1997 Ford EXPLORER SPORT TRAC: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
6 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
107,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1997 model year. Data snapshot: . 6 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Power Train:Transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive) is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 6 complaints (16.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 1 | 16.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train:Transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive) | 1 |
| Seat Belts:Front | 1 |
| Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate | 1 |
| Suspension:Front | 1 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal | 1 |
Power Train:Transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive): 1; Seat Belts:Front: 1; Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate: 1; Suspension:Front: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1; Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 1
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (4). 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 3 |
2004: 1; 2005: 2; 2006: 3
Pattern summary
Power Train:Transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive) leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10054248 · 2004-01-16 (January 16, 2004)
I HAVE A 1997 FORD EXPLORER SPORT AND IT IS DOWN FOR THE SECOND TIME WITH A TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM. THE FIRST WAS WHEN I BOUGHT THE USED VEHICLE IN 1999 FROM A CAR LOT IN LYNNWOOD, WA IT HAD 49,000 MILES ON IT AND IT NEED THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY REPLACED. NOW 4 YEARS LATER IT IS SITTING AT A SHOP NEEDING A SECOND TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY REPLACED. IT SEEMS VERY ODD THAT THIS WOULD OCCUR TWICE WITH A VEHICLE IN ITS LIFE TIME. THE VEHICLE ORIGINATED FROM CANADA IN 1996, SO I AM NOT SURE IF IT HAD THE CORRECT MILEAGE WHEN I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. TH…
Owner-reported narrative. 108,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10054248 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10110173 · 2005-02-09 (February 9, 2005)
I DRIVE A 1997 FORD EXPLORER XLT. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT TODAY BECAME UNLATCHED WHEN I HIT THE BREAKS HARD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. HAD I HIT ANOTHER CAR, I WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. FORD WANTS TO CHARGE ME $100 FOR THE REPAIR. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 107,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10110173 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10138501 · 2005-10-04 (October 4, 2005)
I THINK THE REAR DOOR OF FORD EXPLORERS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. I HAVE A 1997 FORD EXPLORER XLT. THE WELD THAT HOLDS THE REAR DOOR AT THE TOP IS STARTING TO COME APART. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS AN ENGINEERING DEFECT ON FORD EXPLORERS BY A FORD BODY SHOP. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE? I HAVE ALSO SEEN THIS ON SEVERAL OTHER EXPLORERS. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS OCCURS BECAUSE THE SHEET METAL USED ON THE DOOR IS SO THIN THAT IT DOES NOT SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE REAR DOOR THAT GOOD.*JB
Owner-reported narrative. 138,124 miles reported. Look up ODI 10138501 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10160376 · 2006-06-21 (June 21, 2006)
TRANSFER CASE FAILURE WHEN TRANSFERRED FROM NORMAL OPERATION TO 4 WHEEL DRIVE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ON THE ROAD INSTEAD OF IN FRONT OF MY HOME, I BELIEVE AN ACCIDENT MOST SURELY WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THANK GOD I TESTED THE 4 WHEEL OPERATION BEFORE I TOOK A TRIP TO THE SNOW COUNTRY. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THOUSANDS OF 4 WHEEL DRIVE OWNERS ARE AT RISK OF SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND COMPLETELY IGNORANT OF THIS DANGER. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10160376 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10163619 · 2006-07-27 (July 27, 2006)
WHILE DRIVING 1997 FORD EXPLORER XLT 4X4 V6 SOHC UPON ACCELERATION ON TO FREEWAY, THE GAS PEDDLE STUCK TO FLOOR AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. THE RESULT WAS A BLOWN ENGINE/SMALL FIRE,NO INJURIES THANK GOD, BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY TO STOP VEHICLE WAS TO PUT INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN PARK. THE FOOT BRAKE AND EMERGENCY BRAKE WERE USELESS, AND THE VEHICLE WAS REVVING AT 75 MPH AT THE TIME TILL BROUGHT TO STOP THUS BLOWING A HUGE HOLE IN WALL OF ENGINE TO THE TUNE OF $5000.00 TO FIX. FORD CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH PEDAL AFTER DOING A DIAGNOSTIC. THIS …
Owner-reported narrative. 100,060 miles reported. Look up ODI 10163619 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10164807 · 2006-08-07 (August 7, 2006)
BROKEN FRONT SWAY BAR LINK ON 1997 FORD EXPLORT XLT. REPLACE PARTS. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 190,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10164807 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.