1997 Ford F-350: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 155 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is tires (18% of complaints); the 1998 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Aug 2006
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 155 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford f-350. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact restarted the vehicle and it stalled a second time. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive home. Gladian repair shop of pittsburg, virginia was made aware of the failure and suggested a list of unknown repairs. Camel brothers repair shop of prince george, virginia replaced the accelerator pedal position switch sensor, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2017
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford f-350. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly stall. After restarting the engine, the vehicle operated normally. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the cam shaft position sensor was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 07v553000 (engine). The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 92,000.”Owner report · Engine · Apr 2014
“Tl* the contact owns 1997 ford f-350. The contact stated that she noticed that the frame was fractured. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 175,000. *tr”Owner report · Structure · Mar 2013
Show 7 more owner reports
“Rear driver side tread separated from tire at 75mph in the state of nebraska.22hrs. Later in the state of ohio the passenger rear separated. Contacted firestone and they will not take any responsibility for incident. *tr”Owner report · Wheels · Oct 2010
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford f-350. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the fuel gauge meter suddenly indicated that the fuel tank was empty. The contact also discovered that the panel for the fuel tank was detached, causing the fuel tank to be separated from the chassis. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 115,000 and the current mileage was 146,823.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Feb 2010
“A steel brake line on my truck rusted and ruptured causing a complete brake failure. This is the second occurrence of this problem on this vehicle. The brake line had rusted and had a partial failure, causing a leak. The rusted section was replaced about 5 years ago. The recent line failure caused an accident. *tr”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Jun 2008
“Stopped at a stop signal and engine quit. Cranked okay, but would not start. Got it towed to my house. After lots of trouble shooting for not starting, noticed that the engine tachometer was not working when trying to start. Replaced the cam position sensor, f7tz-12k073-b. The truck started right up.*ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 2007
“Cam shaft position sensor in truck has gone out suddenly and could be very dangerous when moving - loss of power steering and brakes. Evidently almost all engines have this part fail at some point and have done nothing to help the consumer.*ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 2007
“I have had two camshaft position sensor failures on my 97' f350 7.3l diesel in a matter of one year. This left me stranded on both occasions. I discovered on several ford truck discussion forums that this is one the most common failures on these trucks through a variety of years. I could not find any person who owned a similar year truck and did not have this component fail on them. Please take action on this issue. *jb”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Dec 2006
“Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was parked for several hours when fire and smoke was noticed coming from under the hood near the windshield. The fire department was contact and after the fire was put out, it was determined the vehicle speed control module was responsible for the fire. A fire report was taken by the fire department and photos were available. A police report was not taken. The vehicle was towed to the insurers lot for further investigation. The manufacturer was not yet notified.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Oct 2006
When filing, owners marked a crash in 10 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
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.
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.
THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: FORD IS REPLACING ALL FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 15, 16, AND 17 INCH TIRES MOUNTED ON FORD TRUCKS AND SUVS. FORD REPORTS TREAD SEPARATION CAN OCCUR DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THE SENSITIVITY OF THE TIRE DESIGN TO STRESS, AGING, AND MANUFACTURING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLANTS. FORD IS REPLACING THESE TIRES TO PREVENT POSSIBLE PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: THE VEHICLES LISTED BELOW MAY HAVE BEEN ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES OR MAY HAVE HAD WILDERNESS AT TIRES INSTALLED DURING THE FIRESTONE RECALL LAUNCHED IN AUGUST 2000. CERTAIN 1991 THROUGHT 2002 FORD EXPLORER CERTAIN 2001 THROUGHT 2002 EXPLORER SPORT, AND SPORT TRAC CERTAIN 1997 THROUGH 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 2001 RANGER CERTAIN 1999 THROUGH 2001 EXPEDITION CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 1994, AND 1997 MODEL YEAR F-SERIES CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 1994 BRONCO NOTE: BOTH ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND REPLACEMENT TIRES ARE AFFECTED.
Remedy: THE REPLACEMENT/REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR THIS CAMPAIGN EXPIRED ON MARCH 31, 2002. HOWEVER, CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT FORD AT 1-877-917-3673 OR GO ON-LINE TO WWW.FORD.COM FOR POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE.
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)
How other years compare
Check your exact F-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 F-350 reliable?
NHTSA has 155 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 1997 Ford F-350. The most complained-about area is tires (18% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1997 Ford F-350 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 110,000 miles or less.
Does the 1997 Ford F-350 have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder. 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.