RecallRadar

HomeFordE-150 → 1997

1997 Ford E-150 Recalls & Complaints

5

open safety recalls on record

Critical

122 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.23 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical09V399000

Vehicle Speed Control

VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Remedy & full details

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 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.

Critical07V336000

Vehicle Speed Control

THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Critical01V114000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly

FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious10V271000

Equipment Adaptive/Mobility

THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY BE INJURED IF THE SEAT BASE PIN WERE TO BREAK.

Remedy & full details

ALL IN ONE MOBILITY WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE VEHICLES WILL BE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 22, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ALL IN ONE MOBILITY AT 1-503-255-5005.

ALL IN ONE MOBILITY IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2008 CONVERSION VANS EQUIPPED WITH VMI/RICON 6-WAY POWER SEAT BASES. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF A DEFECTIVE WELD AT THE JOINT BETWEEN THE PIVOTING PLATE AND THE PIVOTING PLATE PIN.

Moderate08V051000

Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control

AS A RESULT, THE FUSE IS LOCATED IN THE OUTPUT CIRCUIT RATHER THAN IN THE INTENDED INPUT POWER FEED CIRCUIT, AND MAY NOT OFFER THE INTENDED PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT TO GROUND.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

122 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

4Crashes
4Fires
2Injuries
0Deaths

Across 122 complaints. Severity Index 0.23.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Fuel System, Gasoline · S…12 · 10%Engine And Engine Cooling…8 · 7%Engine And Engine Cooling…8 · 7%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…7 · 6%Vehicle Speed Control5 · 4%Steering5 · 4%Fuel System, Gasoline5 · 4%Tires · Tread/Belt4 · 3%
  1. Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly — 12 reports
  2. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 8 reports
  3. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — 8 reports
  4. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 7 reports
  5. Vehicle Speed Control — 5 reports
  6. Steering — 5 reports
  7. Fuel System, Gasoline — 5 reports
  8. Tires:Tread/Belt — 4 reports
  9. Electrical System — 4 reports
  10. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc — 3 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (3) · 1996 (3) · 1997 · 1998 (4) · 1999 (5) · 2000 (5) · 2001 (4) · 2002 (3) · 2003 (6) · 2004 (6) · 2005 (4) · 2006 (15) · 2007 (18) · 2008 (17) · 2009 (13) · 2010 (8) · 2011 (12) · 2012 (7) · 2013 (5) · 2014 (6) · 2015 (1) · 2016 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.