Most common 1997 Ford Motor Home problems
Share of the 13 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Motor Home complaints by model year
Best Motor Home years: 1998, 1996, 2003. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000. Compare all years →
What 1997 Ford Motor Home owners say
Wheels & tires
The entire tread separated from the tire (looked like a retread). It was an inside tire on a dual wheel camper. We were not aware of the problem for about a 1/2 mile when the tire blew. When we stopped we looked back and saw the tread from the tire in the road. We were not able to retrieve the tire tread as we were both in our late 60's at the time. We had to wait several hours beside the road on a highway until help arrived. The original tire dealer that replaced the tire 31w truck tire center refused to give us any compensation for the tire because we did not have the tire tread on sept 7th. However, tire distributions systems incorporated, 1201 demonbreun, nashville, tn took the remaining portion of the tire when we were dissatisfied with the lack of adjustment by the other dealer. They did replace a tire only because we both two more new tire from them and we paid them for one. …
Tread came off tire, tore out lp gas line to refrigerator. We were lucky that we did not have a fire or worse. We were leaving new bern, nc at the time; we returned to new bern to a Firestone dealer and had the tire replaced. We were told that Firestone would make no adjustment for the tire. Our motorhome is in storage about 25 miles away, therefore, at this time we do not have the complete tire information, however the tread came off just as we have today seen pictures on tv of tires from accidents caused by the tires. We felt compeled to report this incident to you at this time and will follow up with complete information when we have the opportunity to go retreive the information from the rv. We will contact shasta and report this to them also. We are now concerned that the replacement tire and the remaining 5 plus spare are a hazard to us and others on the road. …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Ford Motor Home a good car?
Based on 13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Motor Home rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Motor Home at the same age. 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 Motor Home?
The wheels & tires — 6 complaints, 46% of all complaints for this model year, most often about tread/belt. Next are the electrical system (2) and engine & cooling (2).
How many recalls does the 1997 Ford Motor Home have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1997 Ford Motor Home. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Motor Home?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1998, 1996 and 2003. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999 and 2000. See the full Ford Motor Home years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Motor Home problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 50,000 miles; 50% 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.