1997 Ford Motor Home Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1997 Ford Motor Home, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Tires & wheels646.2%
- Driver assistance215.4%
- Electrical215.4%
- Engine215.4%
- Brakes17.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING FRONT LEFT TIRE SEPARATED AND THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. SIZE LT2252/R75, R16 M/S STEELTEX R4S ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT.*AK THIS IS A MOTORHOME ON A 1997 FORD E SUPER DUTY CHASSIS.*JB
ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A 1997, FORD, SUPER DUTY, LT225/75R16 SIZE, DOT#: VDILIXA386. REAR OUTSIDE DUEL TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM INSIDE WHILE DRIVING 45MPH, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. FIRESTONE WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK *SLC
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD MOTOR HOME. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: CRUISE CONTROL. HE IS DISSATISFIED THAT THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. FORD STATED THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE READY IN DECEMBER OF 2007, BUT THE CONTACT HAS YET TO RECEIVE ANYTHING. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE RECALL NUMBER AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,561.
WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON OUR 1997 FORD RV FOR A WIRING HARNESS IN SEPT. 2007. WE CALLED THE AUTHORIZED DEALER IMMEDIATELY AND WAS TOLD THE PARTS WERE "ON BACK ORDER." WE HAVE STILL NOT RECEIVED REPAIRS. FIVE (5) MONTHS IS AMPLE TIME TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. IN THE MEANTIME WE ARE UNABLE TO USE THE CRUISE ON AN RV. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON OUR 1997 FORD RV FOR A WIRING HARNESS IN SEPT. 2007. WE CALLED THE AUTHORIZED DEALER IMMEDIATELY AND WAS TOLD THE PARTS WERE "ON BACK ORDER." WE HAVE STILL NOT RECEIVED REPAIRS. FIVE (5) MONTHS IS AMPLE TIME TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. IN THE MEANTIME WE ARE UNABLE TO USE THE CRUISE ON AN RV. *TR
WIRING ASSEMBLY FAILED, CAUSING ENGINE MISS AND SURGE. YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON MAY 5TH AT A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE THE MECHANIC NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT (APX. 2 TEASPOON) OF ANTIFREEZE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OIL PAN. PREVIOUS TO THIS THE OIL HAD BEEN CHECKED & THE LEVEL & COLOR WAS NORMAL. ANTIFREEZE LEVEL WAS NORMAL. DRIVEN 1 MILE HOME TO BE CHECKED OUT COMPLETELY NEXT DAY. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ENGINE WAS NORMAL & OK. 2.MAY 6, 2004: STARTED ENGINE - TERRIBLE CLUNKING & KNOCKING NOISE. WHITE SMOKING OUT OF TAIL PIPE. DETERMINED BY FORD MECHANIC: ROD WAS BENT & THE CYLINDER SCORED. THE HEAD WAS EXAMINED: HEAD GASKET & INTAKE GASKET NORMAL. NO CRACKS IN HEAD - IT WAS SENT OUT FOR INSPECTION; NO VISUAL OR NON-VISUAL CRACKS IN THE HEAD. MECHANICAL REASON COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. 3B. WE HAD TO HAVE A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE PUT IN. WE WERE UNABLE TO KEEP THE ENGINE. *NM
1997 FORD V-10. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FIRE WHICH STARTED UNDER THE HOOD, POSSIBLY ENGINE RELATED. *TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE DESIGN OF THE BRAKE PEDAL IS SOFT OR SPONGY BUT THE CONSUMER HAS HAD NO TROUBLE IN STOPPING. YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .