1997 Ford Ranger problems & reliability
411 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford Ranger, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
30 complaints report injuries (44 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Ford Ranger vehicles were involved in 76 fatal crashes with 52 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | 57 | 14% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 55 | 13% |
| Power Train | 42 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 36 | 9% |
| Visibility | 36 | 9% |
| Interior Lighting | 34 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 28 | 7% |
| Structure | 25 | 6% |
| Suspension | 25 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 23 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 100,000 miles (middle 50% between 70,000 and 132,494 miles), based on 110 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford ranger. The contact stated that while having a routine inspection at haldeman ford of kutztown, inc. (15465 kutztown rd, kutztown, pa 19530, (610) 683-3553) the mechanic determined that the front and rear subframe was severely corroded. After having an emissions inspection, the vehicle…”
Structure · filed Feb 17, 2021
“Ford ranger 4x4 xlt 4.0l has had problems from the beginning front tires two out , fog lights, air conditioning, transmission shift points , check engine light when new and to this day gas mileage not as stated on window sticker ,also windows motor and controls”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Sep 23, 2020
“Belt separation on 2 tires in one month time span. Fusion touring 195 70r14 91t. These tires have 8/32 tread remaining. Failures were front right, then left read one month later. Caused difficulty steering as the car was all over the road plus bumpy ride. The tires are visibly bulging baloon. I felt tire temp with my…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Nov 6, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FRONT SEAT BELT
Defect Petition DP00005 · opened Oct 2, 2000 · closed May 15, 2001
- STEERING KNUCKLE SEPARATIONS
Preliminary Evaluation PE99045 · opened Jul 6, 1999 · closed Oct 29, 1999
Technical service bulletins
202 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford Ranger. The 10 most recent:
Front axle leaks fluid from vent tube - vehicles equipped with 4x4 or awd. *tt
030508 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures. *tt
04217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2004
Rear leaf spring noise. *tt
17777 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2004
Low line pressure reading at wide open throttle (wot), slipping shifts and / or delayed engagements with possible diagnostic trouble codes p0732, p0733, p1762 set on vehicles built before 12/1/2001. *tt
02138 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 10, 2003
Malfunction indicator lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457 or p1442 or a check fuel cap lamp illuminated with dtc p0457 for the evaporative emission system. *tt
03203 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 13, 2003
Clicking/popping noise from upper steering column area when turning. 2004 e series and explorer sport trac also included. *tt
17254 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2003
Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt
03181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2003
New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included. *tt
03148 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2003
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination with diagnostic trouble codes p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457, p1442 or check fuel cap lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble code p0457. *tt
0398 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 2003
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
The 1997 Ford Ranger has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 Ranger?
- · 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 100,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.