1997 Ford Thunderbird power train problems
17 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 1997 Ford Thunderbird — 10% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“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…”
filed Oct 30, 2013
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed home and was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. The contact also stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle would decelerate while driving at various speeds. The…”
filed Jul 18, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004New service part - number 5 needle bearing and race kit - 4r70w transmission - service tip. *tt
03261 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 5, 2003
Power Train problems in other Thunderbird years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Thunderbird | 2 | 7% |
| 2004 Thunderbird | 7 | 21% |
| 2003 Thunderbird | 6 | 18% |
| 2002 Thunderbird | 2 | 2% |
| 1996 Thunderbird | 21 | 9% |
| 1995 Thunderbird | 41 | 16% |
| 1994 Thunderbird | 92 | 31% |
| 1993 Thunderbird | 12 | 3% |
| 1992 Thunderbird | 10 | 5% |
| 1991 Thunderbird | 4 | 4% |
| 1990 Thunderbird | 8 | 6% |
| 1989 Thunderbird | 4 | 3% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1997 Ford Thunderbird
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.