FORD PICKUP · model year

1997 FORD PICKUP

16 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1997FORDPICKUP carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 PICKUP is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 4 filings, followed by tires (2) and structure:body:door (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 5 investigation files overlapping the 1997 PICKUP. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

16
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

16 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE4
TIRES2
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM1
WHEELS:RIM1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
SUSPENSION1
STEERING:COLUMN1
STEERING:RACK AND PINION1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL1

Recent Complaints

20060102ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

PICK UP WONT PASS N.Y.S. INSPECTION ,DUE TO A FALSE READING ON COMPUTER THAT YOUR STATIONS USE ITS COST ME $350.00 SO FAR EVERYTHING SAFETY WISE WORKS PASSES EXCEPT A EMISSION READING , ALL SAFETY THING S PASS . THE TRUCK DON'T SMOKE RUNS GOOD EXCEPT THIS STUPID EMISSION THING THAT READS NOT READY. IT SAYS GO 60 MPH LET COST, THEN SPEED IT UP , NOW YOU KNOW 60 MPH IS PRETTY FAST FOR A TRUCK. I'M A CDL LICENSE HOLDER , AND I'M SRY I'M NOT GOING TO SPEED ON THE RDS IN MY AREA. I'M CERTIFIED TRUCK DRIVER BY THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION , WHO EVER CAME UP WITH THIS SHOULD USE THERE OWN CAR FOR WORK AND SEE THE PRICE WE HAVE TO PAY AS A MAINTENANCE WORKER FOR NEW YORK, NEW YORK MADE THIS LAW NOW TELL ME WHAT TO DO IT S BEEN TO SERVICE STATIONS ,DEALERS , AND THEY CANT FIND THE PROBLEM, PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS SINCE YOU MADE THE LAW. *NM

20040112STEERING:RACK AND PINION

WHILE TURNING STEERING WHEEL WOULD BE TOO LOOSE, CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

Mileage: 126,000

20030212STEERING:COLUMN

THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN JOINT BROKE, WHICH CAUSED THE TIRES NOT TO TURN WITH THE STEERING WHEEL.*JB

Mileage: 124,000

20021024CrashSUSPENSION

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE REAR END WILL SWAY TO THE LEFT AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED TS

Mileage: 75,000

20020806ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING STALLING PROBLEMS, DEALER CAN NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *SLC

20020529CrashTIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE DRIVING 45-50 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, RESULTING IN VEHICLE T FLIPPING OVER ABOUT 4 TIMES. DRIVER SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES, AND VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK *MJ

20020514ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE WOULD SKIP, MISS, BACKFIRE, AND HAD VERY LITTLE POWER, CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE AC OFF, PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, AND REV THE ENGINE, DEALER REPLACED THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR DUE TO A RECALL AND STATED THIS SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER IT HAS NOT, POSSIBLE ENGINE PROBLEM. *SLC

20020204WHEELS:RIM

CONSUMER'S HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME AND HEARD SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED LIKE A FLAT TIRE. HE ATTEMPTED TO PULL TO SHOULDER TO CHECK. WHILE DOING THIS TIRE CAME OFF TRUCK AND CONTINUED TO ROLL DOWN THE STREET. HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO STOP, BUT AFTER TIRE WAS OFF. HE WAS NOT INJURED. *AK

20011030ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE WOULD SKIP, MISS, BACKFIRE, AND HAD VERY LITTLE POWER, CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE AC OFF, PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, AND REV THE ENGINE, DEALER REPLACED THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR DUE TO A RECALL AND STATED THIS SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER IT HAS NOT, POSSIBLE ENGINE PROBLEM. *SLC

20010924STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

THE DRIVER DOOR AND PASSANGER DOOR HAVE SIMMILAR CRACKS BY THE MIDDLE DOOR THE DEALEAR KNOWS ABOUT THE DEFECT AND WON'T DO ANY THING ABOUT IT, IF THIS TRUCK IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THE DOORS WILL BUCKLE AT THAT CRACK IT IS A DEFECT FROM FORD THE CRACK IS LOCATED ON THE MIDDLE DOOR BY THE LOCK IN OTHER WORDS WHEN YOU OPEN THE WINDOW AND YOU PUT YOUR ARM ON THE WINDOW EDGE RIGHT BEHINDYOUR ELBOE THATS WHERE IT IS LOCATED. *AK

20010620ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHEN TRAVELING 10 TO 15 MPH VEHICLE STALLS WHEN SHIFTING GEARS.VEHICLE LOSES ALL POWER. WHEN SITTING AT A STAND STILL VEHICLE STALLS. CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE VIN. *AK

20010302STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS CRACKING, WILL WINDOW GO ACROSS TO OPENING.*AK

20000907TIRES

WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION FRONT END OF VEHICLE BECAME UNSTABLE DUE TO TIRE BLOWOUT. *AK THIS HAPPENED ON LEFT FRONT TIRE. ALSO THE ENTIRE TREAD PEELED OFF OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. *YH

20000906TIRES

TIRE BUBBLE AND CHUNKED OUT/SEPERATED CAN SEE STEEL BELT( DOT NUMBER: W208 TIRE SIZE: P235/70R16 )

19980526VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

VENTILATION SYSTEM DRAWS EXHAUST FUMES INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHEN VEHICLE IS AT IDLE.

19980112UNKNOWN OR OTHER

CENTER ARM REST LOCKS IN THE UP POSITION BUT NOT IN THE DOWN POSITON.

Compare 1997FORDPICKUP to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1997 FORD PICKUP have?
The 1997 FORD PICKUP has 16 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 FORD PICKUP?
The most-complained component for the 1997 FORD PICKUP is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES and STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR.
Is the 1997 FORD PICKUP 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 as of 2025. 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.