1997 Ford F Series Recalls, Complaints & Specs
No safety recalls list the 1997 Ford F Series, and owners have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
- 1971
- 1972
- 1973
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- 1978
- 1979
- 1984
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- 1988
- 1989
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- 2008
No safety recalls on record
NHTSA's recall database lists no safety campaigns that include the 1997 Ford F Series. That is good news, with two caveats: recalls can be issued at any time (this page refreshes daily), and a recall filed under a related model name may not appear here. The VIN check above queries NHTSA directly for your exact vehicle.
47 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1997 Ford F Series have filed 47 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash and 9 describe a fire. Reports cite 1 injury and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 120,141 miles. Complaints peaked in 2005 with 11 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“While driveing at 60 MPH there was a loud crash from the left rear then a grinding pop from the left rear all while the rear end of my truck felt like it was fish tailing on ice or like some one huge”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 23, 2015 · Suspension
“The truck was parked in a strip mall parking lot. A few minutes later someone said that there were flames coming from the hood. The car was a total in 10 minutes. Four off duty firemen were there and”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 17, 2014 · Engine
Compare Ford F Series model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Ford F Series model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 Ford F Series | 1 | 1 |
| 1972 Ford F Series | 1 | 0 |
| 1973 Ford F Series | 1 | 0 |
| 1974 Ford F Series | 2 | 0 |
| 1975 Ford F Series | 3 | 0 |
| 1976 Ford F Series | 2 | 0 |
| 1977 Ford F Series | 2 | 0 |
| 1978 Ford F Series | 3 | 0 |
| 1979 Ford F Series | 1 | 0 |
| 1984 Ford F Series | 1 | 1 |
| 1985 Ford F Series | 1 | 0 |
| 1987 Ford F Series | 0 | 3 |
| 1988 Ford F Series | 1 | 6 |
| 1989 Ford F Series | 2 | 2 |
| 1990 Ford F Series | 2 | 2 |
| 1991 Ford F Series | 0 | 6 |
| 1992 Ford F Series | 0 | 2 |
| 1993 Ford F Series | 0 | 5 |
| 1994 Ford F Series | 0 | 7 |
| 1995 Ford F Series | 0 | 16 |
| 1996 Ford F Series | 0 | 16 |
| 1997 Ford F Series | 0 | 47 |
| 1998 Ford F Series | 0 | 20 |
| 1999 Ford F Series | 0 | 36 |
| 2000 Ford F Series | 1 | 41 |
| 2001 Ford F Series | 1 | 44 |
| 2002 Ford F Series | 1 | 34 |
| 2003 Ford F Series | 1 | 1 |
| 2004 Ford F Series | 0 | 7 |
| 2005 Ford F Series | 0 | 9 |
| 2006 Ford F Series | 0 | 4 |
| 2007 Ford F Series | 0 | 4 |
| 2008 Ford F Series | 0 | 1 |
Checking a specific 1997 Ford F Series
How do I know if my 1997 Ford F Series has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Ford dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number.
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Ford models
- F-15037,961 complaints
- Explorer34,566 complaints
- Escape27,430 complaints
- Fusion22,405 complaints
- Focus22,096 complaints
- Taurus18,159 complaints
- Windstar14,158 complaints
- Edge14,065 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.