1997 Ford F-250 problems & reliability
304 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford F-250, alongside 5 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.
10 complaints report injuries (12 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Ford F-250 vehicles were involved in 64 fatal crashes with 35 occupant deaths. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | 42 | 14% |
| Power Train | 34 | 11% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 30 | 10% |
| Suspension | 30 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 29 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 24 | 8% |
| Steering | 23 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 19 | 6% |
| Structure | 18 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 15 | 5% |
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 115,604 miles (middle 50% between 89,238 and 140,500 miles), based on 76 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1997 Ford F-250. The contact stated that the fuel strap failed and there was a hole in the fuel tank. The contact stated that there was fuel leaking from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V385000 (Fuel…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Aug 26, 2024
“Tire blow out on freeway california I-5 at 210 interchange bfgoodrich lt235/85 r16 ltr m+s 1655 miles on the tires installed 05-20-2019 of last year”
Wheels · filed Mar 8, 2020
“The driver side seatbelt disconnects randomly. This has happened while I was in park, driving and while reversing. This has occurred on city streets as well as freeway/highway. It has happened while I was turning left or right, making a u-turn as well as driving forward. It has also happened while I was attempting to…”
Seat Belts · filed Jul 17, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- 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
- STEERING SHAFT SEPARATION
Engineering Analysis EA02001 · opened Feb 6, 2002 · closed May 29, 2003 · led to recall 03V196000
Technical service bulletins
316 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford F-250. The 10 most recent:
Safety recall 11S21 - Fuel tank strap fracture - requests for recall service action
TSB160073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2016
For 1997-2003 F-150, 2004 F-150 Heritage, 1997-1999 F-250 Light Duty, or 2002-2003 Blackwood vehicles Safety Recall 11S21 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high corrosion areas for an extended period…
16-0073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 21, 2016
Ford/lincoln: safety recall regarding high corrosion areas for operating, for an extended time, vehicles where both or one strap of fuel tank can fracture, after contacting ground. Model 1997-99 f250 ld, 1997-03 f150…
TSB-14-0164 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2014
Ford/lincoln: safety recall issued due to one or both fuel tank straps fracturing due to being in high corrosion areas for an extended period and dislodging fuel tank. Model 1997-99 f250, 1997-03 f150, 2004 f150…
TSB-14-0147 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 11, 2014
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Intermittent rough idle - non-commanded egr (exhaust gas recirculation valve) flow. *tt
05417 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 7, 2005
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures. *tt
04217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2004
Customer maintenance reminder - literature program 04l19 - tie rod inspection procedure. *tt
04L19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2004
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble codes p0603 (powertrain control module keep alive memory error) or p0605 ( powertrain control module read only memory error). *tt
17571 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2004
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 has 5 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?
- · 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 115,604 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.