Faults:

The fan blower selector only works in the highest two out of four positions.

A wheel bearing went out at about 198K.

The U joints needed to be replaced at 200000 (not the originals)

At around 195000, the oil light started coming on and the pressure gauge drops frequently. There must be a short in the wiring, because we've put 10000 miles on it since then.

Sometimes the windshield wipers will turn on by themselves. To stop them you just whack the switch.

We put a block heater in it to make it start better in the cold.

The front bench seat is ripped on the back.

The intake gaskets are going out, but we don't feel like replacing them because we don't know how much longer the truck will last.

General Comments:

This has been a very reliable truck.

I can't remember ever being stranded in this truck.

It is very easy to get buried in the snow due to the two wheel drive. If you get one, get the 4X4.

It rides pretty well for a truck, but the rear seats are nearly uninhabitable.

The third door is a nice feature for releasing the unfortunate occupants of the rear seats.

The gas mileage is not incredible, but is still not bad for a truck. Ours averages around 17mpg. But if you think that is low, how many miles do you think you can force someone to sit in the back seat anyway?

The headlights are not very bright, but they work moderately well.

The acceleration is very good for having the smallest motor in the lineup.

The exhaust also has a cool rasp to it when you put 'er down.

One cool feature about the rear seats, is that if you pull on a strap near the seat belt, the rear seat folds down into a flat, metal cargo floor.

Another cool feature I like about our Ford, is that the exhaust exits out the side in front of the rear wheels.

I would rate the 97 F150 two thumbs up!

Faults:

This truck has had very little work done to it, but if you do it yourself, then you will be able to afford it. I replaced the 8 spark plugs in under 4 hours, and that was really good for most standards. The spark plugs are extremely hard to get to.

I have had to have the entire exhaust replaced this year.

I replace the horn about a 6 months. There's a weird short that keeps killing it little by little, till it just does not work.

The body has very little rust; more just an orange color in a few places. But for Northern NY, that's really good.

EXPENSIVE to work on. LABOR AND PARTS

General Comments:

This truck has so much stored power, that I will never use it all. The room in the cab and the comfort (for a truck) is great.

The engine is a 5.4, and when driving it, the tires make more noise. Pulling a boat or loaded with fire wood, or both; this truck drives like it's empty.

If you want a work truck, or you're looking for a truck to take a whole family camping or one to pull a camper, this is your truck. This 4x4 sits high and takes the punishment I hand down.

From off roading to daily driving by the wife, this truck is ready. It really must wake up before me to get ready.

Faults:

No problems so far.

General Comments:

This truck is great. I decided to buy a truck after I sold my 1994 Acura Integra, and I thought I would be disappointed, because I love performance and speed. I was totally wrong, this truck will pull a posi every time with little trouble!

The only thing I did not like was the shut off; I put a chip in to fix this problem, along with a K&N intake, Gibson headers, and a Flowmaster dual exhaust. After I had the chip, I raced alongside a buddy's Eclipse, and he tagged me at 123; not too bad for a truck!

I recommend this truck to anyone!