"How reliable is the 1997 Ford E-150?"

"Based on 122 NHTSA complaints, the 1997 Ford E-150 has a median complaint mileage of 103850 miles. The most common issue is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY."

"What are common problems with the 1997 Ford E-150?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1997 Ford E-150 is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY, accounting for a significant portion of the 122 total complaints filed."

1997 Ford E-150: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 122 complaints

122

Total Complaints

103,850mi

Median Mileage

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

76,867 25th Percentile

103,850 Median Mileage

150,064 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

STEERING

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"ENGINE NOISE COMING FROM VEHICLE IS VERY LOUD."

"THE FUEL THROTTLE BODY VALVE WOULD STICK EVERY TIME THE ACCELERATOR WAS APPLIED. ONCE THE THROTTLE WOULD UNSTICK, THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY SURGE FORWARD INTO A SPIN. OWNER HAS HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BY THE DEALERSHIP. *AK"

"BRAKES SQUEAL AND LOCK UP."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY 12 complaints

25th: 80,144 mi Median: 93,801 mi 75th: 103,000 mi

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE 8 complaints

25th: 60,449 mi Median: 76,611 mi 75th: 90,592 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

MI: 15 OH: 15 FL: 9 TX: 9 IL: 8 CA: 7 TN: 6 IN: 5 PA: 5 GA: 4

Who Files Complaints?

32.8%

Original Owners

67.2%

Second+ Owners

Ford E-150 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1991	20	-	TIRES:SIDEWALL	0
1992	86	100,000	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	3
1993	95	143,000	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	10
1994	180	120,000	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	2
1995	104	95,000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP	4
1996	81	120,000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP	11
1998	81	89,146	STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP	4
1999	115	99,200	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE	15
2000	61	100,203	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	2
2001	52	67,950	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC	1
2002	37	81,000	STEERING	1
2003	31	15,000	EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER	9
2004	36	60,000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC	2
2005	24	52,879	ENGINE	3
2006	22	46,856	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0
2011	30	37,000	STEERING	1
2013	29	75,550	POWER TRAIN	4

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28