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#BS-1997-FORE15-1D52

1997 Ford E 150

Based on reports from 122 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
122
Crashes
4
Fires
4
Recalls
5
TSBs
36
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 122 complaints, 4 crashes, 4 fires, and 5 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

spark plug blow out

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank AssemblyHIGH

12 owners reported fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly issues — failures commonly reported around 105K miles.

!Inspect the Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasolineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

3
0–30K
5
30–60K
9
60–90K
13
90–120K
7
120–150K
15
150K+

Peak failure range: 150K+ miles (15 reports) • Median: 105K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly (12 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly12 (10%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline8 (7%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine8 (7%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip7 (6%)
Fuel System6 (5%)
Speed Control5 (4%)
Steering5 (4%)
Tires:tread/belt4 (3%)

1997 Ford E 150: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly Issues

Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 1997 Ford E 150, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 104,700 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 105K-mile mark.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1997 Ford E 150, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1997 Ford E 150, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1997 Ford E 150, with 7 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

13
00
12
01
14
02
3
03
6
04
13
05
3
06
8
07
6
08
2
09
5
10
3
11
3
12
4
13
3
15
3
16
1
17
1
19
1
21
1
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Ford E 150. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (5 recalls)

01V114000Apr 2001

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ON CERTAIN VANS WITH AMBULANCE PREP PACKAGES OR OTHER SEVERE-DUTY APPLICATIONS INVOLVING OPERATION AT OR NEAR THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT WITH FREQUENT TWISTING OF THE VEHICLE BODY, SUCH AS OFF-ROAD, ROUGH ROAD OR SPEED BUMP EVENTS, THE 35 GALLON MID-SHIP FUEL TANK COULD DEVELOP A CRACK WHERE IT CONTACTS THE FRAME CROSS MEMBER. IF THE FUEL TANK CRACKS, FUEL LEAKAGE COULD OCCUR.

07V336000Aug 2007

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.

08V051000Feb 2008

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

FORD IS RECALLING 225,000 MY 1992-2003 ECONOLINE, MY 1993-1995 TAURUS SHO, MY 1992-1998 CROWN VICTORIA, MY 1993 BRONCO, F-SERIES, MY 1995-1997 F-SERIES SUPER DUTY STRIPPED CHASSIS, MY 1992-1998 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS, AND MY 1992-1995 LINCOLN TOWN CAR VEHICLES. THE AFFECTED VEHICLES WERE PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED USING A WIRING HARNESS THAT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE VEHICLE CIRCUIT POLARITY.

09V399000Oct 2009

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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.

10V271000Jun 2010

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

ALL IN ONE MOBILITY IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2008 CONVERSION VANS EQUIPPED WITH VMI/RICON 6-WAY POWER SEAT BASES. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF A DEFECTIVE WELD AT THE JOINT BETWEEN THE PIVOTING PLATE AND THE PIVOTING PLATE PIN.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Ford E 150 is the 2010 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 122 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 5 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Ford E 150 Model Years

20232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989
View all Ford E 150 years →

1997 Ford E 150: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Ford E 150?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Ford E 150 is related to the fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly, with 12 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1997 Ford E 150 reliable?
The 1997 Ford E 150 has 122 complaints, 4 crash reports, and 4 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 1997 Ford E 150 problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1997 Ford E 150 have any recalls?
Yes, the 1997 Ford E 150 has 5 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford E 150 problems start?
Based on 52 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 104,700 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 150K+ mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 122 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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