1997 Ford F Super Duty problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford F Super Duty. 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.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Ford F Super Duty vehicles were involved in 6 fatal crashes with 2 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 → | 13 | 54% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 8% |
| Power Train | 2 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 8% |
| Suspension | 2 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 8% |
| Steering | 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 a1997 ford f super duty. He received a recall notice on the camshaft position sensor, which can cause engine stalling. He had been experiencing that problem whenever he approached lower speeds in his vehicle. He took the vehicle to the dealership they replaced the sensor with a newer and…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 27, 2008
“1997 ford f-super duty with speed control recall. Consumer states that dealer put him on a waiting list for the replacement parts. He states that the dealer keeps telling him the parts are not in and they do not know when they will be in. *kb”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jan 15, 2008
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford f-530 super duty. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control). The dealer stated that the parts were unavailable and could not provide an estimated date of arrival. The contact felt that the wait time for the recalled part was…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Nov 19, 2007
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
Technical service bulletins
96 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford F Super Duty. The 10 most recent:
A driveline clunk or bump when starting from a stop. *tt
04266 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
External oil leak diagnosis for 7.3l dit engines. Various models including 2003 super duty f series. *tt
032145 · 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
A no-start or reduced power condition may occur intermittently. *tt
03213 · 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
Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt
03181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 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
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1997 Ford F Super Duty in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 Super Duty?
- · 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.