1997 Ford E-250 problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford E-250, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Ford E-250 vehicles were involved in 4 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 25% |
| Tires | 5 | 21% |
| Suspension | 4 | 17% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 8% |
| Power Train | 2 | 8% |
| Steering | 2 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 8% |
| Visibility | 1 | 4% |
| Wheels | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford e-250. While driving at approximately 55 mph, the fan switch that controls the fan speed melted and burned. The contact coasted to the side of the road, pulled the cover for the dashboard, and removed the wires that were connected to the switch. The vehicle was taken to an independent…”
Electrical System · filed Jul 7, 2015
“I have michelin xps 235-83/r16 tires on my motorhome, less than 2 years old. For no reason, I have had 3 failures out of 4 tires. The last failure was in the rv lot, where I have been parked for the last 5 months, and the tire just blew out, same with the other 3 tires. There are many complaints filed on the internet…”
Tires · filed Jul 25, 2008
“Ford motor company has failed to provide the necessary service to remedy the cruise control recall specified in odi id number : 10056190. I have contacted the dealerships in asheville, north carolina & black mountain, north carolina monthly since I was advised of the recall august, 2007. Each time I have been told…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Feb 2, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- HVAC Switch Failures
Engineering Analysis EA10003 · opened Apr 13, 2010 · closed Mar 5, 2012
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- SHIFT-LOCK
Preliminary Evaluation PE99022 · opened Mar 18, 1999 · closed May 28, 1999
Technical service bulletins
63 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford E-250. The 10 most recent:
This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the…
DOR-X8B9R-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2018
Brake booster system may exhibit a brake pedal kickback and/or grabbing condition when applying the brakes. *nj
071110 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 19, 2007
Vibration/harshness above 45 mph (72 km/h) after tire balance. *tt
05248 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
A bump steer steering feeling, noted when the vehicle's front wheels/tires contact road surface irregularities. *tt
17211 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2003
Some vehicles equipped with 4r70w transmission (driveshaft >70 inch) may exhibit a vibration / roughness on acceleration or under load at about 50-55 mph. *tt
15799 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2002
Concerns with bump steer steering feeling noted when front wheels / tires contact road surface irregularities. *tt
15634 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2002
Some vehicles may exhibit a fuel fill valve sealing condition. *yd
15113 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2001
Some vehicles equipped with 4r70w transmission (driveshaft >70 inch) may exhibit a driveline vibration / roughness on acceleration or under load at about 50 - 55 mph. *tt
14992 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2001
Repeat message regarding a hard start / no start condition. *tt
5047 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 1999
Subject on engine coolant leaking into the engine oil on some vehicles. *tt
99207 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 4, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1997 Ford E-250 has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Ford E-250?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.