We were driving down the road at about 25 MPH after we decided not to take the freeway to get to our destination. We heard a huge clunk/drop noise and severe scraping sound so we pulled off immediately to find that the gas tank in our 1997 ford f-150 had fallen and was dragging on the ground. The strap(s) had apparently rusted off. The truck was towed to a local ford dealership where the work will be done on monday. We hope that only the straps will have to be replaced and that no damage to the fuel tank or lines was done (or will be done) during the moving of the truck during towing or for repair. I am fearful of what could have happened had we been driving on the freeway at 60-70 MPH and sparks been created. The gas tank was about 3/4 way full.
1997 Ford F-150: harsh or hard shifting
11 of the 2,746 complaints about the 1997 Ford F-150 describe harsh or hard shifting.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 0%
- typical mileage
- 100,478
- recalls
- 2
Harsh or hard shifting by model year
What owners say
While driving 65mph on the interstate I heard a clunk followed by the sound of dragging metal. I assumed the muffler had dropped or something insignificant. I immediately pulled over to inspect the cause and was shocked to find my nearly full gas tank had become detached from the vehicle, and gas was leaking badly. The tank was hanging by the filler tube and there was a 2" hole on the nose from dragging it. About 15 gallons of gas spilled out. Fire department was called to contain the spill. The gas tank straps had completely rusted thru and failed.
I have a 1997 ford f150 with a 4.2 l engine that just turned 100,000 miles. I bought it second hand from a ford dealership june 1999 with about 45,000 miles on it. This truck was meticulously cared for over the years. After noticing that the coolant level was down after a a recent refill I refilled it again. I didn't drive the vehicle for about ten days but when I went to start it the engine made a clunk and wouldn't crank. I suspected the battery after a charge yielded the same results. The battery was replaced but still the same result and also after refinishing lead terminals and starter replacement. I checked the oil filler cap and there was a thick light brown substance I had never seen before on it and all the way down around the inside wall of the filler tube. I suspected a leak in the head gasket or elsewhere and went to the internet sites for clarification. After some research I realized I was far from being the only one with this problem. As I suspected the coolant leaks via the loose seal of the head gasket into one or more of the cylinders. It appears that this was a known defect and recall that ford never conveyed to all the owners of this model.
Dt:the contact stated the middle leaf spring broke in the rear of her vehicle. The first time it broke was on the left side, it punctured a tire. The tire went flat while the truck was sitting. The leaf spring was repaired at this time by a certified mechanic. The second time was the right side leaf spring; while driving she heard a clunking sound, stopped the vehicle to inspect the noise, and noticed the leaf spring h broke. It was repaired by certified mechanic. Contacted ford , there was a recall on the leaf springs, but did not include this vehicle due to VIN.
Driving vehicle it hard shifts from 1 - 2 and sometimes from 2 - 3 at speed less than 30 MPH and when down shifting from 2 - 1, brought vehicle to dick parker ford dealer and had transmission flushed on recomendations. This did not solve the problem. Brought vehicle back and asked for it to be repaired at my cost. Was told that problem I stated was not what the mechanic was looking for. Restated the problem and took the mechanic for a test ride where he acknowledged there was a hard shift. Left vehicle with mechanic to be repaired. Next day I was told no diagnostics error codes were found and that I the owner should continue to drive the vehicle and that the problem would go away. (have dealer documentation stating this).
Clunking noise in right rear of vehicle...manufacturer doesn't know what it is.
What is the clunking my universals are good???
When in neutral and coasting down a hill, driveline rattles over bumps. Driveline clunks on acceleration or deceleration. Contacted dealer. Service manager checked the bulletins, ford claims that it will not cause damage to anything in the driveline. Private mechanic said that it will over time. *ak
Bottom leaf separates on both sides of rear spring assemblies & points outward at rear. Loud clunking, rattling & vibration in steering column & dashboard. 2 general tires blew out within 250 miles.
Steering wheel clunks when accelerating and decelerating, and when on bumpy pavement.
Truck will clunk when braking. Ford has issued a service bulletin on this problem. Area dealership greased the front but this didn't change condition. Please describe details.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Rear axle noise repair
- Axle whine howl
- A driveline clunk or bump when starting from a stop
- General (PCM) power train control module programming procedures
- General power train control module (PCM) programming procedures
- New transmission cooler flusher - service tips
- Brake shift interlock
- Some vehicles may exhibit water in the transfer case, this could cause low range 4X4 lamp to illuminate,...
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. If the automatic transmission shift cable assembly was not fully attached to the steering column bracket, the shift cable assembly can come out of the bracket. The vehicle operator would then not be able to shift the transmission from one of the drive gear positions into the park position even though the gear shift selector would indicate "park."
- Risk
- The condition would not allow a disengagement of the transmission from the park position or affect proper neutral start switch operation. Unintended vehicle movement could occur if the parking brake was not set.
- Remedy
- Dealers will make the proper attachment of the transmission shift control cable to the steering column bracket and add a tie strap to that connection.
Recall number 97V171000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks. The transmission bracket end fitting can separate from the shift cable assembly resulting in operator inability to shift the transmission from one of the drive gear positions into the park position.
- Risk
- This condition can result in unintended vehicle movement if the parking brake is not set.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new transmission shift control cable.
Recall number 97V147000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Ford F-150 harsh shifting
Is harsh or hard shifting a common problem on the 1997 Ford F-150?
11 of 2,746 owner complaints about the 1997 Ford F-150 (0%) mention harsh or hard shifting. The model year with the most reports is 2018.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Ford F-150?
There are 2 recalls and 65 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Ford F-150
Fire or smoke 210Tire blowout 127Engine failure 121Adaptive cruise 118Knocking 81Overheating 71Ball joint 69Wipers 62No deployment 60ABS 53Brake failure 51Fuel leak 51Power steering loss 36Stalling 32Check engine light 31Grinding brakes 21Misfire 20Sudden acceleration 18Water leak 18Door locks 17Won't start 17Pulling 16Hesitation 14Won't shift 14Headlights 13Fuel smell 12Seat belt 12Airbag light 11Transmission failure 11Coil spring 10Jerking 10Steering noise 10Steering lock-up 9Loss of power 8Premature wear 8Rollaway 5
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