1997 Ford E-350: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 79 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is tires (30% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Oct 2009
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 79 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The rear passenger compartment outside and inside door handles broke such that rear seating passengers cannot exit the vehicle and are trapped inside. In case of an accident, the emergency responders will have to resort to drastic time consuming measures such as ripping the doors off to save the trapped passengers. Apparently all years of Ford Econoline vans have this dangerous problem because there are numerous fix it videos all over the internet showing how to replace the cheap handle-latch failure prone plastic parts with non-breakable METAL parts.”Owner report · Structure · Nov 2023
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford e-350 equipped with cooper adventure ht tires (n/a), size 265/75/16r. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the tire tread separated on the rear driver side tire. The failure had occurred previously with four other tires, which had been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The tire failure mileage was approximately 15,000. The vehicle failure mileage was 76,000. The VIN was not available. The tire #8 went bad. The consumer stated the tire replacement also went bad.”Owner report · Tires · May 2013
“While driving at 52 mph (pulling a small u-haul trailer) the left rear tire on my van suffered complete tread separation. The tread subsequently wrapped around the axle and had to be pried loose. The tread was whole and intact (a complete circle), but the carcass of the tire shredded. The tire is (was( a uniroyal lt 245/75 r16 approximately 4 years old. I managed to pull to the side of the freeway on my rim. This occurred on saturday, august 25. *tr”Owner report · Tires · Aug 2012
Show 7 more owner reports
“I looked over my 1997 ford e-350 club wagon before inspection last year and noticed the fuel tank straps were inadequate and rusting heavily. These vehicles should be investigated and cited for the same recall the ford f150's were this week. The two straps are thin and of poor quality -- my tank is 35 gallons and I am afraid to fill it more than half full until I get new straps installed or reinforce the existing ones. Every trip, I worry about it falling out and catching fire or causing an accident. *tr”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Jul 2010
“Our 1997 ford f350 truck was parked in our barn and caught fire yesterday morning for no apparent reason. The fire destroyed the truck and caused damage to the barn and also caught our atv on fire. I left for work at 7 a.m. And had been in the barn before leaving. The first department was contacted at 8:04 and by the time they got there, the truck was basically gone. We had other damages caused by this fire. *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 2009
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford e350. The contact awoke in the middle of the night to find his vehicle on fire. He attempted to extinguish the fire with a garden hose, but was unsuccessful. The fire department arrived and successfully extinguished the flames. A firefighter stated that the fire originated in the engine compartment. A fire report was filed. The vehicle is currently still at the contact's residence. The dealer and manufacturer have not been notified. The current and failure mileages were over 250,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 2009
“1997 ford e350 v-10 engine van blew out the number 4 spark plug. Loud popping sound followed by loss of power and strong fuel smell. Also had a neighbor with an f-150 that had same problem and truck burned to the ground in under 5 minutes. *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Oct 2008
“The #3 spark plug on my '97 ford e-350 van blew out (about 1 year after the plugs were changed) while starting to drive slowly in a parking lot. I have been told by more than one mechanic that this is common on this engine (5.4 l 8-cylinder) and that it is a design defect. I have not had the money to get it fixed yet (estimated by mechanic to be $1500 to pull the head and repair). I have also read that there is a good possibility of fire when this happens, although that did not happen in our case (we shut down the engine right away and had it towed home). *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jun 2008
“Ford powered motorhome was destroyed by an engine fire may 24 2008 there was a recall in september 2007 stating that the cruise control could cause a fire. During a phone call with a dealer I was told parts were not available. Four days after the fire may 24 2008 I received a letter from ford apologizing for the lack of parts but that they were now available. *tr”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · May 2008
“Vehicle is a ford e-350 chassis equipped with a unicel box body. The failure is the mounting of the truck body to the chassis. The design of the box attaching mechanism is inferior resulting in a separation of the body from the chassis. The body is attached only to the plywood floor of the box only with no other structural components. The attachment points are also inaccessible for inspection resulting in the inability to inspect the corrosion of the bolts and the ultimate failure of the mounting to the chassis. *nm”Owner report · Equipment · Apr 2006
When filing, owners marked a crash in 5 of these complaints and injuries in 9 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND 1994 F53 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS). THE SCDS MAY LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
FORD IS RECALLING 225,000 MY 1992-2003 ECONOLINE, MY 1993-1995 TAURUS SHO, MY 1992-1998 CROWN VICTORIA, MY 1993 BRONCO, F-SERIES, MY 1995-1997 F-SERIES SUPER DUTY STRIPPED CHASSIS, MY 1992-1998 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS, AND MY 1992-1995 LINCOLN TOWN CAR VEHICLES. THE AFFECTED VEHICLES WERE PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED USING A WIRING HARNESS THAT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE VEHICLE CIRCUIT POLARITY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW WIRING HARNESS, OR REPLACE THE MATING ELECTRICAL COMPONENT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 18, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERS FOR INSTALLATION OF A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 13, 2007, AND MAILING COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 19, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ON CERTAIN VANS WITH AMBULANCE PREP PACKAGES OR OTHER SEVERE-DUTY APPLICATIONS INVOLVING OPERATION AT OR NEAR THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT WITH FREQUENT TWISTING OF THE VEHICLE BODY, SUCH AS OFF-ROAD, ROUGH ROAD OR SPEED BUMP EVENTS, THE 35 GALLON MID-SHIP FUEL TANK COULD DEVELOP A CRACK WHERE IT CONTACTS THE FRAME CROSS MEMBER. IF THE FUEL TANK CRACKS, FUEL LEAKAGE COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL TANK AND, IF CRACKED, WILL REPLACE THE TANK. INSULATOR PADS WILL BE INSTALLED ON ALL VEHICLES TO REDUCE THE STRESS LEVELS IN THE FUEL TANK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 19, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1997 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact E-350 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Ford E-350 reliable?
NHTSA has 79 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 1997 Ford E-350. The most complained-about area is tires (30% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1997 Ford E-350 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 72,250 miles or less.
Does the 1997 Ford E-350 have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning vehicle speed control. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.