linkages	2	0
Service brakes	2	1
Steering	2	0
Structure	2	0
Wheels	2	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0
Other	2	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Brakes failed to stop car at a very slow speed, thursday car went through the garage, replaced brake pads and drums, due to faulty caliper
Service brakes · crash · 2000-06-12 · NHTSA complaint #9000932
I was going down the road around 55 mph and had a sudden loose of power due to a spark plug blowing out of the engine and breaking a coil pack . This is a dangerous problem and seems to be a common one with ford f150 5.4 liter triton engines ford should have a recall on this.
Electrical system · 2010-01-19 · NHTSA complaint #10300372
There was a recall on my 1997 toyota 4 runner. I have called the dealership several times and told that the part had to be ordered and they would call me. This has been ongoing for over 7 months.
Suspension · 2007-08-21 · NHTSA complaint #10200402
My car burn by it self, it was parked in driveway I have talk to the dealer many times and they do not want to fixed.
Electrical system · 2005-10-04 · NHTSA complaint #10138572
Also affected were the wipers and windows, door locks and running board lights. The fuse box and module had to be replaced because of this leak. This work for two service calls cost me $781.27.
Structure · 2005-09-05 · NHTSA complaint #10135316
Sliding side door on ford aerostar pops open even when locked. This happens while driving and encountering a mild bump in the road. Over time door no longer latches closed without manually pushing shut after attempt of sliding closed.
Latches, locks, linkages · 2005-03-25 · NHTSA complaint #10114707
Several months prior to the power steering pumo failing it was tooken to several shops who state that they did not hear the problem. Oud whining when turning the vehicle. Tempertures droped to 4 degrees in the power steering completely went out on the vehicle.
Steering · 2004-12-20 · NHTSA complaint #10104146
This is the second engine failure in a year and a half. First engine went at 34000. The second engine went at 74. Dealer says engine is out of warrenty and it;s my problem. The van is maintained by the dealer every 3000 miles.
Engine and cooling · 2002-09-05 · NHTSA complaint #766494

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19971
19985
19993
200010
20016
20022
20031
20041
20053
20071
20101

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,186 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Ford Truck has 13 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 34, 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

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Ford Ford Truck?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: tires, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 34. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (6%), brake failure (3%), door locks, latches, handles (3%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Ford Ford Truck?

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 Ford Truck 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.