Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

1996 Ford F-250 vs 1997 Ford F-250

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric1996 Ford F-2501997 Ford F-250
NHTSA complaints176304
Recall campaigns25
Service bulletins (TSBs)179316
Investigations23
Crash reports1020
Fire reports2519
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)13–1413–15
Median reported incident mileage125,941 mi115,604 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentFord F-250Ford F-250
Tires3542
Engine and Engine Cooling2829
Power Train1934
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1530
Suspension1430
Steering1723
Fuel System, Gasoline924
Vehicle Speed Control1615

Symptoms owners describe

Stalling1013
Vibration / shaking109
Rust / corrosion012
Steering problems07
Brake problems05

Compare all Ford F-250 vs Ford F-250 years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.