1997 Ford F-350 problems & reliability
155 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford F-350, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Ford F-350 vehicles were involved in 25 fatal crashes with 13 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 29 | 19% |
| Tires | 29 | 19% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 26 | 17% |
| Power Train | 21 | 14% |
| Steering | 12 | 8% |
| Suspension | 9 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 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 110,000 miles (middle 50% between 80,500 and 152,500 miles), based on 30 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“On the passenger side of the engine pan the dipstick adapter was manufactured poorly. The oil from the crankcase has caused the oring to swell and leak oil. The oil leak is getting on the starter and clutch. The oil can cause a short in the electrical system. This can cause an accident or death while driving. The oil…”
Power Train · filed Oct 24, 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford f-350. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact restarted the vehicle and it stalled a second time. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive home. Gladian repair shop of pittsburg, virginia was made aware of the failure and suggested a list of…”
Engine · filed Aug 8, 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford f-350. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly stall. After restarting the engine, the vehicle operated normally. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the cam shaft position…”
Engine · filed Apr 21, 2015
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
Technical service bulletins
152 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford F-350. The 10 most recent:
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 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
Engine buck, surge or jerk (also known as hitching/hesitation) while the speed control is active through all engine temperatures. *tt
032140 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
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
Aftermarket wiring alterations - service tip. *tt
032125 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
Low rpm, no start, runs poorly, stall. 7.3l dit engine. *tt
032123 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
A high number of high pressure rexroth pumps and injection pressure regulators (ipr) are being replaced due to oil leaking, when all that is required is a new gasket or seal on either the pump or ipr. *tt
032121 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
7.3l dit glow plug start-up on-time during cold temperature - service tip. *tt
032120 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
An engine vibration and/or moaning noise at 2600-3000 rpm. *tt
032119 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2003
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-350 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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-350?
- · 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 110,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.