1997 Ford F-150 power train problems
151 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 1997 Ford F-150 — 5% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1997 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the transmission hesitated while shifting gears. The contact stated that when the gear changed, the vehicle would jerk. The contact replaced the control sensor however, the failure recurred. A dealer…”
filed Apr 11, 2024
“The contact owns a 1997 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shift into park(P). The contact stated that when he attempted to shift the vehicle into reverse(R), the vehicle shifted instead shifted into drive(D) and vice versa. Additionally…”
filed Aug 30, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Rear axle noise repair. *tt
05618 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005Axle whine howl. This includes 1997-05 ford vehicles. *eh
18466 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2005
Power Train problems in other F-150 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 23 | 23% |
| 2024 F-150 | 55 | 30% |
| 2023 F-150 | 150 | 38% |
| 2022 F-150 | 155 | 27% |
| 2021 F-150 | 297 | 31% |
| 2020 F-150 | 331 | 47% |
| 2019 F-150 | 701 | 54% |
| 2018 F-150 | 964 | 43% |
| 2017 F-150 | 509 | 37% |
| 2016 F-150 | 542 | 27% |
| 2015 F-150 | 370 | 22% |
| 2014 F-150 | 412 | 27% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1997 Ford F-150
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.