Ford F Series (light) 1997
Model F Series (light) made in 1997 by Ford got 28 consumer complains there are 3 investigations as well as 19 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to electrical system, engine and engine cooling and fuel system, gasoline. Technical service bulletines regarding electrical system, engine and engine cooling and fuel system, gasoline. The car had one investigation (engine and engine cooling).
Model 1997
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 12227 | 12/01/1998 | 615488 | For all vehicles with generic electronic module (gem) concerns that require a module replacement, the technician must call for approval before removing and / or replacing the module. *tt | 01/17/2001 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||||
| BC0696961023 | 10/23/1996 | 50368 | Concerns of check engine light (mil) w/ codes p0300 thru p0308 & eng runes rough/misses. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 15517 | 01/01/2002 | 630043 | Subject regarding exaggerated engine braking on deceleration. *yd | 04/12/2002 | |
| BC0782961014 | 10/14/1996 | 50408 | Concerns of check engine light 'on'. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||||
| BC0883961004 | 10/04/1996 | 50440 | Vehicles may exhibit an exhaust leak &/or noise due to warped exhaust manifolds. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP | |||||
| BC0750961017 | 10/17/1996 | 50389 | Spade terminal between sender & fuel pump has been changed to a eyelet terminal. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM - INJECTORS | |||||
| BC0884961004 | 10/04/1996 | 50441 | For misfire concerns on 4.2l/4.6l/5.4l/6.8l engines. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| BC5197961001 | 10/01/1996 | 50474 | Some vehicles equipped w/ an ax4s transaxle may have been shipped w/ a low transaxle fluid level. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| BC0694961023 | 10/23/1996 | 50366 | Information for recreational towing (all wheels on the ground). *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| BC0844961008 | 10/08/1996 | 50429 | E4od trans may emit a tick/rattle noise when driving at light loads in 1st gear at 1100 to 1800 rpm rpm. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - SUPPLY - COMPRESSOR | |||||
| 962528 | 12/02/1996 | 50984 | Brakes - air compressor/air pump support bracket broken - vehicles with 7.0l engine - engine - 7.0l - accessory drive belt roll - noise - rattle - air brake compressor/air pump support bracket cracked- vehicles with 7.0l engine. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||||
| 99-6172 | 05/01/1999 | 607002 | Information regarding steering wheel leather repair. *tt | 11/03/2000 | |
| TIRES | |||||
| BC5195961001 | 10/01/1996 | 50472 | Firestone p235 tires may exhibit a high frequency vibration at 65-75 mph. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| TIRES - TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE | |||||
| BC0602961101 | 11/01/1996 | 50785 | Instructions on securing spare tire to underbody of vehicle. *tw | 06/17/1997 | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL | |||||
| BC5201961001 | 10/01/1996 | 50477 | Investigating 7.3l irregular idle. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| BC0693961023 | 10/23/1996 | 50365 | Investigating 7.3l irregular idle. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - HEATER CORE | |||||
| BC0854961007 | 10/07/1996 | 50436 | Reattachment of heater hose fittings for concern of no heat, overheat, or coolant loss may occur due to heater hoses not properly connected at their quick-connect fittings. *tt | 04/24/1997 | |
| VISIBILITY - POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | |||||
| 12069 | 11/01/1998 | 613040 | Information regarding a new service part that has been released for the license plate light circiut which will reduce the cost of repair. *mjs | 06/16/2000 | |
| WHEELS | |||||
| ONP96B05 | 11/01/1996 | 50707 | Owner notification program 96b05 - spare tire and wheel assembly replacement for certain 1997 f150 trucks with off-road option. *tw | 05/27/1997 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| DP05005 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 09/22/2005 | 01/04/2006 | 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 ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi | ||||||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | ||||||
| DP05005 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 09/22/2005 | 01/04/2006 | 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 ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi | ||||||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | ||||||
