Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
1997 Ford F150, had recall 25527072 05S28 performed in March of 2006. The switch installed as part of the recall has failed and brake fluid has leaked from the switched and the harness. It is not apparent that the switch is leaking until the harness connector is removed from the switch. The integrity of the brake system is compromised and the previous recall was for fires because of brake fluid in the wire harness. UPDATE 5/11/23 BRAKE SWITCH HARMESS RECALL 05S28 WAS REPLACED WITH A MITORCRAFT PART SW6350 AND CONSUMER IS REQUESTUING REFUND FOR PARTS FROM FORD.
On August 16, 2015, my 1997 Ford f150 truck caught fire in my son's driveway while parked. The fire department was called and came out, however my son managed to put out the fire with a garden hose. One of the firemen said it appears to have started with the cruise control switch. The entire cab is burned up; operator and passenger side, dash, steering wheel, seats, windows blown out, etc. It is unrepairable. Since this is an older truck, I had liability insurance only, no comprehensive coverage. Research on the internet tells me this has happened to many Ford owners. Ford should be held accountable, and I am seeking reimbursement for the truck. I have contacted Ford corporation, and they have told me they forwarded the information to the Ford's office of the general counsel. The "affected parts" are many more than is listed. The entire cab was affected by the fire.
Dt: on July 2 2005 while driving down the road the throttle cable broke. The owner was coming down a two lane highway. The consumer noticed that the accelerator wasn't being pushed, the cruise control wasn't on, and the vehicle was speeding on its own. The consumer engaged the parking brake, while going 50-55 MPH. After engaging the parking brake, the truck took about 3/4 of a mile to come a stop. The vehicle finally hit an oak tree and stopped and no air bags deployed. The owner's wife was injured with upper neck and back. Injuries. The owner''s daughter was bruised on the face. The vehicle didn't come in contact with any other vehicles. There was no other problems with the vehicle accelerator sticking before. Ford reported that there was no recalls about this. The owner has contacted the dealership. The vehicle has not been deemed a total loss. …
I had the 05s28 Ford recall performed on my f150 on 9/12/05 - they did not disconnect my cruise control to wait for the new harness - they installed a brake kit - at christmas time - I went home to minnesota and had problems with the cruise control on the way back - when I got home I called the dealership and they said that there was a problem with something with the cruise in northern climates icing up and if it didn't stop when I was home in oklahoma to call them back - it didn't do it anymore so I didn't call back. On July 8th I went to broken arrow and after I shut my truck off and parked it - it caught fire and burned to the ground. Only took about 8 minutes to burn. Everything from the cab back window forward is burned to a crisp. The fireman said they were writing it up as engine electrical malfunction. …
Vehicle was parked in driveway with doors locked and ignition in the off position. No one was near or in the vehicle. Looked out window and noticed what looked like mist from a water sprinkler from the front side of truck. Looking closer, I realized it was smoke and then saw flames from the tire well and under the hood by the windshield wipers. Called 911. The fire department arrived very quickly, putting the fire out. Their assessment was it was an electrical short which had caused the fire. The fire caused the hood hydraulic lift to explode like a rocket, hitting the windshield, cracking it and then shooting off into the yard. The frames inside the engine housing by the drivers tire burnt the housing completely away. The wiring has been completely burned and melted away inside the engine compartment. …
The vehicle had been sitting in the driveway and had not been driven in over 24 hours prior to the fire. We were awakened by our local police and fire departments, alerting us to the fact that the truck had been on fire. They were able to successfully put out the fire prior to it spreading to our home. The fire originated on the driver's side, under the hood, around the wheel well. This was documented by our fire department. The front end of the truck and the driveway have been melted, and the truck is no longer drivable or fixable. Coincidentally, we received a letter from Ford this week stating that the recall on this truck had not been done and that it could result in fire. We purchased this truck from a private party on May 11, 2008 and this was our first notification of a recall. …
Dt: the contact stated vehicle burned two years ago on 10-16-03. She was told at that time that vehicle was not included in any recall. She received a recall notice in the mail on 9-26-05 concerning the scds. She has contacted Ford numerous times ,and they have not contacted her at all. Today was the fifth phone call she made to them. The vehicle was parked when it burned. The fire originated under the hood. The fire department was called and they said the fire did originate under the hood. The truck was totaled. The consumer did not have fire and theft insurance at that time. She contacted Ford, and they told her there was no recall, and urged her to contact her insurance company. The contact e-mailed pictures of the truck to NHTSA in washington, dc in May 05. The contact stated that in May-05 someone from NHTSA called her, and it was then that she e-mailed them the pictures. …
