1997 FORD F-53 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
3
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
2
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 1997 FORD F-53
The 1997 FORD F-53 has received a total of 3 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. 2 technical service bulletins have been issued by Ford Motor Company for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Power Train (1 complaint), Suspensionrear (1 complaint), and Vehicle Speed Controlcruise Control (1 complaint).
Recalls for the 1997 FORD F-53
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 1997 FORD F-53, potentially affecting up to 3,825,000 vehicles.
Recall 08V051000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
| 225,000 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: AS A RESULT, THE FUSE IS LOCATED IN THE OUTPUT CIRCUIT RATHER THAN IN THE INTENDED INPUT POWER FEED CIRCUIT, AND MAY NOT OFFER THE INTENDED PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT TO GROUND.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW WIRING HARNESS, OR REPLACE THE MATING ELECTRICAL COMPONENT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 18, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
View full details →Recall 07V336000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
| 3,600,000 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 1997 FORD F-53
3 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1997 FORD F-53. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspensionrear | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Controlcruise Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
THE SPEED CONTROL KEPT KICKING THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO A LOWER GEAR GOING DOWN STATE ROAD 64 TO PATOKA LAKE, WHEN I FINALLY ARRIVED THE TRANSMISSION WAS SO HOT, IT HAD STARTED TO SLIP. I TRIED TO BACK INTO MY CAMP SITE, AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO LEAK OIL ALL OVER THE PAD. AFTER IT COOLED OFF, WE PUT MORE TRANSMISSION FLUID IN THE SYSTEM, AND TRIED IT, IT MOVED, BUT STILL WASN'T FEELING RIGHT WHEN IT SHIFTED, I DROVE IT HOME, TO [XXX]AND WHEN I TRIED TO PUT IT IN REVERSE IT WOULD NOT BACK UP AT ALL, IT IS NOW PARKED ON THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE. WHAT DO I DO??? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD F53 CHASSIS. IN AUGUST OF 2007, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V336000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: CRUISE CONTROL). HE RECEIVED THE SECOND NOTICE IN OCTOBER. HE CALLED THE DEALERS IN THE AREA AND THE PARTS FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WERE STILL UNAVAILABLE, EVEN THOUGH THE NOTICE STATED THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE SEVERITY AND INSTRUCTIONS OF THE DEFECT. HE HAS BEEN UNABLE TO REACH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FORD RECALL NUMBER IS 05S28. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,000. UPDATED 02-19-08 *BF UPDATED 02/14/08 *TR
THE FRONT AXLE ON THESE CHASSIS'S SHIFT AND WITHOUT WARNING PUTTING THE VEHICLE INTO A SEVERE FRONT END SHIMMY. THE ONLY WAY TO BRING THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL IS TO HIT THE BRAKES HARD AND SLOW THE VEHICLE TO APPROX. 20 MPH WHILE IN TRAFFIC USUALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CREATING A HAZARD TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS THE MOTORING PUBLIC. DT
Safety Rating for the 1997 FORD F-53
NHTSA has not yet tested the 1997 FORD F-53 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 1997 FORD F-53
Ford Motor Company has issued 2 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 1997 FORD F-53. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
97515 — POWER TRAIN
SPEEDOMETER- SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER INOPERATIVE/ERRATIC AND/OR HARSH TRANSMISSION SHIFTS- F-53 CLASS "A" F-SUPER DUTY MOTORHOME CHASSIS. *JD
962414 — STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING - STEERING WHEEL ALIGNMENT - CLEAR VISION. *TW
NHTSA Investigations for the 1997 FORD F-53
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the FORD F-53
- 1995 FORD F-53 — 6 complaints
- 1996 FORD F-53 — 2 complaints
- 1997 FORD F-53 (current)
Other FORD Models
- FORD F-150 — 45,660 total complaints
- FORD EXPLORER — 42,140 total complaints
- FORD ESCAPE — 34,654 total complaints
- FORD FOCUS — 29,539 total complaints
- FORD FUSION — 28,243 total complaints
- FORD TAURUS — 23,867 total complaints
- FORD WINDSTAR — 19,456 total complaints
- FORD EDGE — 17,247 total complaints