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FaultScore report

1997 Ford E-Series problems

Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 1997 Ford E-Series with NHTSA between 2000 and 2003. The largest single group is the tires. Across this model's run it ranks 1 of 3 worst.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Ford E-Series All 1997 cars
B

FaultScore 31/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Ford E-Series.

How this is worked out

The numbers

11

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 50 vs 50 Severity 0 vs 50 Early failure not reported
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 50
Against the median year of the Ford E-Series. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.

How 1997 compares with every other Ford E-Series

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 1997 Ford E-Series

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Tires 10 90.9%

Median failure at 25,315 miles

Brakes 1 9.1%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Sep 2000 peak 2 Dec 2003

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Tequesta, FL

TIRES

AT 70 M.P.H. ON FLAT , DRY ROAD THE TREAD SEPERATED FROM THE INFLATED FIRESTONE TIRE AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO MOTORHOME.

NHTSA complaint #10050984 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Tequesta, FL

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING REAR DRIVER'S OUTER TIRE BLEW OUT, WHICH RESULTED IN TREAD SEPARATION, FIRESTONE, MODEL LT225/75R16E DOT: UNKNOWN. FORD AND FIRESTONE WERE NOTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #10051819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 25,315 miles Middletown, RI

TIRES

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE REAR PASSENGER OUTER TIRE BLEWOUT, WHICH RESULTED IN TREAD SEPARATION, WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS, THE DRIVER'S SIDE INNER TIRE ALSO BLEWOUT. FIRESTONE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK *TS

NHTSA complaint #8011999 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bloomington, IL

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE DRIVING THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE, FIRESTONE LT 225/75R16, CLAIM #13-7061-497. NLM

NHTSA complaint #6901073 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Scapposse, OR

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

FIRESTONE STEEL EX RADIAL LT225/75R16 DOT #VN1L1XA436 - INSIDE RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AND THE LEFT OUTSIDE TIRE BLEWOUT AT 50 MPH, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA complaint #8005449 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Scapppoose, OR

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

FIRESTONE STEEL EX RADIAL LT225/75R16 DOT #VN1L1XA436 - INSIDE RIGHT DUAL TIRE SEPARATED WHILE GOING 50MPH. NO WARNING SIGNS, JUST A LOUD BANG AND RUBBER SEEN FLAPPING IN REAR VIEW MIRROR. FIRESTONE CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA complaint #8004827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ojai, CA

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60MPH RIGHT FRONT TIRE TREAD SEPARATED, CAUSING TIRE TO BLOWOUT AND DAMAGE TO FENDER WELL AND NUT GUARD. DEALER CAN NOT MAKE A DETERMINATION ON RUINED TIRE.*AK TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL, SIZE P225/75R16, DOT NUMBER VD7LXA196, CONSUMER STATES THEY ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE OTHER FRONT TIRE, CONSUMER FEELS HE SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR ALL SEVEN TIRES. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #893543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Abingdon, VA

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

THIS FIRESTONE TIRES LT225/75R16 DOT:VD1L1XD227. TIRE WAS ON A MOTORHOME WHEN TREAD BEGAN TO SEPARATE. TREAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE MOTORHOME ITSELF. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK 3 OTHER TIRES HAD BULGES ON THEM. WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED, NOTHING HAPPENS. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #874311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Abingdon, VA

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

THIS FIRESTONE TIRES LT225/75R16 DOT:VD1L1XD227. TIRE WAS ON A MOTORHOME WHEN TREAD BEGAN TO SEPARATE. TREAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE MOTORHOME ITSELF. FIRESTONE HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK 3 OTHER TIRES HAD BULGES ON THEM. WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED, NOTHING HAPPENS. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #874311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oakwood, GA

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE PUTTING AIR IN TIRE NOTICED TIRE WAS UNEVEN ON TOP OF TREAD. TIRES ARE NOT PART OF RECALL.*AK DOT # VD1L1XA456. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #872074 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Weimar, CA

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

PE00020; THE FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION: WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH TREAD ON THE OUTSIDE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE CAME OFF. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS A 1997, FORD, F350. TIRE SIZE P22575R16, DOT # VD1L406. ORIGINAL TIRE EQUIPMENT. TIRE MILEAGE 21 685. *AK VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROPERTY DAMAGE, ON THE SECOND TREAD SEPARATION, THE TIRE REMAINED INFLATED ON VEHICLE, AT THIS TIME TIRES HAD 195000 MILES. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #870751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.