Total Complaints
5 filings
FORD LARIAT · model year
1997 FORD LARIAT
5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. 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
The 1997FORDLARIAT carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 2 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 LARIAT is steering: steering wheel/handle bar with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1) and vehicle speed control:linkages (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 LARIAT, 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.
5
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20190503STRUCTURE:BODY
1997 FORD F150. FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH ON PASSENGER SIDE IN FRONT OF REAR TIRE.. DAMAGE IS THROUGHOUT THE FRAME.
Mileage: 150,000
20190503UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1997 FORD F150. FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH ON PASSENGER SIDE IN FRONT OF REAR TIRE.. DAMAGE IS THROUGHOUT THE FRAME.
Mileage: 150,000
20001213CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
WHILE TRYING TO STOP THE TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE FIRST TIME CAUSING A CRASH. THE SECOND TIME WE WERE TURNING INTO OUR DRIVEWAY AND THE TRUCK WOULD'NT STOP. THE THIRD TIME MY HUSBAND WAS TRYING TO STOP AND THE TRUCK ACCELERATED AGAIN. *AK
19990908ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE--LOWER END BEARING WENT OUT.
19970814STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN THE STEERING.
Compare 1997FORDLARIAT 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
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 FORD LARIAT have?▼
The 1997 FORD LARIAT has 5 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 FORD LARIAT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 FORD LARIAT is STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES.
Is the 1997 FORD LARIAT 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.
Vehicle Safety Guides
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 LARIAT; 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.