Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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).
Driving at normal speed (45 MPH), no abnormal noises or vibrations present. Loud bang noise came from within engine bay, and truck began to sputter and stumble very badly. Check engine light came on and preceded to flash, put truck into neutral and rolled to the side of the road where truck was shut off. Excessive fuel was found on top of the engine at the third cylinder from the front on the passenger side (4.6l v8 engine). Spark plug was separated from the wire and lying on top of engine. Spark plug boot was melted and smoking suggesting it was previously burning. Spark plug was %100 covered by burnt sooty material.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Ford f-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it caught fire. The contact stated that there were flames coming from the engine compartment. The contact did not disclose if a police report was filed or not and who extinguished the fire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owned a 1997 Ford f-150. While parked, the vehicle suddenly burst into flames. The fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000. Updated 02/02/16
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 parked my car in a parking structure at a luxury apartment complex for almost 4 hours. When I came back to get my lunch my co-worker yelled "dude your car is on fire" I immediately try getting a fire extinguisher and finally found one 2 minutes after I found my f-150 on fire. Thankfully the fire extinguisher put out the fire. Some parts under the hood is all burnt up. I contacted Ford to let them know what happened,because by doing some research I found out that there are recalls on the same year as my truck. I had a mechanic check my truck and he told me that everything the recall is describing,happened to my truck. Ford said someone will contact me within 15 business days, unfortunately that is a huge inconvenience for me,due to the fact I use my truck for work an did now have to use my wife car that isn't really reliable when it come to my job. …
The engine developed a severe knock when started one morning. The problem was a complete failure at the main crankshaft, severe wear at valve assembly, and corrosion throughout cooling chambers. Ford did a recall on the head gasket the year before, changing head gasket, hoses, & coolant. The truck is uses by house wife driving the children to school. Even though others have reported of same engine failure on 4.2l, Ford denies any problem. 5 months later while the truck while the truck was sitting in the driveway, the engine wiring caught on fire, melting the plastic master cylinder, fueling the flames to melt all circuities and plastic. The ABS lamp had lit earlier in the week, added brake fluid to reservoir, and the lamp went out. Independent fire investigator says evidence points to a defect in the ABS/master cylinder wiring in the engine compartment. …
December 3, 2020...my husband drove the truck over to a friends house. After being there for approximately 2 hours his friend walked in the building where he was and said, 'hey man, your truck is on fire!' everyone rushed outside to see the truck was in fact on fire. They called the fire department who came and finished extinguishing the fire. It appears the fire started on the drivers side near the tire, or behind the dash. I did not even think to check for a recall, but a friend told me to check because he was aware there was a recall. Sure enough, there is a recall and it describes what happened to my truck exactly. NHTSA recall number: 05V017000 date: jan 27, 2005 Ford recall number: 05528
I have been having problems with engine overheating, heater temperature working intermittently inside, misfire on one cylinder. I have replaced thermostat, spark plugs and wires, and coils. Diagnotic code still reads misfire on one cylinder. Misfire is not constant. After researching I found others stating there is a recall... "recall # 99b20". I can not find a recall 99b20. I did notice there have been 545 other complaints concerning engine cooling and manifold o rings, blown head gaskets etc due to faulty components. I am adding my complaint as well for further investigative action, as I feel there should be a real recall to fix this problem/complaints.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Ford f-150. The vehicle caught fire in the driveway. The dealer advised the contact to bring in the vehicle for repair. The dealer called back and stated that the legal department did not approve the repair of the vehicle. They further stated that they sent the contact a recall notice, but he claimed that it was not received. The contact stated that they sent the notice to a different mailing address, which is why it was not received. The NHTSA campaign id number was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 175,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Ford f-150. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, he heard the horn sounding off. The vehicle engulfed into flames soon thereafter. The fire department was notified and extinguished the flames. The fire chief stated that the frontal area on the driver's side was the cause of the fire. The vehicle had not been inspected. The manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 161,000. The VIN was unavailable.
NHTSA investigations
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
Engine complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1997 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 544 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1997 Ford F-150, 20% of the model year's 2,758 complaints. The component named most often is engine (198 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Ford F-150 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1997 Ford F-150, though it has 14 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford F-150 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 1% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 43 fires and 8 injuries to engine & cooling 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.