| DP05005 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 09/22/2005 | 01/04/2006 | 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 ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 07/27/2006 | 164745 | 1 | 04/23/2005 |
| The truck started having electrical problems, which would come and go. these problems became more severe and numerous as time went by. at first it was just the warning lights coming on and then things like the radio coming on in the middle of the night and no one had the key even in. it would also shift into 4-wheel for no reason. these would only happen once in a while. then one day when i went to go to work i opened the door and everything came on just opening the door. i got in and put the key in and tried to start the truck but there was nothing. i then noticed the smell of electrical items burning and immediately took out the key. i called the local ford dealer and ask if they knew what was going on. they immediately replied that these trucks have a problem with the windshield leaking on the gem module and fuse box. when i took the truck in to have it looked at they said the starter, solenoid, and fuse had all burned up. the fuse box also had burned at several fuse locations and had to be replaced. when the new parts came the mechanic noticed that they now had plastic covers on them to help prevent moisture from getting to them. now all this stuff burned up in my truck while sitting in my garage at night without it even having the key in the ignition. i'm concerned that this could have burned my house down with me and my family in sleeping. now if the dealership knew this was a problem how come this was not a recall item. it cost me just under a grand to fix not to mention my wife won't let me park it in the garage anymore because she's afraid of a fire. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 09/01/1997 | 12000 | 10 | 09/01/1997 |
| Computer continues to give acode of misfire on num 5 cylinder. took to 3 ford dealerships; all they did was install new spark plug, problem persists. been investigating and trying different indepndent shop fo repair *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 08/15/2005 | 63505 | 0 | 12/17/2002 |
| Own a 1997 ford f150 that caught fire as a result of a defective cruise control switch | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 11/03/2011 | 180000 | ||
| Front drivers side spark plug blew out of engine and destroyed coil pack ripping the threads out of the head. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 05/12/2005 | 120611 | 1 | 07/12/1999 |
| Upon starting one morning, the engine made a loud banging noise. had the engine inspected and found that an intake manifold gasket had failed. the engine had to be replaced. *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 04/04/2007 | 1 | ||
| V6 4.2l engine: gasket failure causing water/fluid fill up the cylinder which causes the rod to blow.*ak | |||
| 05/30/2006 | 110000 | 3 | 06/06/1998 |
| I used to be a proud owner of a 1997 ford f150 4.2 liter v6. that was until today when my engine hydrolocked for the third time. the truck now has 164000 miles on it, however, the first time happened at approx. 110000 miles. after doing some research it was discovered that this is a common problem with the v6 engines, and that ford will not do anything do to the high miles. i replaced the engine with a complete new short bock,and the recommended by ford 4mm head gaskets instead of the 3mm that they originally installed. this engine lasted another approx 20000 miles before it hydrolocked again. this time it was repaired under the warranty from the engine supplier...thankfully. now, however there isn't anything to do but replace the engine again. it's not worth much as a running vehicle do to it's age, but as a non-running one it's really worthless. i just hope the someday ford will be pressured into making some kind of acknowledgement that they have a problem with these engines and at the very least offer advice that truly helps the consumer not just band-aids the issue until it's too late. on a side not i'm not a disgruntled ford owner i currently own four other ford vehicles dating from 2003 back to 1986. i just hope maybe i can help get something done by writing this. thank you for your time. *nm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 03/10/2004 | 100500 | 1 | 02/15/1997 |
| I had just arrived back in lakeland fl from a trip to the east coast. i stopped at a store to buy a few things and when i came out and started my 5.4 liter f- 250 light duty truck it blew a spark plug on the passenger side. it was the second plug from the rear. my truck is a 1997 ford with 100500 approximately miles on it. i had it towed to the ford dealership that i bought it from for repair. the service manager said he had never heard of triton engines blowing spark plugs. i happened to know a person that worked in the service department and according to that individual it was a common problem normally requiring a new head at a cost of around $3000 but some could be repaired by lnstalling a new plug if i was lucky. however ford would not guarantee the installation of a new plug repair. upon going online i found out that alot of other people are haveing the same problem and ford is doning little or nothing about it. i found that prior to the plug blowing most people were hearing a knocking noise on a cold start. i had heard that the week prior to my plug blowing. after the repair the noise was gone for about 4 days. we had a cold front come thru and when i started my truck that morning the noise was back and much worse. i traded my truck as a result. no old parts were available. they discarded them. they also assured me that they had retorqued all the plugs. i had had all the plugs replaced at approx. 80,000 miles by a ford dealer. bigsert makes a kit for installing an insert in triton engines. it comes complete with all the special tools required to do the job. if there is not a demand for such a kit companies wont go th the expense of disigning such a kit. *ak | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | |||
| 05/15/2011 | 163500 | ||
| Our mechanic noticed that one of the straps at the rear of the gas tank was missing, and when filling up our 1997 ford f150, the tank was getting close to being filled, gas started spewing out of the fill tube. we looked under the truck and noticed that the fill tube had shifted due to the rear strap being broken. | |||
| 05/11/2011 | 159000 | ||
| 1997 ford f-150 . the gas tank straps have begun to rot and have chaffed the gas tank to the point there are some gas vapors escaping. not a full blown leak at this point. i will begin the process of repairing to avoid fire/explosion. | |||
| 07/03/2010 | 72000 | ||
| One gas tank strap broke on my 97 ford f150 a few monhts later the other one broke. i dopped and dragged the gas tank which began to leak. i don't drive that vehivle too much. i was very lucky there was no fire or explosion. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - CALIPER | |||
| 02/06/2005 | 50000 | 24 | 05/14/1996 |
| The front brakes on my 1997 ford f150 lock up. while driving the brakes gradually overheat from a failure of the calipers to return to their non-braking position. i have replaced the rubber brake lines, replaced the disk brake pads. turned the rotors, lubricated the sliding portions of the calipers with high-temperature grease and taken the vehicle to my nearest ford dealership to have the brakes computer checked and repaired. never-the-less, the brakes continue to lock up during normal driving conditions. this presents an extreme safety risk. when driving to a safe location to allow the brakes to cool down, the vehicle loses most of it's braking ability and i have suffered tire failure due to the excessive heat build up in the brakes which transfers it's heat into the wheel causing tire failure. also, the engine has to work in an unsafe temperature area in order to drive to such a safe location. this affects the gas mileage, engine reliability and endurance, while presenting, yet, another possible safety hazard. the vehicle is equipped with anti-lock brakes and cruise control. this adversely affects these safety appointments, also. i have continually asked if there is a safety recall notice relating to this problem or a service bulletin which might provided a solution for this problem from the service manager at my nearest dealership, andalusia ford-lincoln-mercury, inc. and i am told there are no recalls or bulletins dealing with this problem. they have given me false information in the past. therefore, i have doubts about their honesty with these issues, especially dealing with shop bulletins which are not available to the public at large. i cannot believe that i am the only owner of one of these vehicle who has incurred this problem. for that reason i am lodging a complaint to your department. sincerely, ron thompson *tr | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | |||
| 02/06/2005 | 50000 | 24 | 05/14/1996 |
