RecallRepo

1997 Ford E-350 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 1997 Ford E-350 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 8,476,000 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 96 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the tires. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 09V399000 2009-10-13 4,500,000 affected
Defect

FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND 1994 F53 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED…

Consequence

A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.

Remedy

FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27,…

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 08V051000 2008-02-04 225,000 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…

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.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 07V336000 2007-08-03 3,600,000 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 AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL…

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 01V114000 2001-04-05 151,000 affected
Defect

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ON CERTAIN VANS WITH AMBULANCE PREP PACKAGES OR OTHER SEVERE-DUTY APPLICATIONS INVOLVING OPERATION AT OR NEAR THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT WITH FREQUENT TWISTING OF THE VEHICLE BODY, SUCH AS OFF-ROAD, ROUGH ROAD OR SPEED BUMP EVENTS, THE 35 GALLON MID-SHIP FUEL TANK COULD DEVELOP A CRACK WHERE IT…

Consequence

FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL TANK AND, IF CRACKED, WILL REPLACE THE TANK. INSULATOR PADS WILL BE INSTALLED ON ALL VEHICLES TO REDUCE THE STRESS LEVELS IN THE FUEL TANK. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 19, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE…

Complaints by component

TIRES:TREAD/BELT
14
1crashes2injuries
TIRES
8
2crashes1injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
7
1fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
5
1fires
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
4
1crashes1fires1deaths
AIR BAGS
3
1injuries
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
3
TIRES:SIDEWALL
3
3injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
2
2fires
Total complaints96

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The rear passenger compartment outside and inside door handles broke such that rear seating passengers cannot exit the vehicle and are trapped inside. In case of an accident, the emergency responders will have to resort to drastic time consuming measures such as ripping the doors off to save the…”

STRUCTURE:BODY · reported 2023-11-01

“Air bag light came on and brake light came on”

AIR BAGS · reported 2020-04-03

“Air bag light came on and brake light came on”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2020-04-03

“12/11/2019”

STRUCTURE:BODY · reported 2019-12-11

“This year both the airbags in my 1997 ford e350 van have spontaneously deployed on two separate occasions--each occurring while the van was in 'park'. On 1/31/18 the driver's bag deployed when the van was warming up in a parking lot. My adult daughter started the van, plugged her phone into the…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2018-01-31

“This year both the airbags in my 1997 ford e350 van have spontaneously deployed on two separate occasions--each occurring while the van was in 'park'. On 1/31/18 the driver's bag deployed when the van was warming up in a parking lot. My adult daughter started the van, plugged her phone into the…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2018-01-31

“This year both the airbags in my 1997 ford e350 van have spontaneously deployed on two separate occasions--each occurring while the van was in 'park'. On 1/31/18 the driver's bag deployed when the van was warming up in a parking lot. My adult daughter started the van, plugged her phone into the…”

SEAT BELTS · reported 2018-01-31

“My vehicle had been parked for about three or four weeks and I went to start it up to run the engine and charge the batteries as I did not plan to use it for another few weeks. When I turned the key the driver side airbag deployed and hit me hard. Also the passenger side seat belt buckle…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2017-10-05

Defect investigations

Investigation DP05005 Opened 2005-09-22 · closed 2006-01-04

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…

Investigation DP05005 Opened 2005-09-22 · closed 2006-01-04

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…

Investigation DP05005 Opened 2005-09-22 · closed 2006-01-04

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…

Investigation EA10003 Opened 2010-04-13 · closed 2012-03-05

HVAC Switch Failures

This investigation was opened based on one complaint and reports from four transportation fleets alleging 182 blower motor control switch failures.ODI was concerned that these melting and burning switches could lead to an open flame that could spread throughout the vehicle.After a comprehensive review of all data…

Investigation PE02070 Opened 2002-10-01 · closed 2003-01-09

ALLEGED BRAKE HOSE FAILURES

FORD HAS RECEIVED NO OWNER REPORTS OF FAILURE, OTHER THAN THE FOUR ODI REPORTS THAT CAME FROM A SINGLE FLEET IN NEW YORK STATE.FORD ALSO REPORTS THAT IT HAS RECEIVED NO FIELD REPORTS AND DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY WARRANTY CLAIMS ALLEGING THE SUBJECT PROBLEM.FORD ESTIMATES THAT THE 86,910 SUBJECT VEHICLES (THAT HAVE OVER 6…

Investigation PE09055 Opened 2009-12-07 · closed 2010-04-21

HVAC Switch Failures

ODI has received 1 complaint and reports from 4 transportation fleets alleging 182 switch failures.Each fleet operates mini buses built on a Ford E350 or E450 cutaway chassis.The OEM HVAC blower switches have melted, smoked, burned or experienced open flame and become inoperable on vehicles in each fleet.Some drivers…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 Ford E-350 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.