1997 Ford Mustang engine problems

40 complaints (23% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 112,750.

owner complaints: 40
of this car's complaints: 23%
typical mileage: 112,750
crashes: 0
recalls: 0

Which part fails

Engine
13
Engine: gasoline
12
Cooling system
6
Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
4
Cooling system: fan
2
Exhaust system: emission control: catalytic convertor
1
Cooling system: radiator assembly
1

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 Mustang engine problems in other years

Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Ford Mustang engine

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Overheating 7 Stalling 5

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Related investigations

Spark plug ejection from cylinder headOpened September 22, 2005, closed January 4, 2006

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 Mustang owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jun 25, 2023 · Engine, Seats · OK

Unknown I lost control of my steering and almost wrecked

Filed Oct 4, 2012 · Engine · 128,000 miles · MI

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford mustang. The contact stated that while traveling 35 MPH, a foul odor started to emit into the cabin. The contact then merged to the side of the road because he became distraught. The vehicle was driven to the contact's home. The vehicle was not taken to a mechanic and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 128,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.

Filed Sep 14, 2010 · Engine · 150,000 miles · TX

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford mustang. The contact stated that the plastic intake manifold was cracked and causing coolant to leak. The contact believed that the failure was contributed to a design flaw. The dealer was contacted and they advised the contact that they would not service any vehicles over ten years of age. The contact stated that the intake manifold failed twice since owning the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 150,000.

Filed Oct 29, 2007 · Engine · 82,100 miles · MD

I have been having a problem with my 1997 ford mustang. This is a problem that has gotten progressively worse over the past few years. At first, when starting my car, the engine would turn over yet the car would immediately die. After a couple of attempts, the car would eventually start and stay started. Now, when attempting to start my car, the engine turns over yet the car dies immediately. In most cases, the car does not start until it has been serviced. It has been taken to 3 service providers (including ford), who have been unable to duplicate and/or fix the problem. Recently, ford replaced my air flow valve and sensor and just after picking the car up and driving it for about 30 minutes, I went into a store just to come out and find that my car won't start. Once started the car always continues to run with no problem. Please please help!

Filed Nov 26, 2004 · Engine · 105,600 miles · NC

Excessive rattling..rough idle..while engine is running..a slight "humming" can be heard over the dual exhaust..nothing major has happened as of yet.

Filed Jul 2, 2004 · Engine · 00

While driving 40 MPH consumer noticed fluid leaking from underneath the vehicle. Consumer was able to maintain control of vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection. Mechanic determined that intake manifold needed to be replaced due to a blowout.

Filed Jan 7, 2004 · Engine · FL

The consumer took vehicle into be inspected, and mechanic noticed that the plastic intake manifold cracked, causing fluid to leak onto the engine.

Filed Sep 24, 2003 · Engine · CA

Consumer was having a problem with intake manifold that was made of plastic. He had to have it replaced with the retro fit manifold which was aluminum and plastic. Consumer found a recall on the internet dealing with intake manifold, and took the vehicle to a dealer to have it repaired, but ford would not repair it. Consumer spent over $600.00 for repairs. Did not think this was fair since ford knew the problem.

Filed Sep 9, 2003 · Engine · 112,750 miles · CA

Head gaskets blown causing the upper radiator hose to swell and rub the air conditioning compressor clutch. The hole in the hose caused all the coolant to leak out and causing a misfire in the engine. The head gaskets were blown on three of the six cylinders. The engine is a 3.8l v6 in a 1997 mustang.

Filed Dec 2, 2002 · Engine · IN

While driving at 65 MPH the vehicle started over heating. Consumer had vehicle serviced by a mechaninc who informed him that the the head gasket had blown and leaked water into the engine. The mechanic also indicated that this is a very common problem. Ts

Questions about the 1997 Ford Mustang engine

Does the 1997 Ford Mustang have engine problems?

Owners have filed 40 complaints about the engine of the 1997 Ford Mustang, 23% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.

At what mileage do 1997 Ford Mustang engine problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 112,750 miles.

Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford Mustang engine?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Ford Mustang have bad engine?

The Ford Mustang model years with the most engine complaints are 1995 (341 complaints), 1994 (162 complaints) and 1996 (84 complaints).