Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started to shake abnormally, the contact was unable to drive in 4 wheel drive. The contact stated the check gauge warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with the front drive shaft, the control arms, the front oxygen sensor, and the front and rear brakes needing to be replaced. The control arms were replaced however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.
1997 Ford Explorer engine problems
202 complaints (12% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 100,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 202
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- typical mileage
- 100,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Engine77
- Engine: gasoline71
- Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe12
- Engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys10
- Cooling system10
- Exhaust system: emission control6
- Exhaust system6
- Cooling system: radiator assembly5
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 Explorer engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Ford Explorer engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Stalling 35Engine failure 27Check engine light 24Won't start 16Loss of power 14Overheating 14Knocking 10
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 Explorer owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while parked in his driveway. The contact stated that an independent mechanic diagnosed that the hydraulic fluid was leaking due to the faulty cruise control switch causing the fire. The contact mentioned that the hydraulic fluid leaked out when it gets warm even when the vehicle not running. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for a diagnostic testing and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000. The VIN was not available.
I have no explanation for the fire, the car was parked in my driveway. It had been driven about a block from my home and then it was returned to the driveway. My uncle son sitting in the living room when they heard the car alarm and looked out of the window to see clouds of black smoke coming from the truck. My son attempted to put the fire out but it was to intense, my son called 911. This would have killed someone if they had been in the car. Photos are available. Fire department could not say what caused this fire. The tires even melted. All severe damage was to the front end. The car had not been in any kind of accident, there is no explanation for this fire. Please contact me for photos. Not sure what to do but I need to make sure no families.
Since the explorer was 5 years old the driver side of the truck was starting to settle/ be lower than the passenger side. Until it was so bad the shop stated we needed to replace the rear springs, shocks and stabilizer and *** the rear was also lower than the front. So we had to replace the front shocks and several suspension parts to try to level the vehicle back to normal. Now with the engine blown the truck again was settling to the passenger side and toward the rear!!!!!
The engine slowed down and just quit. Would not restart. Had it towed to a repair facility *again* and found out that *2 (two)* timing chains went out. The drivers side snapped in two and the passenger side (rear) had over 1 1/2 inches of play in it and obvious stretching of the timing chain. The front broken one totaled the engine, all tensioners, spacers etc were nor in pieces lying in the engine. And guess what to replace the rear timing chain you have to completely remove the engine from the vehicle! Thanks again ford!!!!!!!!
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20-30 MPH, the vehicle would misfire and seem as if it would stall. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that she needed to replace the engine. The manufacturer was then contacted and advised her that her vehicle was included in any recalls. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer. The contact was driving approximately between 35-40 MPH when he smelled a burning odor. The vehicle was immediately taken to a local repair facility. While exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed flames erupting from under the hood. There was no prior warning. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was completely destroyed. The cause of failure had not been determined at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 190,000.
Engine revvs and vehicle is thrusted forward at top speed from dead start or when slowing down. This is the second on this problem. Both times lead to property damage, and accident.
1997 ford explorer faulty timing chain tensioner started making a noise. Consumer believes ford should fix the problem at no cost.
1997 ford explorer 4.0 sohc, my engine is making a terrible rattle sound while running, I have been told by many that its the timing chain tensioners, and that ford knows about the problem but is not doing anything to help owners to get this repaired.
Questions about the 1997 Ford Explorer engine
Does the 1997 Ford Explorer have engine problems?
Owners have filed 202 complaints about the engine of the 1997 Ford Explorer, 12% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Explorer engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 100,000 miles.
Is there a recall for the 1997 Ford Explorer engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
Other 1997 Ford Explorer problems
Tires 668Acceleration 202Suspension 105Transmission 104Brakes 96Visibility 90Electrical 80Fuel system 56Seat belts 54Body 50Seats 38Steering 33Locks 32Airbags 27Lights 22Wheels 12Driver assistance 4
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