Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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).
While driving down the road at 35 MPH with no load and nothing in tow the sub-frame cracked on both the driver and passenger side. On the driver side it cracked behind the rear tire. On the passenger side it cracked in front of the rear tire. The vehicle bowed and smashed the top of the bed into the back of the cab. Mechanic advised the frame deteriorated and cost of frame replacement would exceed the replacement of the vehicle.
I was driving home from town when all the ball bearings fell out of the steering column and the steering wheel became loose and the truck began to sway from right to left, it was controllable at the low speed I was going but thank god I wasn't on an interstate or highway at a higher speed I could have run off the road or worse had a head on collision ! The truck has not left my property since but I still have to keep full coverage insurance and tagged for insurance purposes and a lien from my bank on it,I have also replaced the starter on it eight (8) times the parts are very cheap but it has an airbag and my local Ford dealer gave me an estimate of 200.00 two hundred dollars to replace two six and seven dollar bearings. …
Dt: the rear end is making a whining noise. The tires on the vehicle are starting to separate. The tires are brand new put on March 21, 2003. The tires are ameritrac general, p255/70r16. The consumer can not locate the number for the tire company. Therefore, he cannot contact them. The dealership states that he will have to pay for the diagnostic to find out what is wrong with the rear end. The consumer's mechanic states that the bearings on the rear end are bad due to bad casing; it will not align itself up with the transmission. Also, cruise control stopped working at the same time that the whining started. The mechanic states it will not ground in order to make it activate the switch. Consumer has contacted Ford, and was advised to take the vehicle in. …
Front suspension is a "sealed ball/socket system" supposedly needing no grease. The tie rod driver's side/inner just popped off at low speed. It was determined that the socket was dry causing excessive wear/corrosion on the joint. Was also told that the pittman arm is also dry and in need of grease - actually, replacement, now. I am continually assured by Ford service dept., that the truck does not need to have grease added as it has a "sealed ball and socket joint system" these parts should be mandated to have grease fittings for preventative maintenance capabilities. ****hubs**** design flaw with the diameter of the hubs in relation to the wheel/rotors, etc., on the 1997 trucks, the diameter of the hubs did not allow for even a minor amount of normal corrosion. This results in the mechanic's inability to remove the hub for service without damaging the hub assy. …
Tl contact owns a 1997 Ford f-150. While driving over a bump at 30 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise and noticed that the rear driver's side coil spring failed and was striking against the tire. The manufacturer stated that his VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 98V161000 (suspension: rear: springs: leaf spring assembly). If the contact repairs the vehicle, the manufacturer will offer a two month warranty for the rear spring. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 126,000. Updated 06/12/09 updated 06/16/09
Dt:the contact stated the middle leaf spring broke in the rear of her vehicle. The first time it broke was on the left side, it punctured a tire. The tire went flat while the truck was sitting. The leaf spring was repaired at this time by a certified mechanic. The second time was the right side leaf spring; while driving she heard a clunking sound, stopped the vehicle to inspect the noise, and noticed the leaf spring h broke. It was repaired by certified mechanic. Contacted Ford , there was a recall on the leaf springs, but did not include this vehicle due to VIN.
Rear springs, rear buckle rear springs were completely rusted through. Garage that repaired the items indicated that they have fixed a very large amount of Ford trucks with the same issues. This seems to be an issue that warrants some investigation. Note that the truck gasoline tanks also rusted through, failed and resulted in the tank falling out of the truck while underway. This was fixed, albiet after 3 years, by a Ford recall that was initiated this year.
1) driving low speed residential 2) middle leaf spring rear driver side broke, moved forward over time and swung into tire side wall destroying tire. Recall NHTSA # 98V161000 had been performed in 1998 to correct this potential failure. Further inspection revealed the opposite side leaf spring is broken and could do the same thing or puncture the fuel tank. 3) both rear leaf spring sets need replacement and left rear tire needs replacement.
While driving consumer heard a loud knocking noise from the front. While vehicle was parked, during a self inspection, the driver side rear leaf spring had cracked. Consumer was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that both rear driver's side 'sand passenger side rear leaf spring needed to be replaced due to a crack.
While leaving a gas station the passenger side tie rod came out of it's socket. The consumer lost control of the vehicle for a short time but was able to stop safely. The consumer repaired the tie rod. The ball joint was dry and rusted. The ball joint was worn due to no grease. There is no way to grease it or to check to see if it needs to be lubricated.
NHTSA investigations
Rear suspension spring breakage
In July 1998, Ford submitted a part 573 notification to NHTSA concerning broken rear springs on certain 1997-98 Ford f150 trucks, with four-wheel drive.Ford stated that fatigue fracture of the rear springs May occur if the spring are over stresses(sic) by vehicle overloading.the broken piece of the spring leaf May splay inward, damaging the fuel tank and causing fuel leakage.Ford also stated that a broken spring…
Independent front suspension torsion bar
Three consumers have reported failure of one of the two front suspension torsion bars in the subject vehicles.in one case the failure occurred while the vehicle was in operation, and the vehicles were parked when the other two failures occurred.no crashes have been reported.torsion bar failures are considered to be fairly uncommon and in each of the reported cases, the failures occurred at relatively low…
Suspension complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1997 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 204 complaints about the suspension of the 1997 Ford F-150, 7% of the model year's 2,758 complaints. The component named most often is front › springs › torsion bar (42 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Ford F-150 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries to suspension 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.