Vehicle was parked for 2 days. The horn started blowing, and consumer's wife looked out the window and saw fire coming from the center of the hood. Put water on vehicle from hose, but was not enough to stop fire. Called 911. By the time the fire company came vehicle was consumed by fire. Also, the house almost caught on fire. Cruise control quit working about 1 or 2 months before the fire. There were no other problems. Checked the fuses, and they were fine. One evening, before the fire would not come out of park. Found the brake light switch at the pedal was defective. Replaced that switch. Then, found a brake light bulb out. Replaced that bulb, and vehicle came out of park. About a week later the right turn signal blinked real fast, again the bulb was replaced. This trouble with the turn signal was intermittent. Rear glass leaked, and door panels were cracked on both sides. …
Dt: the consumer stated that the 1997 Ford f 150 caught on fire and burnt completely. The owner parked the truck at 6 pm in the garage and at 9 pm heard the horn. The owner then went to the garage to check on the truck and found the truck burning. The fire was coming from the driver's side under the hood. The owner said the fire was from the cruise control switch. Claimed that he was just seconds from losing his house. The owner had not seen anything in the tv news or news papers about the ongoing investigations with the switch. The owner had not used the cruise control that day or did not notice anything funny about how the truck was driving. A fire department report, and an insurance report were issued. Pictures were taken. The vehicle has already been moved from the fire location. The vehicle was a totaled. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Ford f-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly increased acceleration to 90 MPH. The gear lever was shifted into neutral and the engine began to rev as the vehicle suddenly fish-tailed. As a result, the rear of the vehicle crashed into a nearby median barrier. The vehicle continued to accelerate for another 5 miles. The contact shifted from drive to neutral repeatedly, and the vehicle reduced speed and was maneuvered to a safe location. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the technician informed the contact that the floor mat was trapped under the accelerator pedal, causing the abnormal acceleration failure. The contact stated that the floor mat was never positioned under the accelerator pedal when the failure occurred. The vehicle remained at the dealer for further investigation. …
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: By letter dated September 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected.
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with a 4.2l engine and originally sold or currently registered in one of the following states: alaska, montana, north dakota, minnesota, wisconsin, new york, vermont, new hampshire, maine, michigan, idaho, wyoming, south dakota, colorado, nebraska, kansas, iowa, missouri,…
Remedy: Dealers will install a revised pcv system on these vehicles.
Vehicle speed control
Vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the following states: alaska, montana, north dakota, minnesota, wisconsin, michigan (upper peninsula), new york, maine, vermont, and new hampshire.
Remedy: Dealers will install a foam insulating sleeve on the line from the pcv to the hose fitting on the throttle plate.
NHTSA investigations
Ice formation in the throttle body
There is no summary currently available
Loss of throttle control
There is no summary currently available
Alleged loss of throttle control
The details of information and data evaluated during this investigation are stated in the engineering analysis closing report, dated September 30, 1999.a safety-related defect trend resulting from interference by the floor mat with proper operation of the throttle in the subject vehicles was not identified during the course of the ea, and the invrestigation has been closed.the closing of this investigation does not…
Acceleration complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 1997 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 223 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 1997 Ford F-150, 8% of the model year's 2,758 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (90 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Ford F-150 acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-388 (vehicle speed control, Sep 7, 2005); NHTSA recall 98V-007 (accelerator pedal, Jan 21, 1998); NHTSA recall 96V-251 (vehicle speed control, Dec 18, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford F-150 acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 120,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 14 crashes, 92 fires and 14 injuries and 9 deaths to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.