1997 Ford F-150 electrical system problems
198 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 1997 Ford F-150 — 7% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The contact owned a 1997 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the residence, the contact noticed smoke coming from the driver's side from the bottom of the front tire. The vehicle then caught on fire. The fire department came to extinguish the fire. A fire report was…”
filed Jun 3, 2022
“My interior and back exterior lights come on and go off randomly sometimes while driving on the roads. The light in the back above the truck bed is bothersome because it could cause attention of another driver causing a accident. My mother also has a ford f150 that does the same, however her truck…”
filed Jan 20, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Electrical System problems in other F-150 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 22 | 22% |
| 2024 F-150 | 38 | 21% |
| 2023 F-150 | 80 | 20% |
| 2022 F-150 | 122 | 21% |
| 2021 F-150 | 125 | 13% |
| 2020 F-150 | 82 | 12% |
| 2019 F-150 | 98 | 8% |
| 2018 F-150 | 169 | 8% |
| 2017 F-150 | 126 | 9% |
| 2016 F-150 | 182 | 9% |
| 2015 F-150 | 167 | 10% |
| 2014 F-150 | 160 | 11% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1997 Ford F-150
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.