1997 Ford F Series engine problems
19 complaints about engine have been filed for the 1997 Ford F Series, which is 35% of all its NHTSA complaints. It is the most reported problem area for this model year.
At a glance
- Complaints
- 19 35% of this year's complaints
- Typical mileage
- 96,000 miles 17 complaints with mileage
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
When engine problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 1 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 0 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 3 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 5 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 17 engine complaints that report mileage, the median is about 96,000 miles, and 6% were reported before 60,000 miles.
These complaints mention 3 fires.
What owners wrote
Fire started in engine area after being parked for approximately 2 hours. Vehicle at a complete loss. Firefighters could not determine cause of fire other than it originating in middle of engine compartment. *nlm
'97 ford f-150 4.2l v-6, lower intake gaskets failed, leading to hydrolocked engine. I have read hundreds of instances of this happening. Truck is now inoperable.