| The front brakes on my 1997 ford f150 lock up. while driving the brakes gradually overheat from a failure of the calipers to return to their non-braking position. i have replaced the rubber brake lines, replaced the disk brake pads. turned the rotors, lubricated the sliding portions of the calipers with high-temperature grease and taken the vehicle to my nearest ford dealership to have the brakes computer checked and repaired. never-the-less, the brakes continue to lock up during normal driving conditions. this presents an extreme safety risk. when driving to a safe location to allow the brakes to cool down, the vehicle loses most of it's braking ability and i have suffered tire failure due to the excessive heat build up in the brakes which transfers it's heat into the wheel causing tire failure. also, the engine has to work in an unsafe temperature area in order to drive to such a safe location. this affects the gas mileage, engine reliability and endurance, while presenting, yet, another possible safety hazard. the vehicle is equipped with anti-lock brakes and cruise control. this adversely affects these safety appointments, also. i have continually asked if there is a safety recall notice relating to this problem or a service bulletin which might provided a solution for this problem from the service manager at my nearest dealership, andalusia ford-lincoln-mercury, inc. and i am told there are no recalls or bulletins dealing with this problem. they have given me false information in the past. therefore, i have doubts about their honesty with these issues, especially dealing with shop bulletins which are not available to the public at large. i cannot believe that i am the only owner of one of these vehicle who has incurred this problem. for that reason i am lodging a complaint to your department. sincerely, ron thompson *tr | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||
| 05/15/2005 | 92303 | 1 | 05/13/2005 |
| Door has cracked drivers side bottom corner of widow molding | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/18/2003 | 87000 | 1 | 01/21/1997 |
| I recently experienced a problem with my 1997 f150 4x4 extended cab pickup. the middle, right rear leaf spring broke and was ejected with great force from under the truck. i am the original owner, and i remember receiving a recall notice from ford in august 1998 detailing this problem. i took my truck to my local ford dealer, earnhardt ford, on october 10, 1998, and the dealer installed clips on the front portion of both springs. i retrieved the ejected piece of the broken spring from the side of the road, and i noticed that the break was rusty. the truck has been in arizona or nevada since new, so to me this indicates that the spring probably had been broken for some time. also just prior to the spring ejecting, i had been involved a very minor rear end collision (the car that hit me only broke my hitch cover). i theorize that somehow the force of the car hitting the back of my truck must have repositioned the broken spring in such a way that placed stress on the front retaining clip shearing it and allowing the spring to be ejected. i use my truck for commuting which is hardly severe duty use. leaf springs should not fail after only 87k miles, and if they do break, they shouldnt eject. fortunately, i was in the right-hand lane and the spring ejected into a vacant dirt lot so no one was hurt and no property was damaged. i had both rear leaf springs replaced at gaudin ford, in las vegas on april 25, 2003. i asked the dealer if ford would cover the cost of the repair. their answer was no. i believe that ford should step up and cover the cost of my repair. this was not an inexpensive fix. what happen to me is exactly what ford warned against their august 1998 recall letter. rear leaf springs should not fail after only 87k miles of normal use, and fact that the middle spring was ejected shows there is still a safety issue. i still have the part of broken spring that i retrieved from the lot. | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL | |||
| 05/19/2005 | 147000 | 1 | 12/08/1997 |
| My 1997 ford f-150 truck was parked in the drive way in front of my house.the keys were not in the vehicle, and no lights were on. i steped out the front door of my house, and smelled something burning. i looked over at my truck, and saw flames in the left front wheel well, and smoke coming out of the hood side and back edges. i got the fire extenguisher from the house, shot up in the wheel well, then opened the hood and put out the rest of the fire. the fire seemed to start in the brake master cylinder area, and i believe as a result of a defect in the cruise control deactivation switch. the master cylinder is destroyed,an evaporative emmission control valve and solenoid are destroyed, and some wiring harnesses have been burnt.the rear anti lock brake control valve is damaged. the left cowl cover and hood seal melted, as did the left inner wheel well.i have not repaired the truck at this time. | |||
Car dealers selling
| State | City | Zip | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | ANDALUSIA | 36420 | ANDALUSIA FORD-LINCOLN-MERCURY | |
| FL | BARTOW | BARTOW FORD | ||
| NC | WILMINGTON | 28410 | JERRY PORTER | 9103133200 |
| NV | LAS VEGAS | 89104 | GAUDIN FORD | |
| NY | ELMIRA, NY | SIMMONS ROCKWELL SUBARU | (607)796-5555 |