1997 Ford F-250 SD problems & reliability
39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford F-250 SD, alongside 2 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).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 11 | 28% |
| Power Train | 8 | 21% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 18% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 15% |
| Steering | 4 | 10% |
| Tires | 3 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 95,000 miles (middle 50% between 70,713 and 151,631 miles), based on 30 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Was driving my 1997 f-250 from home to the dump when the strap on my front fuel tank broke/ruptured and the tank fell to the ground, still attached by fuel lines to the truck. A passing motorist brought it to my attention. I have owned the truck since 2010 and it has been operated in md during this time frame and had…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Mar 11, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford f-250 sd. While driving approximately 40 mph, the contact heard a noise coming from the engine area. Suddenly, the vehicle began to vibrate and hesitate in a jerking motion. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that one of the engines spark plugs dislodged. A…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 5, 2011
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford f250 hd. The contact stated that he had to replace the straps that held the fuel tank to the frame due to severe rust and corrosion. The manufacturer was not been contacted. The current and failure mileage was approximately 57,123. Updated 02/23/11 *bf updated 04/29/11”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Sep 20, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE STALLING
Engineering Analysis EA06012 · opened Jun 22, 2006 · closed Dec 7, 2007 · led to recall 07V553000
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA05005 · opened Mar 22, 2005 · closed Aug 2, 2006 · led to recall 08V025000
Technical service bulletins
42 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford F-250 SD. The 10 most recent:
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Rough idle and engine miss due to injector bore scuffing at green engine break-in. *tt
032131 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
Moaning noise during 1500-2000 rpm on neutral engine run-up, or while driving under load. *tt
032126 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
Loss of power and malfunction indicator lamp may also illuminate with diagnostic trouble codes 128 and 845 or p0236 and p0238 stored in memory. *tt
03211 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included. *tt
03148 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2003
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination with diagnostic trouble codes p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457, p1442 or check fuel cap lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble code p0457. *tt
0398 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 2003
Some vehicles may exhibit vacuum or air leaks in the intake manifold and / or engine system causing diagnostic trouble codes p0171 and or p0174. *tt
01205 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 15, 2001
Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *slc
01157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *slc
01156 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 6, 2001
Subject regarding contamination from prior transmission concerns or excess wear may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system. *tt
002310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 13, 2000
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 F-250 SD has 2 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 F-250 SD?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 95,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.