1997 Ford Thunderbird problems & reliability
169 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford Thunderbird. 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.
5 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Ford Thunderbird vehicles were involved in 7 fatal crashes with 6 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 54 | 32% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 22 | 13% |
| Suspension | 18 | 11% |
| Power Train | 17 | 10% |
| Tires | 16 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 11 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 7% |
| Steering | 9 | 5% |
| Visibility | 7 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 4% |
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 71,084 miles (middle 50% between 57,816 and 86,750 miles), based on 48 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“1997 ford thunderbird. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle vin# not listed on defective brake pads/rotors recall notice. *smd”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Sep 6, 2016
“I smell gas when driving at high speed of 60 and above on freeway mostly. Once in a while I can smell it when driving at lower speeds of 25 -30mph. I used to think that I had spilled gas on the outside of car when it first started happening, but now a year later, I still smell gas and I do smoke in my car, but when I…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Oct 30, 2013
“In the middle of august I smelt gas when I drove. And the smell has become stronger and stronger. Today (10/10/2011) I went to a vehicle repair shop and was told the leaking is on the top of fuel tank and could not be repaired in the shop. I checked online and found many people have experienced this very dangerous…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Oct 10, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
107 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Ford Thunderbird. The 10 most recent:
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Extended coverage program 05n04 - extended coverage for composite intake manifold. This program is being provided as a settlement to a class action lawsuit. The terms of the settlement extend the coverage of the…
05N04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 14, 2005
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt
03181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2003
New service part - number 5 needle bearing and race kit - 4r70w transmission - service tip. *tt
03261 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 5, 2003
Engine-gear driven synchronizers-incorrect installation-camshaft position synchronizer (cmp) installation tool correct application. *mj
02221 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 11, 2002
Incorrectly installed gear driven camshaft position (cmp) sensor synchronizer assemblies causing surge, lost of power, malfunction indicator lamp on and diagnostic trouble codes p1336, p1309 and p0340. *tt
870197 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 22, 2002
Climate control a/c service tech tips. *eh
02208 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 14, 2002
Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock. *mj
02176 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 2, 2002
Some vehicles may exhibit an intake manifold crossover (first runner) coolant seepage condition. *tt
0222 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 4, 2002
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 Thunderbird 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 Thunderbird?
- · 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 71,084 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.