1997 Ford F-350 Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TRUCK WAS PARKED IN LEVEL DRIVEWAY AND JUMPED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE AND ROLLED THRU FENCE, PASTURE, AND SHED. DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO FENCE, SHED AND TRUCK. MY HORSE WAS MODERATELY INJURED DUE TO TRUCK CRASHING INTO SHED AND HORSE RUNNING THRU FENCE. FORD STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF THING CAN HAPPEN AT ANY GIVEN TIME WHEN A VEHICLE GETS A LOT OF MILES AND PARTS GET WEAK.*AK
PURCHASED THIS TRUCK NEW FROM THE DEALER AT 51,000 MILES THEY HAD TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION TRUCK THEN WORKED GOOD FOR A WHILE THEN THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANS COMPUTER AT MY EXPENSE NOW AT 81,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION IS DOING THE SAME THING AS AT 51,000 MILES I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS ONLY COVERED FOR 12,000 MILES I FEEL FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SEEING AS THERE MUST BE SOME SORT OF DEFECT IN THIS UNIT AS OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HARD SHIFTING IN AN AUTOMATIC FROM 1ST TO SECOND AND HAVING PASSING GEAR KICK IN ALL THE TIME.*AK
SPEEDOMETER DROPPED TO ZERO, THEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM LOW GEAR! *AK
REAR AXLE WHEELS CAME OFF AND COULD HAVE ROLLED IN SOMEONES PATH AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *AK
THE PLANETARY GEAR FAILED WHILE DRIVING. IT COMPLETELY DISCENTRATED INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. A LOCAL FORD DEALER REBUILT TRANSMISSION, BUT NOW, WHEN THE TRUCK IS WARMED UP AND THE TRANSMISSION IS HOT, WHEN YOU ENGAGE REVERSE IT TAKES OFF ON ITS OWN. I HAVE TO HOLD IT BACK WITH THE BRAKE AND IT EVENTUALLY STALLS. THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED PREMATURELY. *MJS
TRAVELING AT 50 MPH THE TRANSFER CASE LOCKED UP AND THE TRUCK SKIDDED OFF THE ROAD. DAMAGE TO FRONT END,ENGINE,TRANSMISSION. TRANSFER CASE REPLACED. FOUGHT TO GET TRANSMISSION REPLACED AS WELL. STILL FIGHTING TO GET FRONT END AND ENGINE DAMAGE REPAIRED. HAVE CONTACTED ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE STATE OF MAINE. HAS CONTACTED REPAIRING DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS SELLING DEALERSHIP. SHOULD HAVE SOME RESULTS SOON. WOULD ADVISE ALL CONSUMERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS OF DEALERSHIPS NOT STANDING BY THIER REPAIRS TO CONTACT ATTORNEY GENERAL IN THIER STATE FOR ASSISTANCE.
TRANSMISSION FAILED AS THE RESULT OF MISDIAGNOSIS. YH
I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD F350 POWERTRUCK DIESEL AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT OF IT AT 49,000 MILES. IT IS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE POOR QUALITY WORKMANSHIP/DESIGN WHEN I SPEND OVER $30,000 DOLLARS FOR A VEHICLE AND THE TRANSMISSION GOES OUT OF IT BEFORE 50,000 MILES. I NEVER TOW OVER 6,000 LBS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE ONLY COMPLETED TWO TRIPS IN EXCESS OF 200 MILES. ALL OTHER TRIPS ARE UNDER 100 MILES. THE FORD DEALER SAID THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP IF I COULD PROVIDE ALL RECEIPTS SHOWING I HAD THE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE COMPLETED. I GENERALLY SERVICE ALL VEHICLES MYSELF AND HAVE LITTLE OR NO RECEIPTS. WHEN I DID HAVE A REPUTABLE COMPANY DO MY MAINTENANCE THEY WERE AND ARE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE APPROPRIATE INFORMATION IN THEIR DATA BASE. FORD WANTS TO PUT A REMANUFACTURED OR REBUILD BACK IN AT MY EXPENSE AND I FEEL THIS IS COMPLETELY WRONG AND I BOUGHT A VEHICLE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT MUCH BETTER. ANY ASSISTANCE OR DIRECTION IN THIS MATTER WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU, SINCERELY, DAN YOPP
I HAVE HAD THREE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSIONS MODEL: (E-4OD). I NOW HAVE 48,000 ON MY TRUCK AND I NEED A FOURTH TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM CONSISTS OF POOR SHIFTING (HARD SHIFTS, UNTIMELY SHIFTING, SHIFTS INTO OD WHEN IT IS OFF, AND YOU MUST DEPRESS GAS PEDAL MODERATLEY TO PROCEED IN REVERSE) I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM INITIALLY ON NOV OF 98, AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION EACH TIME FREE OF CHARGE BUT THEY ONLY WOULD PUT A RE-MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION IN IT DUE TO THEY MEET THE SAME SPECS. AS NEW TRANSMISSIONS. I HAD THE ENGINEER FROM FORD AT MY DEALERSHIP TWO WEEKS AGO AND HE FOUND NO PROBLEMS BUT THE TECHNICIAN THAT NORMALLY PROVIDES SERVICE ON MY TRUCK STATED IT WAS NOT ACTING UP FOR SOME REASON ON THAT DAY. I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION, (THE TOWN OF WALLKILL, NY DIAL-A-BUS HAS- I THINK OVER 80 REPLACEMENT E-4OD TRANSMISSIONS - IT IS ALSO SERVICED AT VILLAGE FORD) I HAVE ALSO FOUND OUT FROM OTHER F-SERIES DIESEL AUTOMATIC OWNERS THAT MANY HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIRS. I FEEL I HAVE HAD THE RUN-AROUND BY FORD AND I AM VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM - I DIDNOT FIND ANY INFO ON YOUR WEB SITE BUT I KNOW THERE ARE MANY TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ON THIS COMPONENT. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! - KURT HAHN
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. PREVIOUSLY, DLR REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES RUBS ON THE EXHAUST DOWNPIPE FROM THE TURBO. THIS RUBBING HAS WORN THROUGH 3/4 OF THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE WITH A FAILURE, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO BE SPRAYED DIRECTLY ONTO THE TURBO DOWNPIPE. THIS IS FIRE/TRANSMISSION FAILURE MAJOR RISK. *AK
WHEN DRIVING THE CLUTCH IS TOO SMALL FOR THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO KEEP BURNING OUT. T VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FIVE TIMES FOR REPAIRS, AND THE DEALER STATES THE CLUTCH IS TOO SMALL FOR THE OTHER PARTS IN THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND SHIFTING GEARS THE CLUTCH HAS BEEN RATTLING. DEALER SAYS THAT THE DIESEL ENGINE IS TOO POWERFUL FOR THE CLUTCH INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CONTINUES TO MOVE ON ITS OWN AFTER THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN APPLIED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND LOCKED UP. INCIDENT OCCURRED TWO TIMES. COULD NOT GO FORWARD OR REVERSE, IT DISENGAGED AND BECAME UNDRIVEABLE. COMPUTER CHECK WAS DONE AND DROVE VEHICLE. HEARD A BANG AND THE TRANSMISSION BLEW UP. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
SAFETY FEATURE ON VEHICLE FAILED AND CHILD WAS ABLE TO PUT VEHICLE IN GEAR WITHOUT PRESSING ON THE BRAKE AND WITHOUT IGNITION BEING ON. CLAIM WAS FILED, VEHICLE WILL BE SEEN BY ADJUSTOR ON 1/31/97. *AK
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 1997 Ford F-350 has 17 Power Train complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.