Most common 1997 Ford F-250 problems
Share of the 304 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-250 complaints by model year
Best F-250 years: 2010, 2009, 2007. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 2012, 2011, 2006. Compare all years →
1997 Ford F-250 recalls (10)
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Mounting
Ford is recalling certain 1997 through 2003 model year Ford f-150, 2004 model year Ford f-150 heritage, 1997 through 1999 model year f-250 less than 8,500 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and 2002 and 2003 Lincoln blackwood vehicles manufactured from June 20, 1995, through August 4, 2004, originally sold, or currently…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the fuel tank straps replaced with straps that have increased corrosion protection.
Vehicle speed control
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on August 7, 2006. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. (note: also see recalls 05V017 and 05V388)
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.
Steering › Gear box › Shaft sector
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, if the intermediate shaft yoke separates from the steering gear input shaft, the steering system becomes disconnected.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering intermediate shaft yoke to determine if the yoke is fully seated on the steering gear input shaft. If the yoke is fully seated no service is required.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks manufactured at the kansas city or norfolk assembly plants. The front fuel line assembly could have a hole rubbed through in one of two locations. The first location is below the fuel rail connection where the flexible hose is crimped to the steel tube.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these lines and replace the front fuel line assembly if necessary. Owner notification began October 27, 2000.
Wheels › Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles and light duty pickup trucks. The lug nuts on these vehicles May not create sufficient clamp load allowing wheel movement in relation to the hub/rotor mounting surface.
Remedy: Owners of these vehicles will be receiving two notifications. The first notification, which began in May 1998, will provide an interim repair procedure until parts become available.
Show 4 more recalls
Tires › Bead
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and chassis. The tires on these vehicles were damaged during mounting onto the wheels. Only trucks produced at the cuautitlan, Mexico plant between September 1, 1996, and July 17, 1997, were affected by the defect.
Remedy: Due to the age of the vehicles and this recall affecting original equipment tires only, Ford will no longer accept claims for this campaign.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (PRNDL)
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. If the automatic transmission shift cable assembly was not fully attached to the steering column bracket, the shift cable assembly can come out of the bracket.
Remedy: Dealers will make the proper attachment of the transmission shift control cable to the steering column bracket and add a tie strap to that connection.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Master cylinder
The retainer clip that holds the master cylinder push rod to the brake pedal arm is missing.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect to verify that the retainer clips are installed and if clips are missing will install clips.
Equipment › Other › Labels
The certification labels on the involved vehicles has incorrect rear tire inflation pressure designations. This does not comply with FMVSS no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Remedy: Owners will be provided with correct certification labels and instructions for installing these labels. Dealers can install this label if the owner so desires.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 1997 Ford F-250:
Engine compartment fires
Ea05-005 is closed with Ford?s actions in recalls 05v-017, 05v-388, and 06v-286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.Ford is also including the entire population of…
Steering shaft separation
See attached summary for technical details
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…
What 1997 Ford F-250 owners say
Wheels & tires all 52 →
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Ford f-250. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent auto repair facility for an unrelated repair when the technician detected that five of the seven spokes on the front driver's side wheel were completely rusted. The other three wheels exhibited rust holes and cracks. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 145,318. Updated 09/05/12 the consumer stated the problem was found after the axle, hub and rotor were replaced at a cost of $ 1000.00. Updated 09/10/12
Tl contact owns a 1997 Ford f-250 ld. The vehicle has milestone 1000r20, size 265-75/16 tires. The wires were exposed from the sides of the front driver side tires. A mechanic stated that they were unable to repair the tire because they were dangerous. The dealer where the tires were purchased was no longer in business. The purchase date was unknown. The tire failure mileage was 1,500. The current and failure mileages of the vehicle were 219,330. Updated 02-01-08 updated 02/01/08
Transmission & drivetrain all 34 →
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Ford f-250. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent auto repair facility for an unrelated repair when the technician detected that five of the seven spokes on the front driver's side wheel were completely rusted. The other three wheels exhibited rust holes and cracks. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 145,318. Updated 09/05/12 the consumer stated the problem was found after the axle, hub and rotor were replaced at a cost of $ 1000.00. Updated 09/10/12
I have a 1997 Ford f250 that wont go into park. Therefore, you can't start the vehicle without putting it into neutral. The truck rolls when turned off, because it's not engaged. I googled the problem and found this recall http://www.arfc.org/complaints/1997/Ford/f250 . I called the local dealership and they said it didn't pertain to my truck, called the Ford motor company and they said the same thing. Just another example of how Ford doesn't take care of their customers.
Brakes all 31 →
Whiel the vehicle was parked for a few days, a mechanic noticed smoke coming from under the truck. He opened the hood and the engine compartment was engulfed in flames. The flames were coming from the master cylinder. As the brake fluid resevoir melted brake fluid it made the fire bigger. No problems with the vehicle prior to the fire. No after market equipment. Photos and investigation report mailed to bruce york.
Rear brake failure on numerous occasions. Finally resulted in crash. Dealer could not find any problem. Self diagnosis of raising rear of vehicle while idling in drive with rear wheels spinning rear wheels could not be stopped with full brake pressed. No braking on rear wheels. Disconnecting wire to proportioning valve results in normal rear brake operation. Possible cause is ebcm or proportioning valve.
1997 Ford F-250 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 11 / 16 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Ford F-250 a good car?
Based on 304 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 F-250 rates avoid: 2.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the F-250 at the same age. It is one of the F-250 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Ford F-250?
The wheels & tires — 52 complaints, 17% of all complaints for this model year, most often about tread/belt. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (34) and brakes (31).
How many recalls does the 1997 Ford F-250 have?
There are 10 recalls for the 1997 Ford F-250, the most recent from July 29, 2011 (mounting). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford F-250?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2009 and 2007. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000, 2012, 2011 and 2006. See the full Ford F-250 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford F-250 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 116,000 miles; 3% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.