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#BS-1997-FORE25-1793

1997 Ford E-250Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 31 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 19, 2026

Complaints
31
Crashes
0
Fires
5
Recalls
4
TSBs
63
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 31 complaints, 0 crashes, 5 fires, and 4 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

loss of coolant

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

overheated water in the oil

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

check engine light on

1 complaints • Severity 4/10

$X,XXX
4

smog controls would not pass inspection

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
5

spark plug ejection

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasolineHIGH

3 owners reported engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline issues — failures commonly reported around 81K miles.

!Inspect the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotorMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

4
0–30K
1
30–60K
1
60–90K
2
90–120K
1
120–150K
2
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (4 reports) • Median: 81K 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: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline (3 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

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline3 (10%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor3 (10%)
Tires:tread/belt3 (10%)
Engine2 (6%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission2 (6%)
Suspension:front2 (6%)
Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control2 (6%)
Electrical1 (3%)

1997 Ford E-250: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 1997 Ford E-250, with 3 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 81,070 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 81K-mile mark.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 1997 Ford E-250, with 3 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Tires:tread/belt Issues

Tires:tread/belt complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 1997 Ford E-250, with 3 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to tires:tread/belt-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1997 Ford E-250, with 2 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-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

4
00
7
01
1
02
6
03
1
04
3
05
1
06
2
08
1
09
1
15

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1997 Ford E-250. Recent trend: stable.

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

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Recall History (4 recalls)

04V562000

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

ON CERTAIN VANS EQUIPPED WITH SURE-LOK WHEELCHAIR SECUREMENT SYSTEMS, THE SPROCKET TEETH OF THE RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT.

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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

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

Unlock

NHTSA Defect Investigations (3)

All closed. Investigations are how NHTSA decides whether a defect needs a recall.

DP05005ClosedOpened Sep 2005 · closed Jan 2006

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

EA10003ClosedOpened Apr 2010 · closed Mar 2012

HVAC Switch Failures

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

PE99022ClosedOpened Mar 1999 · closed May 1999

SHIFT-LOCK

POWER TRAIN

This is the worst model year for the Ford E-250 according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 31 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

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

Last updated (checked October 21, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 19, 2026.

Other Ford E-250 Model Years

20232017201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975
View all Ford E-250 years →

1997 Ford E-250: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1997 Ford E-250?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1997 Ford E-250 is related to the engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline, with 3 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1997 Ford E-250 reliable?
The 1997 Ford E-250 has 31 complaints, 0 crash reports, and 5 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-250 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-250 have any recalls?
Yes, the 1997 Ford E-250 has 4 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford E-250 problems start?
Based on 11 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 81,070 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 1997 Ford E-250 data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 21, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 19, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
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 31 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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