1997 Ford Explorer Sport problems & reliability
37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford Explorer Sport. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 22% |
| Power Train | 8 | 22% |
| Seats | 4 | 11% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 11% |
| Tires | 4 | 11% |
| Visibility | 3 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 5% |
| Equipment | 2 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 98,250 miles (middle 50% between 66,913 and 125,519 miles), based on 20 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“1997 ford explorer sport. Consumer would like information regarding an accident that occurred in sept 2010. *ta”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jan 6, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford explorer sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked on an incline when it rolled forward and crashed into another vehicle. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and the repair shop stated that the transfer case needed to be replaced. The…”
Power Train · filed Apr 5, 2012
“1997 ford explorer and began to back out of my parents driveway on the way to work. I used the electrical seat mover button to move my seat back a few inches and within only 10 seconds smoke was in my face. I jumped out of the car, turned the car off, and ran in my house. I got water to try and extinguish the smoke…”
Seats · filed Jul 18, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
7 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford Explorer Sport.
General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures. *tt
04217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2004
Concerns with brake vibration, roughness and / or grinding noise, and excessive brake rotor corrosion. *tt
15910 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2002
Some vehicles equipped with the 4.0l sohc engine may exhibit a check engine light on with diagnostic trouble codes p0300 (random misfire) or p0301. *tt
0232 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 18, 2002
Some vehicles including 1997 through 1999 explorer sport trac equipped with a 4.0l sohc engine may exhibit a start-up noise from the left front of the engine. *tt
15040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2002
Some vehicles may exhibit vacuum or air leaks in the intake manifold and / or engine system causing diagnostic trouble codes p0171 and or p0174. *tt
01205 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 15, 2001
Some vehicles with 4.0l sohc engines may make a start-up noise from the left front of the engine. *tt
15006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2001
On some vehicles, including sport and sport trac, the front axle leaks fluid from the vent tube. *tt
0186 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2001
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1997 Ford Explorer Sport in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Ford Explorer Sport?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 98,250 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.