1997 ford econoline van. The spark-plug blew out of the aluminum triton engine destroying the existing threads. Fire hazard. Exposed fuel to engine compartment.
1997 Ford Econoline engine problems
12 complaints (15% of all complaints for this car).
- owner complaints
- 12
- of this car's complaints
- 15%
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Engine6
- Engine: gasoline5
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Ford Econoline engine problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
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 the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi?s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi?s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that the federal safety agency would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition is denied.
DP05005
What 1997 Ford Econoline owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
As I type this complaint, I am listening to secretary lahood,....if what he says is true I should hear something back from you fairly soon!! I have a complaint with the v10 ford engine.....if you go to the internet and type in "ford v10 engine spark plug ejecting" or anything similar to that inquiry you will get a host of complaints about the problems that I am experiencing. My 1997 ford (motorhome) spit out a spark plug several month ago. Called ford, they suggested that I have my mechanic install an "insert" to repair the stripped out head or replace the heads.....offered no other help. The insert "fix cost" $1,000. New heads would have cost $3,000 each. Work would be guaranteed for a whopping "90 days". I opted for the $1,000. Fix. After the fix, my wife (fighting lung cancer) and I (retired air force-military) headed to florida from michigan. We made it to indianapolis....approx 350 miles. The newly repaired "head insert" allowed the plug to spit out again!! Long story short, we returned home and had a new engine (remanufactured) engine installed at a cost of $5,000. My military pension cannot afford these kind of monetary hits. I am also told that this problem could have easily caused a fire. We were lucky in that regard. Ford reps, both at the dealership level and ford customer service (their phone # located in the ford service manually) denied any problems....yet the internet is full of complaints. Please tell me you are aware of the problem and are trying to find some recourse for the ford customers who have experienced the problems and expense that I have. All the mechanics that I have talked to were very familiar with the problem. That only adds to my dismay. Why hasn't there been more public info on this problem....why hasn't this problem been addressed by ford motor co. Or at least fairly handled on a case by case basis. At the very least, I would appreciate some recognition that your agency is aware and looking into this problem. Thank you so much!
Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle a loud clanging noise was heard. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined a piston rod was bent due to anti-freeze leaking into the piston cylinder and the engine needed to be replaced.
Consumer states that while driving at 20 MPH or over there was a knocking sound that was coming from the engine and after contacting the dealer the dealer stated that crankshaft was no longer any good. Nlm
Front engine timing cover is leaking coolant. Heater was not working, causing consumer to have it inspected. Coolant is leaking into engine, and slowly damaging engine. Dealer was contacted. *ak consumer states that the vehicle now needs a new engine.
When putting seat belt on it is not close to body, and seat belt is loose. If consumer leans forward seat belt will not catch, and belt does not adjust to body. Please add VIN .
Vehicle loses of power in cold weather. Also, driver's seat belt fails to retract properly after using it. Has to pull it back and forth to get it to retract. Dealer notified.
While making a turn the vehicle stalls unexpectedly which may cause a crash. Dealer cannot determine the cause of the problem. Also, there is a vibration which may cause more wear and tear on the tire. *ak
While driving engine: pulley separated from the vehicle. The dealer has been notified.
Consumer was driving vehicle at 55 MPH with cruise control engaged. All of a sudden heard a loud popping noise and the vehicle was filled with dark smoke. Consumer pulled vehicle over to the side when it became engulfed in flames. Emergency vehicle arrived on location and put the fire out. Vehicle was totaled, and is being inspected for cause. Condition is unknown at this time.
Questions about the 1997 Ford Econoline engine
Does the 1997 Ford Econoline have engine problems?
Owners have filed 12 complaints about the engine of the 1997 Ford Econoline, 15% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Econoline engine problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford Econoline engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Ford Econoline have bad engine?
The Ford Econoline model years with the most engine complaints are 1994 (14 complaints), 1999 (14 complaints) and 1992 (13 complaints).
Other 1997 Ford Econoline problems
Brakes 20Tires 13Visibility 9Acceleration 7Seat belts 7Suspension 5Steering 4Body 3Electrical 3Fuel system 3Seats 3Airbags 2Wheels 2Lights 1Transmission 1
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