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1997 Ford F-250 Sd Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Critical

52 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.58 · 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.

Critical07V553000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel

IN THE EVENT OF AN ENGINE STALL, A CRASH COULD RESULT WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SENSOR AND REPLACE IT WITH AN IMPROVED CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 29, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.

ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 7.3L DIESEL ENGINES, THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR LOCATED ON THE ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE MAY FUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN ENGINE STALL.

Complaint volume

52 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

1Crashes
8Fires
1Injuries
0Deaths

Across 52 complaints. Severity Index 0.58.

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

Vehicle Speed Control · C…5 · 10%Engine And Engine Cooling5 · 10%Power Train · Automatic T…4 · 8%Tires · Sidewall3 · 6%Electrical System3 · 6%Engine And Engine Cooling…3 · 6%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…2 · 4%Steering · Gear Box · Sha…2 · 4%
  1. Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control — 5 reports
  2. Engine And Engine Cooling — 5 reports
  3. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 4 reports
  4. Tires:Sidewall — 3 reports
  5. Electrical System — 3 reports
  6. Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe — 3 reports
  7. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings — 2 reports
  8. Steering:Gear Box:Shaft Sector — 2 reports
  9. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel — 2 reports
  10. Vehicle Speed Control — 2 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 (1) · 1996 (1) · 1997 · 1998 (1) · 1999 (5) · 2000 (4) · 2001 (4) · 2002 (5) · 2003 (6) · 2004 (4) · 2005 (5) · 2006 (3) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (2) · 2009 (1) · 2010 (1) · 2011 (1) · 2012 (1) · 2013 (1) · 2014 (1) · 2015 (3) · 2016 (4) · 2017 (15) · 2018 (10) · 2019 (12) · 2020 (15) · 2021 (13) · 2022 (17) · 2023 (16) · 2024 (4) · 2025 (7) · 2026 (5)

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.