Total Complaints
2 filings
Ford F-550 SD · model year
1997 Ford F-550 SD
2 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 2
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1997 Ford F-550 SD posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 12%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1997FordF-550 SD carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1997 F-550 SD is tires:tread/belt with 1 filings, followed by service brakes (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 179 investigation files overlapping the 1997 F-550 SD, and 6 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1997 Ford F-550 SD
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20140411SERVICE BRAKES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 COACHMEN MIRADA RV EQUIPPED WITH A 1997 FORD F-530 SD CHASSIS. (NA) THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING DOWN AN INCLINE APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN DEPRESSED. AFTER DOWN SHIFTING, THE VEHICLE REDUCED SPEED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.
Mileage: 32,000
20021209TIRES:TREAD/BELT
P22570/19.5. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE INNER RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. TS GENERAL LMT460. P22570/19.5. DOT # A39Y1HC168, DOT # A39Y1HC158. TWO FAILURES BLEW OUT WHILE TOWING A TRAVEL TRAILER AND THE THIRD HAD A BULGE IN THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRES APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION WITH NO VISIBLE CRACKS OR DEFECTS WITH 50% TREAD REMAINING WITH 95 PSI. *TT
Mileage: 50,000
Compare 1997FordF-550 SD to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 6 Open
EA26004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP26004Defect PetitionOpen
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionClosed
Underbody shields detachment
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 Ford F-550 SD have?▼
The 1997 Ford F-550 SD has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Ford F-550 SD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 Ford F-550 SD is TIRES:TREAD/BELT with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES.
Is the 1997 Ford F-550 SD safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1997 Ford F-550 SD; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.